Passover begins Friday, and with it the week-long Jewish celebration of their freedom from slavery and ensuing Exodus to the Holy Land.

While you won't find any grandiose celebrations involved, the holiday brings the Jewish community together over a ceremonial dinner, called the Seder.

Though some parts of the ceremony itself aren't meant to be enjoyed, there are many delicious Passover foods. Matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, kugel, and plenty more is served, all prepped according to Jewish law.

Why is the holiday called Passover? What's the Seder? What does it mean for food to be kosher? We've got all that and more.

Passover is a holiday celebrating the liberation of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. In particular, it commemorates the "passing over" of the forces of destruction, or the sparing of the Israelites' firstborn, when the Lord "smote the land of Egypt" on the eve of their Exodus.

Passover always begins on the 15th and ends on the 21st-22nd day of the month of Nisan (March or April). Throughout this week, all leavening agents in bread or other foods is prohibited; unleavened bread called matzo is eaten instead. It symbolizes the Hebrews' suffering while in bondage and the haste of their Exodus.

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"The Seder primarily is a retelling of the story of the Exodus of the Israelites," said  Rabbi Marc Ekstrand of Temple Emanu-El in Waterford. "It's about people moving from oppression and enslavement to freedom."

For Ekstrand and the Jewish community, it's important to retell this story during the Seder to remember their history. Not just the Exodus of the Israelites either, but for the oppression they've faced up to and through the present day.

"The Seder plate has food and other items which are symbolic for the holiday," says Ekstrand. "Matzo, bitter herbs like horseradish, which reminds us of the bitterness of oppression and slavery, an egg, which represents spring and renewal."

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There's also the zeroa, or shank bone, symbolizing the lamb Jews sacrificed as their special Passover offering when the temple stood in Jerusalem, and karpas, a green vegetable like parsley that signifies the initial flourishing of the Israelites during their first years in Egypt.

Jews will use a book called the Haggadah, or "telling," which has the order of prayers, rituals, readings, and songs for the Seder.

"It has all the different blessings and foods used for Seder," says Ekstrand. "It has the Biblical and historical texts needed to retell the story."

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It's important that foods prepped for Passover are kosher as well, meaning meat and milk products are not mixed together, animal products from non-kosher food animals aren't included (such as pigs), and kosher meat is from animals that are properly slaughtered (no cuts of beef from the hindquarters of an animal).

Ekstrand is excited to bring back Temple Emanu-El's Seder celebration with his community after two years of absence. He's expecting 110 attendees and a whole lot of kosher cuisine.

Check out the recipes below for some classic and delicious kosher dishes you can make at home.

Hungry for a classic? You'll need a fair bit for this recipe:

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Another classic Passover meal, here's how to make some delicious Kugel.

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Choosing more flavorful and available fish in the region, this Gefilte Fish recipe will have you hungry for more.

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Can't have Passover without dessert. How about an easy, no-bake Chocolate-Matzo Layer Cake?

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