Mimouna is a traditional North African festival that has been celebrated for many centuries. It is held the day after Passover, marking the return to eating hametz. Jewish families prepare flour, honey, milk, and butter to be used to prepare one of the holiday favorites, moufletta, which is a type of bread. Moroccan and Algerian Jews throw open their homes to visitors, after setting out a lavish spread of traditional holiday cakes and sweetmeats. The table is also laid with various symbols of luck and fertility, with an emphasis on the number 5.

Early in the day of the Mimouna, families go to the sea, splash water on their face, and walk barefoot in the water, to replay the scene of the miraculous crossing of the Reed Sea, which is thought to have taken place on the last day of Passover. Mimouna celebrates belief in both the past Jewish redemption from the Egyptians and the future Messianic redemption: "In Nisan (the month in which Passover falls), the Jews were redeemed and in Nisan they will be redeemed in the future. When Passover ends and the Jews are still not redeemed, Moroccan Jews do not lose their faith; as the Sages said: 'Even if he tarries, I will expect him every day.'

Celebrate this special festival the Etz way by joining us for an evening of food, dancing, and socializing. Click here to RSVP and sign up to help make the event a success.