As members of the Jewish community prepare for Passover celebrations on Monday evening, Chabad Lubavitch of Riverdale began Passover preparations Sunday – a day ahead of the holiday – to prioritize the ideas of symbolism, memories and tradition that are associated with the Jewish celebration.

For thousands of years, Passover has celebrated the Biblical story of Exodus – the Jewish people’s liberation from Egypt. According to Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the holiday marks what is “the beginning of the Jewish people, as a Jewish people, as a Jewish nation.”

Shemtov told News 12 that the meal for Passover begins with a blessing, and the food on a Passover plate serves a purpose.

A typical plate includes an egg, parsley, a bitter herb, lettuce, a shank bone and charoset – typically a mixture of wine, nuts and apples.

“Tonight, the custom is we have a feather, wooden spoon, we light the candle,” Shemtov explained.

According to Shemtov, the Jewish community will then search every corner of their homes to remove anything that is not Kosher.

“The next day, if we find anything, we take it and we burn it so it’s gone,” he said.

Shemtov added that he is proud to be Jewish.

“We’re practicing Judaism and we’re living in America in New York State, in New York City, where the government and the city and the police are protecting us,” he said.

Passover begins on Monday evening and is celebrated until Tuesday evening.