Your guide to enjoying Passover in Elsternwick Village

During the festival of Passover, Jewish communities celebrate the Biblical story of the Jewish people being freed from slavery in Egypt.

This year Passover will begin on the evening of April 22 and runs through to April 30, which means right now Jewish families across Elsternwick are emptying their pantries of all leavened breads and getting ready for a seder or two.

Every family has its own Passover rituals, and everything you need to celebrate this special tradition is right at your fingertips in Elsternwick Village.

Get cleaning

Removing chametz, foods forbidden during Passover, from the house is an ancient Passover ritual, steeped in history.

According to scripture, when the Egyptian Pharaoh granted their freedom, the Israelites left with such haste, they couldn’t let their bread rise and so they brought unleavened bread.

Chametz refers to any food made from one of five types of grain and that has been combined with water and left to stand raw for longer than eighteen minutes.

Some families begin removing chametz weeks before Passover, by dusting any area crumbs may have fallen, vacuuming beneath the couch, and even checking coat pockets.

All your kosher food needs, including unleavened bread, can be picked up at Kosher Kingdom in Elsternwick Village.

Holiday crafts

Kids and parents alike love embracing the spirit of Passover by getting crafty. Here’s some inspiration:

• Make your own a Passover seder plate, explaining to the kids what each part of the plate symbolises as you go.
• In anticipation of putting a cup of wine out for the prophet Elijah, get the kids decorating Elijah’s cup with colourful bits of paper, sparkly rhinestones, and ribbon.
• Go crazy and create a matzo house (think: gingerbread house but with a Passover vibe!)
• Build a parting of the Red Sea diorama. All you need is a box, some blue cellophane, paper and textas.
• For kids, one of the most highly anticipated rituals of Passover is the re-enactment of the 10 plagues. Kids will love making creative and colourful character cards for every member of the family.

All your art and craft supplies can be picked up at Elsternwick Village from Party Bazaar, Fantasy Decorland, Officeworks or Mr Pickwick’s Newsagency.

Meaningful gifts they’ll love

Traditionally, during Passover, gifts exchanged include boxes of sweets and fruits, as well as flowers and wine, but sometimes it’s nice to give an extra special gift.

Picture frames and books make gorgeous gifts, but given that so many Passover traditions relate to food, homewares and tableware are also popular gift options.

Why not choose a gorgeous plate, platter or board and fill it with sweets and fruits? Add some strategically placed flowers and you’ll have a gift to treasure that truly honours the tradition.

In Elsternwick Village, you’ll find a great selection of homewares, as well as other gift ideas, at Ruby’s Gifts (offers Judaica products), Dalgarno’s of Elsternwick, Society of Merchants, Tonic Australia, Avenue Bookstore, and Kidstuff for the little ones.

Flowers and plants are also a great gift to give during Passover, so head to Green Envy for a great selection of indoor plants or Shady Hill Luxury Flowers for a pretty selection of blooms.

Prepare for your Passover feast

The Hebrew word ‘seder’ translates to ‘order’ and the Passover feast is a melange of religious rituals, food, song, and storytelling.

The seder feast traditionally marks the beginning of Passover, and is defined by the foods that can be eaten and those that are strictly forbidden.

The traditional seder plate includes karpas (usually parsley or celery, dipped in salty water), charoset (a sweet fruit mixture, usually featuring apple and walnut), maror (a bitter herb), chazeret (another bitter herb), Z’roa (lamb shank bone), beitzah (roasted or hard-boiled egg) and matzah (unleavened bread).

Learn more about the tradition in the Elsternwick Village guide to foods for Passover.

All the ingredients for the seder plate can be found in Elsternwick Village at Kosher Kingdom, Dirito’s Quality Fruits, and Coles Elsternwick.

Your Passover shopping list

Before seder

• Feather, wooden spoon, paper bag, and candle for chametz
• Seder plate
• Matzah holder
• Kiddush cups and wine glasses
• Candles and candlesticks
• Craft items for rituals such as afikoman
• Afikoman holder
• Afikoman prizes or gifts
• Gifts and homewares for loved ones.

For your seder feast

• Wine and grape juice
• Matzah
• Parsley, celery, or other greens (karpas)
• Horseradish (maror)
• Shankbone or beetroot (z’roa)
• Smoked fish: whitefish, sardines, herring, smoked salmon
• Apples, nuts, raisins, cinnamon, sweet red wine (charoset)
• Eggs (beitzah)
• Kosher salt.

No matter how long or short your shopping list, Elsternwick Village has everything you need for Passover, including shops that offer kosher foods, fresh fruit and vegetables, Jewish goods, and more.