Pesach

American  

[pe-sahkh, pey-sahkh] / ˈpɛ sɑx, ˈpeɪ sɑx /

Or Pesah

noun

Judaism.

1. Passover.

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Pesach British  

/ ˈpeɪsɑːk, ˈpɛsax /

noun

1. other words for Passover

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Usage

What is Pesach? Pesach is another name for Passover—the Jewish festival that commemorates the Exodus, the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, where they had been enslaved. It is considered one of the most important Jewish holidays. It can also be called Pesah and is sometimes referred to as the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. Jews traditionally celebrate Passover with family and friends by holding a ceremonial meal called a Seder, which consists of special symbolic dishes, including unleavened bread called matzo.

Etymology

Origin of Pesach

From the Hebrew word pesaḥ

Example Sentences

"You know, Pesach is the holiday of freedom," Lishay says when we meet in a park near Tel Aviv's Hostages Square.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2025

“I can’t imagine celebrating Pesach, the freedom holiday, without my son,” said Dalit Shtivi, whose son Idan Shtivi is being held hostage in Gaza.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 21, 2024

James and the Giant Pesach: A boy travels around the world on a massive piece of matzoh.

From Washington Post • Jun. 17, 2021

“They want it to be a museum, but we want to save it,” Sandy Ackerman, son of the longtime rabbi, Pesach Ackerman, said of the preservationists.

From New York Times • Jan. 21, 2012

About three weeks before Pesach take twenty pounds of beet-root, which must be thoroughly washed and scraped.

From The International Jewish Cook Book 1600 Recipes According to the Jewish Dietary Laws with the Rules for Kashering; the Favorite Recipes of America, Austria, Germany, Russia, France, Poland, Roumania, Etc., Etc. by Greenbaum, Florence Kreisler