Colorado Jews celebrate Passover and pray for peace

Sundown on Monday night marked the start of the Jewish holiday Passover.

The holiday lasts for eight days. Thousands of Colorado families will gather for a Passover seder and retell the story of how the Israelites escaped from slavery.

"We eat matzoh on Passover for those 8 days," said Rabbi Mendy Sirota of WCRJ Synagogue and Community Center.

Unleavened bread -- matzoh -- signifies the exodus of Jews from Egypt.

It's eaten at the Passover seder; a festive dinner where family and friends come together and reflect.

"The guide of the seder would be the seder plate which would have 6 items on it, each one of those items explaining one of the concepts of the liberation of the Passover story," added Sirota who says liberation is a key theme of Passover. 

Jews commemorate their liberation from slavery more than 3,000 years ago, and how that history resonates today.

"The message of Passover is to inspire us to reach new heights and to reach freedom and self-liberation in ourselves, in our lives in our personal lives in our relationships," Sirota said.

The hearts and minds of Sirota's congregation this year, he says, are with those suffering in the Middle East.

He hopes for miracles: freedom for the hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023 and for peace.

"We pray every day for peace in Israel, for peace in the Middle East, for peace amongst ourselves, amongst our neighbors around the world, for a peaceful society, a respectful society and that's something that we hope will come to a reality," Sirota said.

Some families this year will have an empty seat at their table to represent the hostages still in captivity taken from Israel on Oct. 7.