“Closest thing to what our ancestors ate while fleeing Egypt 3,000 years ago.”

The round, hand-kneaded product known as “Shmura” matzo is worlds apart from the machine-made, pre-packaged matzo most Jews are accustomed to using to celebrate the holiday of Passover.

“Shmura” means to watch or guard, so these matzot are carefully watched from the time the wheat is harvested throughout their preparation and baking to insure that they don’t come in contact with the smallest speck of leavening, which would be forbidden on Passover.

For over thirty years, Boulder Center for Judaism has been importing this “Rolls Royce of Matzo” by the truckload, for the Boulder County Jewish community to use in their celebrations of Passover. This year, the holiday, which commemorates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt in 1313 BCE, is celebrated from Friday night, April 15, until after nightfall on Saturday, April 23.

When the Israelites left Egypt as directed by G-d, they had to leave quickly and could not wait for their dough to rise. When they stopped to eat, what they had was unleavened bread or flat crackers called matzo, which is one of the reasons Jews eat matzo during Passover.

In addition to the fact that our ancestors were bereft of anything leavened (chametz) and we want our annual celebration of their liberation from bondage in Egypt to be as true to their experience as possible, over the years chametz has become symbolic of egotism, arrogance, and condescension to others, traits so harmful that they are considered the roots of all negative characteristics, adding another reason for eliminating even the most minute amount of chametz.

“Shmura matzo is the closest thing to what our ancestors ate while fleeing Egypt 3,000 years ago,” said Rabbi Pesach Scheiner of the Boulder County Center for Judaism.

If you want to add this traditional hand-made matzo to your family’s Seder this year, you need to order it in advance as no matter how many pounds they order (over 100 this year!) it always sells out quickly.

Each box contains one pound and is available in regular or whole wheat visit boulderjudaism.com/BuyMatzah or, email Boulderjudaism@gmail.com, or call 720 422 6776 to reserve your own special box of Shmurah matzo while supplies last. Pick up on April 10 between 12-2 or by appointment.