What is the major Jewish festival that celebrates the freeing of the Israelites from Egypt?

• A. Hanukkah
• B. Purim
• C. Passover (Pesach)
• D. Sukkot

Answer: (C)

Passover is the major Jewish festival that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It tells the story of how God delivered the people under Moses, and the term Pesach refers to the Angel of Death passing over the Jewish homes during the final plague. The celebration centers on the Passover Seder, a special meal where families retell the Exodus story using the Haggadah, and it includes eating matzah to recall the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt. Hanukkah marks the rededication of the Temple, Purim celebrates Esther saving the Jews, and Sukkot recalls the Israelites’ journey in the desert, but Passover specifically honors the release from slavery in Egypt.