Happy Passover! At this time, Jews celebrate that once we were slaves in Egypt and now we are free. It is a time to think about the narrow places in our lives and how we can start again and grow in Spring!
Thank you Feedspot for including the Jewish Journal and my site, We Said Go Travel, in your 30 Best Jewish Book Blogs and Websites! What an amazing way to celebrate at this season!
New York City, New York, US Jewish Book Council, founded in 1944, is the longest-running organization devoted exclusively to the support and celebration of Jewish literature. For over seventy years, we have used literature to bring people together for meaningful discussions about Jewish life, identity, and culture.
Los Angeles, California, US The following section of Jewish Journal is dedicated to Jewish Book authors and reviews. Get all the recent posts on Religious and Reform from Jewish Journal. We regularly offer live webcasts of community events and original videos. Our mission is to provide fresh news to the Jewish community of Los Angeles.
Los Angeles, California, US We Said Go Travel is a Passport to a Global Community. Get inspired by stories from every continent published by over 1600 travelers and writers. Connect with tens of thousands of readers who share their personal journeys, photos and comments from every continent. Gain global awareness and immerse yourself in other cultures. Lisa Niver is the founder of We Said Go Travel and the host of Make Your Own Map. In its first 99 days, Make Your Own Map was watched on 21 countries on 6 continents.
Passover is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, as described in the biblical Book of Exodus. During this holiday, Jews retell the story of their ancestors’ enslavement and their journey to freedom.
One of the central themes of Passover is leaving the “narrowness” of slavery and oppression for the freedom of self-determination. The Hebrew word for Egypt, “Mitzrayim,” is derived from the word “meitzar,” meaning “narrow.” According to Jewish tradition, the Israelites’ physical enslavement was accompanied by a spiritual narrowness, a sense of limitation and confinement that permeated their lives.
Through their liberation from Egypt, the Jewish people were able to break free from this narrowness and attain a sense of personal and national freedom. The Passover Seder, a ritual meal that takes place on the first two nights of Passover, is designed to help Jews reenact this journey from slavery to freedom.
During the Seder, Jews retell the story of the Exodus and participate in a series of rituals that symbolize the journey from narrowness to freedom. For example, they eat bitter herbs to symbolize the bitterness of slavery, and then dip them in sweet charoset to remind them of the hope of freedom. They also eat matzah, a type of unleavened bread that symbolizes the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt.
Overall, Passover is a holiday that celebrates the Jewish people’s journey from the narrowness of slavery and oppression to the freedom of self-determination. Through its rituals and traditions, Jews are reminded of the importance of breaking free from narrow thinking and embracing the possibilities of a life lived in freedom.
Sukkot emphasizes that which we intrinsically know. We go outside and show the world that no matter the environment, we will express our Judaism with pride and joy.
Liat Cohen-Reeis, director of the Antisemitism Task Force at StandWithUs San Diego, has tried to bring local news media’s attention to antisemitic incidents, but has encountered disinterest.
Furstenberg has been an iconic writer and editor in Israeli and American publications for decades, including for the L.A. Jewish Journal, and her death, even at the age of 90, on the eve of Rosh Hashana, deeply moved Jerusalemites who knew her.
The point of all this isn’t to replace the people who keep our institutions running. It’s to give them back the hours they spend being human copy machines, so they can spend those hours on the work only people can do.
Saudi Arabia’s growing vulnerability presents Israel – and the United States – with an opportunity to deepen the partnership between two of the region’s most important forces against extremism.
Shattering as it’s been, there’s something to be said for this abrupt return to biblicalness. By this awkward word I don’t mean belief in religion, necessarily, but appreciation for values that have fallen into disfavor in our supposedly enlightened age.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.
Congratulations to the Jewish Journal! Top Jewish Book Website
Lisa Ellen Niver
Happy Passover! At this time, Jews celebrate that once we were slaves in Egypt and now we are free. It is a time to think about the narrow places in our lives and how we can start again and grow in Spring!
Thank you Feedspot for including the Jewish Journal and my site, We Said Go Travel, in your 30 Best Jewish Book Blogs and Websites! What an amazing way to celebrate at this season!
1. Jewish Book Council
5. Jewish Journal » Books
Read about Woman On Fire and Lies My Mother Told Me on the Jewish Journal
21. We Said Go Travel
Happy Holiday Humor from Melissa Rivers!
Women’s History Month: READ Woman On Fire
Passover is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, as described in the biblical Book of Exodus. During this holiday, Jews retell the story of their ancestors’ enslavement and their journey to freedom.
One of the central themes of Passover is leaving the “narrowness” of slavery and oppression for the freedom of self-determination. The Hebrew word for Egypt, “Mitzrayim,” is derived from the word “meitzar,” meaning “narrow.” According to Jewish tradition, the Israelites’ physical enslavement was accompanied by a spiritual narrowness, a sense of limitation and confinement that permeated their lives.
