Passover

Traditionally, Jerusalem has been the focus of longing for Jews who were forced from the land of Israel and the Jerusalem Temple. There is the well-known lament "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither". And, even more famous, “next year in Jerusalem” , the concluding words of the Passover seder. The holiday of Passover marks the anniversary of the birth of the Jewish nation – the people of Israel.

From Jacob, Rachel, and Leah came a family of 70 people who, due to a famine in Israel, were forced to migrate to Egypt. In Egypt this family grew and prospered to such an extent that they eventually came to be seen as a threat by their Egyptian hosts. Respect turned to contempt, enslavement and oppression. After 210 years, and a series of warnings by Moses to Pharaoh which resulted in the Ten Plagues, God liberated the Children of Israel. Seven weeks later this newly conceived nation received the Torah at Mount Sinai.

The Haggadah, told at the Passover seder, is the story of the birth of the Jews as a people. The word haggadah means to tell, or to relate. Passover tells every Jew three things: who you are, where you came from, and what you stand for. This is one of three the most important pilgrimage holidays in Israel. It is a custom during the Passover holidays to travel extensively around Israel. The most popular place of destination is, of course, the capital of Israel, Jerusalem like in most of jewish holidays.

Jerusalem has acquired something of a superhuman status because of its religious and legendary status as the ancient center of the world and the site of the two Temples, the only remnants of which,the Jerusalem Western Wall, is the most visited place during the Passover.