Passover begins Wednesday night — an important event for the Jewish community

A Passover table setting in Windsor, Ont. The feast of Passover begins on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 (Gary Archibald/CTV News Windsor)

Passover, one of the most important dates on the Jewish calendar, begins this Wednesday evening.

The actual celebration —the Feast of Passover — commemorates Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt after two centuries of slavery.

Wednesday night, as families and friends gather around dining tables, wine will be blessed, special food is prepared and eaten, and sacred passages will be read.

This religious ceremony has tradition dating back thousands of years to the 1300 B.C.

Rabbi Sholom Galperin explains that while the date and event mark a monumental time in history, on an individual basis it's a calling for all to seek humility. The very act of being humble draws us closer to God.

"Pesach [Passover] is freedom - where we go out of our comfort zone,” said Galperin.

We go out of something that we feel uniquely special about and say you know what, what can I do to help someone else? Put myself aside, make sure someone else has food, money, whatever it is.”

“And that's the message, I think, that we have to have of Passover. Freedom — freedom of ourselves, our ego and then the freedom to help other people."

Passover last seven days. It will end on the evening of Thursday, April 13, 2023.