As today marks the beginning of Passover, a Jewish holiday, members of Beth Israel Congregation in Bath will be celebrating together with a community Seder, a ritual that commemorates the Israelites’ escape from slavery in ancient Egypt.

“It’s the telling of the story of Passover — the story of Pharaoh and Moses,” said Marilyn Weinberg, president of the board of directors. “Basically, once we were slaves and now we’re free.”

However, it’s a theme that still carries through today, as “we’re always trying to be free … the world is not free of slaves, so we won’t be happy until slavery no longer exists,” Weinberg said.

At the Minnie Brown Center, rows of tables were already set with plates, wine glasses and matzah, unleavened flatbread, all in preparation for Saturday evening’s Seder.

The celebration will include a reading from the Haggadah, a liturgy that tells the story of the Exodus. Following the Seder, a potluck meal will follow with foods free of flour, wheat, oat, barley and spelt.

Wine and other foods, such as egg, parsley, horseradish and lamb bone, will also be placed on a Seder plate at each table, all symbolic to the Exodus story. For example, Weinberg explained that the parsley will be dipped in salt water “to remind us of the tears that were shed by the slaves.”

“It’s all so symbolic, but I think symbols, especially with young people too, they can connect to that — they can feel it, see it, taste it and all that’s so we can connect on many different levels,” she said.

Matzah is also placed on the table inside a cloth cover, and observers will pull a piece out, break it in half and wrap it in a napkin during Seder.

While every family has different customs, Weinberg recalled that her parents hid the napkin near the end of the Seder, and she would try to find it to win a prize.

“Sometimes the children grab them … and hide them on the adults and then we have to ransom that back. And no matter what, the kids get a prize,” she said. “I often just buy some sweets for them and they’re happy with that.”

It’s a holiday that engages both children and adults alike as there’s “a lot of tasting and singing” involved, Weinberg added. During Seder, children will also traditionally ask four questions about the Passover by singing them in Hebrew.

“Again, it’s a holiday that I think is very child-friendly because it’s that whole passing down story, which is maybe why so many people, if they don’t celebrate some holidays, celebrate Passover,” she said. “It was what they did when they were little, and I think we all connect to that experience a little bit.”

For Beth Israel member Lenore Friedland, the Passover brings up fond memories of when she celebrated the holiday with her family.

“It reminds me of when I was young and my grandmother was alive and all the family would get together,” she said. “It was just something special.”

Teresa Gandler said this holiday is a time for her, her husband and two young sons to “(create) memories.”

“It’s a story for everybody — the whole idea of freedom and welcoming a stranger,” Weinberg said.

The Community Passover Seder will take place at the Minnie Brown Center from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday. Those interested are encouraged to R.S.V.P. and can email info@bethisrael-maine.org or call (207) 443-4606.

dkim@timesrecord.com

To attend

• THE COMMUNITY Passover Seder will take place at the Minnie Brown Center in Bath from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday. Those interested are encouraged to R.S.V.P. and can email info@bethisrael-maine.org or call (207) 443-4606.