Canada’s Passover celebrations are a part of its multicultural backdrop and diverse setup. Per the Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, newcomers have the freedom of thought, expression, and belief. This is regardless of their immigration status. Additionally, the Canadian Human Rights Act prevents discrimination based on religion, similar to the Charter.
Canada’s Passover celebrations and Jewish population
335,295 Canadians identify as Jewish by religion, according to the Statistics Canada census conducted in 2021. More than 91,000 immigrants who identified as Jews lived in Canada between 1980 and 2021. Six nations—Israel (19.0%), the United States (12.6%), Ukraine (8.3%), Russia (8.2%), Morocco (7.8%), and South Africa (6.8%)—contributed to over 62% of the immigrants who identified as Jews in Canada.
Geographically speaking, there are a lot of Jews in Canada. Just five provinces—Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Alberta—host more than 98% of all Jews in Canada. Toronto and Montreal each have almost a fourth of the Jews in Canada living there.
Passover- what is it?
Passover, also known as Pesach, honors the Exodus of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt under Moses’ guidance, which is said to have taken place around 1300 BCE. The Exodus story represents independence, liberty, and redemption and is one of the most significant moments in establishing the people of Israel.
When the Pharaoh refused to allow the Jewish people to escape Egypt, God cast ten plagues upon that nation. This was according to the Book of Exodus. All of Egypt’s first-born males perished during the final plague. The exception was the Jewish people’s sons, who were “passed over.” The Pharaoh was finally convinced to release the Jewish people from this calamity.
According to the Hebrew lunar calendar, Passover occurs typically in March or April. Depending on the family tradition, the festival is typically observed for 7 or 8 days.
Jewish Jews must purge their homes of leavened food items (chametz) before the holiday and refrain from consuming any until the celebration ends. This is one of the most significant Passover customs. Jews typically eat matzah rather than bread. The reason for this, according to tradition, is that the Hebrews’ bread could not rise because they had to leave Egypt so swiftly.
Canada’s Passover celebrations
Canada celebrates the Passover specifically with Jewish families participating in several food and family events. The Passover holidays consist of two chief days- the first and last- because they involve special blessings, prayers, synagogues, Torah readings, and ceremonial meals.
The “Seder,” or ceremonial feast, is a festival that takes place on the first two evenings of Passover. Prayers, blessings, readings, singing, and eating symbolic foods are all required during the Seder. The Haggadah is the book used for this event, and the Seder’s goal is to recount the tale of the Jewish exodus from Egypt. A Seder supper is also held on the final day of Passover to conclude the season of observance.
The majority of Jewish businesses and organizations will not be open during Passover, even though it is not a federally recognized holiday in Canada.
For all Canadians, Passover is a chance to honor Canada’s Jewish community and the numerous contributions that Jewish Canadians have made. It implies their appreciation for the future efforts of this community toward Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated the above last year to mark the holiday.