Through their liberation from Egypt, the Jewish people were able to break free from this narrowness and attain a sense of personal and national freedom. The Passover Seder, a ritual meal that takes place on the first two nights of Passover, is designed to help Jews reenact this journey from slavery to freedom.
During the Seder, Jews retell the story of the Exodus and participate in a series of rituals that symbolize the journey from narrowness to freedom. For example, they eat bitter herbs to symbolize the bitterness of slavery, and then dip them in sweet charoset to remind them of the hope of freedom. They also eat matzah, a type of unleavened bread that symbolizes the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt.
Overall, Passover is a holiday that celebrates the Jewish people’s journey from the narrowness of slavery and oppression to the freedom of self-determination. Through its rituals and traditions, Jews are reminded of the importance of breaking free from narrow thinking and embracing the possibilities of a life lived in freedom.
Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.
Editor's Picks
Israel and the Internet Wars – A Professional Social Media Review
The Invisible Student: A Tale of Homelessness at UCLA and USC
What Ever Happened to the LA Times?
Who Are the Jews On Joe Biden’s Cabinet?
You’re Not a Bad Jewish Mom If Your Kid Wants Santa Claus to Come to Your House
No Labels: The Group Fighting for the Political Center
Latest Articles
The Match That Oct. 7 Struck
Will Sept. 30 Go Down in History Like Oct. 7?
This Just Makes It Worse
Oct. 7 Makes Me Grateful for the Secular Calendar
October 7th and the Secret of Simchat Torah
Rabbis of LA | Rabbi’s Heroic Friend Remembers Oct. 7
EarlyJ Invests More Than $510,000 to Expand Jewish Parenting Centers Across California
Their goal is to ensure Jewish preschools become community hubs for families, starting in the earliest stages of parenthood.
Our Eyes Blink — A poem for Parsha Vezot Hab’rachah
My son turned eighteen yesterday…
AFHU Bel Air Affaire, Los Angeles Jewish Film Fest Screening
Notable people and events in the Jewish LA community.
A Moment in Time: Give a Child a Summer to Remember
A Bisl Torah ~ Fragility Beckons Daily Courage
Sukkot emphasizes that which we intrinsically know. We go outside and show the world that no matter the environment, we will express our Judaism with pride and joy.
October Seventh and the Reversal Caused by Sukkot
The Antisemitism You Won’t Hear About in the News
Liat Cohen-Reeis, director of the Antisemitism Task Force at StandWithUs San Diego, has tried to bring local news media’s attention to antisemitic incidents, but has encountered disinterest.
Print Issue: Crisis of Truth | October 2, 2026
An uproar over an article showing discrimination against Jewish and Israeli writers dramatizes how ideology and politics prevail over truth.
A Free Makeover: A Bath, a Haircut and a Second Chance
At the shelters, the grooming does more than make the dogs look and smell better.
Rochelle Furstenberg, Iconic Writer, Editor, Passes Away in Jerusalem
Furstenberg has been an iconic writer and editor in Israeli and American publications for decades, including for the L.A. Jewish Journal, and her death, even at the age of 90, on the eve of Rosh Hashana, deeply moved Jerusalemites who knew her.
What Kind of Judaism Do We Want After Oct. 7?
Arthur Green, “Can Judaism Be Saved: Its Future After Gaza” (Teaneck, NJ: Ben Yehuda Press, 2025) pp. 139.
Your Organization Doesn’t Need a Chatbot. It Needs Its Hours Back.
The point of all this isn’t to replace the people who keep our institutions running. It’s to give them back the hours they spend being human copy machines, so they can spend those hours on the work only people can do.
The Architecture of L’Dor Vador: How Physical Structures Shape Jewish Values and Intergenerational Life
This is more than a proposal to construct apartments. It is an invitation to reconsider what a Jewish institution can be.
Stuffed with Spice and Simcha
The custom of eating stuffed vegetables on Simchat Torah is to symbolize the scrolls of the Torah filled with the wisdom of the holy text.
Table for Five: Simchat Torah
Exclusive After-Party
Crisis of Truth
An uproar over an article showing discrimination against Jewish and Israeli writers dramatizes how ideology and politics prevail over truth.
Rosner’s Domain | Election Day Will Just Be a Beginning
Israelis are an impatient bunch, but their political processes can drag on and on – and on.
Saudi Arabia Is Encircled. The Way Out May Run through Jerusalem
Saudi Arabia’s growing vulnerability presents Israel – and the United States – with an opportunity to deepen the partnership between two of the region’s most important forces against extremism.
Two Elections, One People
On October 27, Israelis will elect the 26th Knesset. A week later, on November 3, Americans will vote in pivotal midterm elections.
The Return to Biblicalness
Shattering as it’s been, there’s something to be said for this abrupt return to biblicalness. By this awkward word I don’t mean belief in religion, necessarily, but appreciation for values that have fallen into disfavor in our supposedly enlightened age.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.