March 29, 2000
PUZZLED ABOUT PASSOVER?
Consult the Kosher Experts at the Orthodox Union
With the Passover holiday just around the corner, here are some
answers to questions your readers or listeners might have. If you would like
to schedule an interview with one of our kosher experts, please contact us.
What does “KOSHER FOR PASSOVER” on products mean?
During Passover, Jewish law forbids the consumption or possession by Jews of
all edible fermented grain products (Chametz) or related foods. Prior to Passover, every Jew is required to remove all Chametz from his or her
home, property and all premises under his or her jurisdiction (i.e. desk, office,
locker, car). Even foods and household products which meet the strict, year-round dietary regulations to be considered kosher, are nevertheless
often unacceptable or require special preparation for Passover use in the Jewish home in order to be Kosher for Passover.
How can one tell if a product is “KOSHER FOR PASSOVER?”
Most processed foods and beverages require special rabbinical supervision
for Passover use. They must also be kosher for year-round use, and prepared
in accordance with all of the regular Jewish dietary laws. Jewish consumers
are urged to look for the “ P” or the “OU Kosher for Passover” designations as an integral part of
the product label, and to be familiar with the rabbi or organization giving
the Passover endorsement. The mere mention of Kosher for Passover on the label is not a sufficient guarantee of the product’s acceptability for
Passover use. The OU is the largest and most widely respected Kashruth supervisory agency. Its registered service mark, “ P,” on hundreds of
thousands of consumer and industrial food products, is a guarantee of the highest standards of Kashruth for Passover. Processed foods not carrying any
rabbinical supervision should be cleared with a rabbi before Passover use,
as should any medicines and vegetables.
Which Foods May Not Be Used On Passover?
Any food or food product containing fermented grain products or Chametz may
not be used or remain in a Jew’s possession on Passover. Even foods with
minute amounts of Chametz ingredients, or foods processed on utensils which
are used for other Chametz-containing foods, are not permissible for Passover use.
Ashkenazic Jews (Jews of Eastern European descent) also do not eat many legumes
(Kitniot) - beans, corn, peas, rice, etc. and products containing them as ingredients throughout Passover, while Sephardic, Yemenite and
Oriental Jewish custom varies from one community to another.
Because of the large number of food products that contain Chametz or Kitniot
ingredients, only food products manufactured under reliable rabbinical supervision should be purchased for Passover use. That includes beverages,
condiments, spices, and all processed foods such as fruits and vegetables,
fish, meat and dairy products and, especially, baked goods.
Grain alcohol is a fermentation product and is therefore Chametz. Any edible
items that normally contain grain alcohol, including whiskey, liquor and liquid medications, and even those which are not usually taken internally
(such as perfumes, cologne, toilet water, hair spray, hair tonic, shaving lotion, mouthwash, liquid and roll-on deodorants) should be treated as
Chametz unless specifically approved for Passover use.
What is Passover?
Passover is an eight-day Jewish holiday, of Biblical origin, marking the
birth of the Jews as a people and their emergence as a unique nation in
history, devoted to G-d’s will. It celebrates the liberation of the children
of Israel from slavery in Egypt over 3,000 years ago, under the leadership
of Moses.
When Does Passover Begin?
According to Biblical law, Passover is determined by the Jewish lunar
calendar, and begins on the eve of the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of
Nisan. The English date varies from year to year, falling in March or in
April. (This year Passover begins Wednesday evening, April 19, 2000. Dietary
restrictions begin approximately three hours before mid-day Wednesday.)
What is “Matzah?”
Matzah is a crisp, flat, unleavened bread, made of flour and water, which
must be baked before the dough has had time to rise. It is the only type of
“bread” which Jews may eat during Passover, and it must be made specifically
for Passover use, under rabbinical supervision. Eating Matzoh on Passover commemorates the unleavened bread eaten by the Jews when they left Egypt in
such haste that there was no time for the dough to rise.
What Special Preparations Must Be Made In The Jewish Home For Passover?
The home must be thoroughly cleaned of all Chametz before Passover. Any
Chametz not removed from a Jew’s premises before Passover should be sold.
Jewish law forbids the use of any Chametz that remains in a Jew’s possession
during Passover, even after the holiday is over. All cooking and eating utensils must be either set aside exclusively for Passover use or, in some
cases, “made Kosher” in consultation with a rabbi, according to the procedures of Jewish law. All of these preparations must be completed by the
morning before Passover.
What is the Passover “SEDER?”
The Seder is a ritual banquet that reenacts the Exodus, conducted on both
the first and second evenings of Passover, (Wednesday and Thursday, April 19th and 20th 2000). Its major feature is the reading of the Haggadah, which
relates, in detail, the events of the Exodus of the Jewish people from ancient Egypt, complete with symbolic reenactments using Kosher wine,
especially prepared Matzah and bitter herbs. The specially prepared Shmurah
Matzah is made specifically for use at the Seder, with specially supervised
flour according to particularly stringent Jewish traditions and laws. The bitter herbs (Maror) consisting of either romaine lettuce or horseradish,
commemorate the harsh conditions of slavery in ancient Egypt. Four cups of
wine are consumed during the course of the Seder to commemorate the redemption of the Jewish people, the sanctity of the holiday and events
related in the Haggadah. The Seder is a traditional occasion for Jewish families to gather together to reinforce their ties to Judaism.
When Do Passover Dietary Laws End?
All Passover Dietary Laws remain in effect until nightfall of the eighth day
of Passover Thursday, April 27, 2000. Chametz which was in the possession or
jurisdiction of a Jew during Passover, in violation of Jewish law, is forbidden for consumption by any Jew even after Passover.
# # #
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 Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations
of America
Department of Public Relations
Sharyn Perlman, Director
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Phone: 212-613-8321 Fax: 212-564-9058
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