Passover celebrated in Muslim, Central African countries - in pictures

What does the Passover holiday look like in Muslim countries and countries with small or non-existent Jewish communities?

APRIL 6, 2021 17:07

Passover in Central Africa, 2021. (photo credit: Courtesy) — Passover in Central Africa, 2021.

(photo credit: Courtesy)

Jewish communities around the world have recently celebrated the Passover holiday. In Israel, Passover is usually a time spent with family, with many choosing to take time off work to be with and travel the country with their loved ones.

But how does the Passover holiday look in Muslim countries and countries with small or non-existent Jewish communities? How does one celebrate an inherently communal holiday with no apparent community?

A new collection of photos depicts the Passover holiday celebrations in African countries, made possible this year thanks to the comprehensive work of Chabad centers in Central Africa and through a joint collaboration with the African Jewish Council.

Passover in Central Africa, 2021 (Credit: Courtesy)

In that sense, Passover in 2021 really was different from all others.

In countries that do have permeant Jewish communities, such as Congo, Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania, Seder gatherings were arranged and prayers were held, all within the social distancing restrictions imposed in each country.

Jewish families and individuals living in countries without a recognized Jewish community, received Passover packages with matzot, kosher wine and other items meant to allow them to hold a Seder according to Jewish law.

The small Jewish community in Equatorial Guinea received Passover packages through a Home Front Command official delegation that traveled to the Central African country in order to assist local authorities in locating and rescuing survivors following an explosion in one of the country's military bases.

Similar packages were sent to Muslim countries that include small Jewish populations.

While COVID-19 social distancing restrictions have made celebrating Passover more challenging for a second year in a row, they have also opened up new opportunities to reach distant and often overlooked Jewish communities.

Providing the Passover packages to Jews in African countries is part of a wider campaign initiated by Chabad and the Jewish Agency to distribute more than 45,000 Passover packages to Jews in remote corners of the world.

Another example of how Passover was uniquely celebrated this year and included communities that would not normally mark the holiday, is a joint Zoom Passover Seder held by the Genesis 123 Foundation and the Church of God In Christ (COGIC) that brought together Jews and African Americans through their common history of slavery – thus expanding the holiday's reach and its messages.

The following pictures not only depict the Passover holiday being celebrated around the world, but express the very spirit of the holiday – being grateful for our freedom and promoting the freedom of others.