Passover, Firstfruits & the Feast of Unleavened Bread

This is a great week to celebrate our freedom from sin through Yeshua; the Lamb who laid down His life has called us into His flock (John 10:16). We hope you all celebrated the resurrection of Yeshua this Sunday with joy and thanksgiving.


The week here was filled with excitement: the Palm Sunday walk into the Old City; a moving Maundy Thursday service at Christ Church with a walk to the Russian Garden of Gethsemane; a fun Pesach Seder in Haifa with new friends Friday night; and on Sunday, at King of Kings, we had a celebration that He didn't stay in the grave but instead conquered death.


We encourage you read the portion for this week, specifically Exodus 12:21-51 and Numbers 28:16-25, as well as Leviticus 23:4-21. Passover, Firstfruits, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Shavuot (Pentacost) are great illustrations that G-d's word is alive, and there's more to come!


We are still in the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and since all items containing leaven are not permitted we're getting creative with our food (we're not traditionally a gluten-free family). Here is a sweet and tasty recipe worth making during this week, to remember how good it is to live without sin (leaven) and how sweet it is to live in Yeshua.

Chocolate & salt for me and Cassidy; caramel & salt for Tom

Caramel & Chocolate Covered Matzo
(Courtesy of  www.thekitchn.com)


4 to 5 pieces of matzo
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate, or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Toppings, as desired, sea salt, peanut butter chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and/or parchment paper.

Place the matzo in one layer on the baking sheet, breaking it when necessary to fill the pan completely. Set aside.

In a large sauce pan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Once the mixture reaches a boil, continue to cook for an additional three minutes, still stirring, until thickened and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and pour over the matzo, spreading an even layer with a heat-proof spatula.

Put the pan in the oven, then immediately turn the heat down to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, watching to make sure it doesn't burn. If it looks like it is starting to burn, turn heat down to 325.

After 15 minutes, the toffee should have bubbled up and turned a rich golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate over the pan. Let sit for five minutes, then spread the now-melted chocolate evenly with a spatula.

You can leave it just as is, enjoying the simplicity. Or add your favorite toppings while the chocolate is still melted.

Let cool completely, (I put mine in the fridge so it will cool faster) then break into smaller pieces and store in an airtight container.