Spring has come; birds sing and trees flower.
So let's eat.
For Jews in the Permian Basin and across the globe, a spring bloom means it's time for Passover, the seven- or eight-day Jewish festival featuring a couple of sacred feasts that, for lack of a better term, transcend mere sustenance.

The premise of Passover goes back to the Old Testament's account of the Jewish liberation from slavery in Egypt. Although translations and interpretations vary, the term refers to the Angel of Death "passing over" the homes of the Israelites marked by sacrificial lamb's blood above their doors as it carried out a 10th plague on Egypt that was to kill all the first-born males in the land.

Rabbi Sidney Zimelman of Odessa's Temple Beth-El said Passover celebrations are an opportunity to celebrate more than just the liberation of the Jews from Egypt, because difficult times have come and gone for Jews many times since then.

"It serves as a rallying call to faith that one shouldn't give up hope," he said. "It's a festival of confidence."

"It stands in our history as a time of real redemption. The meaning that it has assumed over all the centuries and millennia is that we have to have a sense of faith in God, that not all of what you see is gloom and doom," he said.

The annual celebration varies in length, either seven or eight days, depending on whether celebrants are reformed or conservative, Zimelman said.

One of the festival's prominent features is the traditional Passover Seder meal on the first two nights, he said. The meal incorporates several symbolic dishes and foods to reawaken followers' sense of rebirth, particularly in the case of children, who are encouraged to ask questions about the meal and gain a better understanding of the various dishes' symbolism and significance in the rich narrative of Jewish history.

"They should know that there is a history to their people, and knowing this history will help them navigate difficult waters," Zimelman said.

But it's not just the Jews who celebrate Passover. Many area Christian churches also plan to conduct services this spring in honor of the holy week.

Woody Woodworth, congregational leader at Odessa's Beit Haderekh Messianic Jewish Synagogue - which is a Christian organization that follows most Jewish teachings, the main difference being that they believe in "Yeshua," or the Hebrew name for Jesus, as the Messiah - said his congregation also plans to celebrate Passover but with an eye toward Jesus.

He said the group celebrates Passover as a celebration of Jesus' sacrifice for the atonement of humanity's sins. Jesus, who, analogous to the lamb, sacrificed himself in the name of his people - a sacrifice he alluded to during the Last Supper's Seder feast when he held up the fourth cup of wine and told the disciples to remember him through it.

"That is so powerful if you understand the context of the Jewish Seder," Woodworth said.

For other Christians, this spring's Passover offered a chance to extend a hand of brotherhood and understanding.

Odessa's First Church of God hosted a Passover Seder celebration on Wednesday to gain a better understanding of the Jewish and Messianic traditions, the Rev. Jerry Patterson said.

He said he feels "privileged" to partake in the Jewish tradition.

"It's a first-time experience for me," he said. "We're looking at it as an educational time, as well as seeing the tradition of what Jesus was going through. As non-Jewish believers, we, of course, approach it totally differently. We don't have all that tradition. Jewish people, from birth, have that as a part of their life."

The church's Passover celebration, in theory, should give members a better understanding of the religion to which Jesus belonged and the ceremonious meal he ate during the Last Supper, Patterson said. 

"When you think about the things that he has done for us, it just broadens the definition of what he did," Patterson said.  "It broadens our understanding and appreciation of him."

Zimelman said he is encouraged that well-intentioned Christians celebrate Passover, a holiday that celebrates something everybody can enjoy, regardless of religion. After all, at the heart of Passover lies an appreciation of rebirth, liberation and trust in a higher being.

"We don't have a monopoly on something like that," he laughed. "So if you want to sing Hallelujah, then, by all means, everyone should."

some elements of a seder meal

>> Shank bone: Represents meat of paschal lamb.
>> Hard-boiled egg: Represents temple meat offering.
>> Bitter herbs: Represents the bitterness of slavery.
>> Apple, nut, sugar, etc., paste: Represents the mortar and bricks of Jewish toil.
>> Parsley and lettuce: Represents rebirth and enlivenment.
>> Flat bread or ‘Matzah': Represents poor diet during bondage.
>> Four cups of wine: Represents redemption. 
>> Salt water: Represents shed tears.

If you go

>> What: Odessa's Beit HaDerekh Messianic Jewish Synagogue's Passover celebration and Seder meal.
>> Where: MCM Grandé Hotel FunDome, 6201 E. Business Interstate 20.
>> When: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday.
>> Tickets: $20 for adults; $10 for children (age 12 and younger).
>> Reservations: For tickets, call 682-4707.