Happy #Passover . Cejna patire pîroz bêt. Chag Pesach samech!

Photo: Jews from Kurdistan celebrating Passover. Jerusalem, 1979.

The Jews would commonly call the Passover feast Patire. Kurds used various expressions to describe the Jewish feast, for example:

- îda buharê (fest of spring)
- cejna nanê bê xwê (feast of bread without salt)
- îda talişkê (feast of bitter herbs)
- îda nîsanê (feast of Nisan)

Passover is one of the major feasts among the Jews of Kurdistan just like Jews elsewhere. Many of the Passover traditions are unique to Kurdish Jews and in the context which they used to live in. There is also variations within different Jewish communities throughout Kurdistan.

I highly recommend this book for more detailed information on this subject. You can find some chapters on Pesach/Passover traditions and rituals in the holiday section.

What I find very interesting is the participation, observation or inclusion of Muslim Kurds in some of these Jewish traditions which reflect the integration and cross religious interactions between the different religious communities.

The Jews of Kurdistan also have their own (mostly secular) holiday that is (or was) traditionally celebrated parallel to Passover, or more precise, on the last day of Passover. This holiday is called Sehrane or Seharane, a spring festival.

Sehrane is still celebrated to some extent in Israel by people going out in nature/parks with friends and family. The day is often accompanied with music, dance, food and other festivities and games.

Photo: Jews of Kurdistan celebrating Passover. Jerusalem, 1953.