What is the importance of the Jewish festival of Pesach?

Answer 1

This is a matter of individual outlook and opinion; you could probably get 10 different answers from 10 different people. Here's a suggested answer from this responder: From the observance of Pesach (Passover), Jews gain: -- an appreciation of freedom in a very strict sense ... freedom directed to a purpose, not simply to enjoy liberty but to make liberty an instrument of purpose; as Paul Harvey used to say, "not free to do as you want, but free to do as you ought", which is the service to the Master of the Universe, and exemplifying his meaning and message to the nations of the earth; -- an inspiration to look for the Deity not among themselves or among the objects of nature or of legend, but to the Power which permeates, yet transcends, all of creation; this idea is driven home first by the fact that the Pesach commemoration and celebration virtually ignore Moses. -- an awareness that worship consists not only of prayer but equally of study and learning, which are emphasized from the first moment of the holiday; -- an awareness of the central, vital importance of the children to the survival of the Jewish lessons and way of life; -- a sense of humility and gratitude toward the infinite Power that saw fit not only to teach Pharaoh and his people a lesson in return for their treatment of the Jews, but also to rescue the Jews in the process, and to give them the resources and set them on a new life course of their own.

Answer 2

Pesach (Passover) is important to us since in it we relive the Exodus from Egypt and our birth as a nation, both of which were preparations for receiving the Torah from God.
The highlight of Passover is the Seder meal. This meal is of great importance in Judaism. It is a 3325-year old continuous tradition that began on the night of the Exodus from Egypt (see Exodus chapter 12), and is fully detailed in our ancient Oral Traditions (Talmud, chapter Arvei Pesachim).
The Seder meal is one of those occasions, like Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, that Jews all over the world, Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike, observe in common. During the Seder, we keep the essential mitzva and customs of handing Jewish traditions down to the next generation, with the traditional Seder foods and the ceremony of reading the Passover Haggadah which retells the events of the Exodus.
During the Seder meal, other traditional foods are eaten in addition to the matzah: bitter herbs, parsley, wine and haroset (see below). Salt water, a roasted egg, and a bit of roasted meat are also on the table.
During all the days of Passover, matzah (unleavened bread) is eaten; while leavened foods such as bread, cake, cookies, cereal and pasta are forbidden. Certain prayers are added in the synagogue services, and the Torah is read each day.
Here is the symbolism of the items on the Seder plate:
The bitter herbs (maror) symbolize the harsh slavery which the Israelites suffered in Egypt. Either horseradish or romaine lettuce is traditionally used for maror.
Charoset - A sweet mixture representing the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of Egypt. In Ashkenazi Jewish homes, charoset is traditionally made from chopped nuts, grated apples, cinnamon, and sweet red wine.
Karpas - A vegetable other than bitter herbs, traditionally parsley, which is dipped into salt water at the beginning of the Seder. The dipping of a simple vegetable into salt water (which represents tears) recalls the pain felt by the Jewish slaves in Egypt.
Beitzah - A hard-boiled egg, symbolizing the korban chagigah (festival sacrifice) that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Although both the Pesach sacrifice and the chagigah were meat offerings, the chagigah is commemorated by an egg, a symbol of mourning.
Z'roa - A roasted lamb or goat shank-bone, chicken wing, or chicken neck; symbolizing the korban Pesach (Pesach sacrifice), which was a lamb that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem, then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night.

Answer 3

It is when we remember the story of our Exodus from Egypt.