Passover, also called Pesach, is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring. The word Pesach or Passover can also refer to the Korban Pesach, the paschal lamb that was offered when the Temple in Jerusalem stood; to the Passover Seder, the ritual meal on Passover night; or to the Feast of Unleavened Bread. One of the biblically ordained Three Pilgrimage Festivals, Passover is traditionally celebrated in the Land of Israel for seven days and for eight days among many Jews in the Diaspora, based on the concept of yom tov sheni shel galuyot. In the Bible, the seven-day holiday is known as Chag HaMatzot, the feast of unleavened bread (matzo).
Cleopatra VII Philopator was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler. A member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great. After the death of Cleopatra, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire, marking the end of the second to last Hellenistic state and the age that had lasted since the reign of Alexander. Her native language was Koine Greek, and she was the only Ptolemaic ruler to learn the Egyptian language.
Hallel is a Jewish prayer, a verbatim recitation from Psalms 113–118 which is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays as an act of praise and thanksgiving.
Victor Vancier, commonly referred to by his Hebrew name, Chaim Ben Pesach is an American political activist and the founder and director of the United States-based Kahanist organization, Jewish Task Force (JTF) and the former National Chairman of the Jewish Defense League (JDL) in the United States. In 1987, he was convicted on charges related to a series of terrorist bombings conducted during his time with the JDL to protest Soviet treatment of Jews. He served over five years in federal prison for his involvement in 18 bombings in New York and Washington.
Mordechai Breuer was a German-born Israeli Orthodox rabbi. He was one of the world's leading experts on Tanakh, and especially of the text of the Aleppo Codex.
Michael Burstein is an Israeli-American actor known onstage as Mike Burstyn. He was born in New York City to the late Yiddish-language actors, Pesach Burstein and Lillian Lux. His first cousin was Borsch Belt comedian, Jay Lester. Mike began performing on stage at Yiddish theaters from childhood, in musicals and melodramas produced by his father, Pesach Burstein, especially as part of the Four Bursteins. in standard Pesach Burstein productions like A Khasene in Shtetl. He headed out on his own after reaching adulthood, in a bid to reach audiences bigger than the Yiddish stage.
Tal Burstein is an Israeli professional basketball coach and a former professional basketball player.
Tzvi Pesach Frank was a renowned halachic scholar and served as Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem for several decades (1936-1960).
Pesach "Peishachke" Burstein was a Polish-born American comedian, singer, coupletist, and director of Yiddish vaudeville/theater. He was honored with the Itzik Manger Prize in 1986. His wife Lillian Lux, and son Mike Burstyn are also actors.
Lillian Lux was an American singer, author, songwriter and actress in Yiddish theater and Yiddish vaudeville in the United States, Israel, and other Yiddish speaking communities in the diaspora.
Komediant means comedian in several Germanic languages, including German and Yiddish.
The Komediant was a Yiddish theater act produced by the Pesach Burstein troupe. A documentary The Komediant by the same name chronicles the lives of the Burstein family.
A Khasene in Shtetl is a Yiddish musical theater play written by William Siegel, with music by Herman Wohl, which was first performed at the National Theater on Second Avenue and Houston Street, in New York City, in September 1930, starring Aaron Lebedeff.
The Flying Matchmaker is a 1966 Israeli film musical directed by Israel Becker. The story is based on the 1880 Yiddish play Di tsvey Kuni-Lemels by Abraham Goldfaden. The film was the first major success on screen for lead actor Mike Burstyn who has a double role as Kuni Leml and his cousin Max, and also casts his father Pesach Burstein in a small role. The film was selected as the Israeli entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 39th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Nanette Burstein is an American film and television director. Burstein has produced, directed, and co-directed several documentaries including the Academy Award nominated and Sundance Special Jury Prize winning film On the Ropes.
Arnon Goldfinger is an Israeli film director and scriptwriter, winner of two Israeli Academy Awards, known for his films The Komediant and The Flat.
Pesach Sheni occurs every year on 14 Iyar. This is exactly one month after 14 Nisan, the day before Passover, which was the day prescribed for bringing the Korban Pesach in anticipation of that holiday. As described in the source text for this mitzvah, the Israelites were about to celebrate Passover one year after leaving Egypt.
Rabbi Pesach Wolicki is an educator, writer, columnist, lecturer, public speaker and pro-Israel activist. In previous positions, he served as the Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivat Yesodei HaTorah from 2003 to 2015 and as the Associate Director of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation (CJCUC) from 2015 to 2019. He is a columnist for The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, Charisma News, and Breaking News Israel and is an outspoken figure in the world of Jewish-Christian interfaith relations.
Burstein is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Vehi Sheamda is a short passage in the Haggadah of Passover Seder that deals with saving the people of Israel by God, from all His enemies. It is customary to read the passage in a melody, and today it is also prevalent as a piyut on its own. It follows the previous paragraph of the text regarding God's promise of ending the exile of the Jews and moreover, setting them free with much wealth.
