Here is a calendar of upcoming events, up and down the country. Some are organized by us, others by like-minded organizations and groups.
Passover or Pesach from Hebrew פֶּסַח Pesah, Pesakh), is an important, biblically-derived Jewish holiday. Jews celebrate Passover as a commemoration of their liberation by God from slavery in ancient Egypt and their freedom as a nation under the leadership of Moses. It commemorates the story of the Exodus as described in the Hebrew Bible, especially in the Book of Exodus, in which the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. According to standard biblical chronology, this event would have taken place at about 1300 BCE (AM 2450).
Passover is a spring festival which during the existence of the Temple in Jerusalem was connected to the offering of the “first-fruits of the barley”, barley being the first grain to ripen and to be harvested in the Land of Israel.
Passover commences on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nisan and lasts for either seven days (in Israel and for Reform Jews and other progressive Jews around the world who adhere to the Biblical commandment) or eight days for Orthodox, Hasidic, and most Conservative Jews (in the diaspora). In Judaism, a day commences at dusk and lasts until the following dusk, thus the first day of Passover only begins after dusk of the 14th of Nisan and ends at dusk of the 15th day of the month of Nisan. The rituals unique to the Passover celebrations commence with the Passover Seder when the 15th of Nisan has begun. In the Northern Hemisphere Passover takes place in spring as the Torah prescribes it: “in the month of [the] spring” (בחדש האביב Exodus 23:15). It is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays.
In the narrative of the Exodus, the Bible tells that God helped the Children of Israel escape from their slavery in Egypt by inflicting ten plagues upon the ancient Egyptians before the Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves; the tenth and worst of the plagues was the death of the Egyptian first-born.
The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a slaughtered spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord knew to pass over the first-born in these homes, hence the English name of the holiday.
When the Pharaoh freed the Israelites, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread dough to rise (leaven). In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten, for which reason Passover was called the feast of unleavened bread in the Torah or Old Testament.[10] Thus matzo (flat unleavened bread) is eaten during Passover and it is a tradition of the holiday.
Historically, together with Shavuot (“Pentecost”) and Sukkot (“Tabernacles”), Passover is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (Shalosh Regalim) during which the entire population of the kingdom of Judah made a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Samaritans still make this pilgrimage to Mount Gerizim, but only men participate in public worship.
The events of October 7 and the subsequent war is distressing for all.
Yet the future of Christians and Jews is tied cosmically together. At the same time, God loves all of humankind, so much so that He sent His Son to die for us all.
Now the conflict seems to be spreading with Iran’s attack on Israel.
The need for fervent prayer is high.
Please join us in prayer each Wednesday 7 pm, at
Church on Vogel
127 Vogel St
Palmerston North
PFI meeting is 1st SATURDAY of the month.
Lady Wigram Village
210 Kittyhawk Ave Wigram
SKYBAR
Mustang Apt building
10am – cuppa – 12md (ish)
Followed by…
Light lunch, available with Dick & I plus a few others in the cafe.
Directions:
Main Entrance
Enter Foyer
Turn LEFT at Reception.(weekend staff know nothing about meeting.)
Walk past dining room on left & Cafe on right.
Walk thru to Mustang Apts at stone wall.
Take lift to 1st floor.
Exit, turn left & spot flag at end of corridor.
After the October 7 massacres, over a hundred hostages still remain in captivity.
Hamas agreed to a hostage release of all women and children. They reneged.
Since then they have refused all offers for a ceasefire.
Join us every Sunday at 2pm, at the Bridge of Remembrance, rain or shine to show our solidarity with the Hostages and Israel.
Don’t let the anti-Israel forces create an Orwellian world where
- torture and rape are legitimate resistance,
- civilians are human shields,
- the UN and its facilities are extensions of Hamas,
- legitimate warfare is a “war against children”
See you there!
Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, holds deep significance for Israelis. It is observed on the fourth of Iyar, the day preceding Israel’s Independence Day. This day commemorates those who lost their lives in the struggle that led to the establishment of the State of Israel and all military personnel who were killed while in active duty in Israel’s armed forces.
Unlike the American Memorial Day, Yom Hazikaron has a distinct character and mood. For 24 hours, from sunset to sunset, all places of public entertainment are closed, including theaters, cinemas, nightclubs, and pubs.
The most poignant feature of the day is the sound of a siren heard throughout the country twice: once at 8 p.m. to mark the beginning of Memorial Day, and again at 11 a.m. before the public recitation of prayers in the military cemeteries. During these moments, the entire nation observes a two-minute “standstill” of all traffic and daily activities.
Radio and television stations broadcast programs that honor fallen soldiers, often featuring Israeli songs that convey the somber mood of the day.
Yom Hazikaron serves as a powerful reminder of the price of Israel’s independence and the ongoing challenges it faces. It fosters a sense of unity and collective responsibility as Israelis come together to honor the memory of those who gave their lives in service to their country.
By the time of Yom Hazikaron in 2024, the commemoration honored over 24,000 fallen individuals.
After the October 7 massacres, over a hundred hostages still remain in captivity.
Hamas agreed to a hostage release of all women and children. They reneged.
Since then they have refused all offers for a ceasefire.
Join us every Sunday at 2pm, at the Bridge of Remembrance, rain or shine to show our solidarity with the Hostages and Israel.
Don’t let the anti-Israel forces create an Orwellian world where
- torture and rape are legitimate resistance,
- civilians are human shields,
- the UN and its facilities are extensions of Hamas,
- legitimate warfare is a “war against children”
See you there!
The events of October 7 and the subsequent war is distressing for all.
Yet the future of Christians and Jews is tied cosmically together. At the same time, God loves all of humankind, so much so that He sent His Son to die for us all.
Now the conflict seems to be spreading with Iran’s attack on Israel.
The need for fervent prayer is high.
Please join us in prayer each Wednesday 7 pm, at
Church on Vogel
127 Vogel St
Palmerston North