Burning Down the Chametz (Baltimore, MD)

© (2010) Photographs by Vicki Polin

March 29, 2010 -- Annual burning of the Chametz (bread) in Baltimore's Jewish Community at the Pimlico Race Track.

I was going to use the song "Burning down the house", yet it just didn't really fit the mood of the photographs.

In the morning before the start of Passover, many orthodox Jews burn all the chametz that was found during the search, and anything that was left over from breakfast and not stored with the chametz that will be sold to the non-Jew.

After the chametz has been burnt in the fire, Jews recite the following declaration:

All leaven or anything leavened which is in my possession, whether I have seen it or not, whether I have observed it or not, whether I have removed it or not, shall be considered nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.