For many churches, Palm Sunday kicked off a variety of traditional practices that will culminate with Easter Sunday.

But some churches also are observing the Passover Seder, a tradition linked to Jewish culture.

The ritual feast is held on the first and sometimes second night of the Jewish Passover, the 15th day of Hebrew month of Nisan on the Gregorian calendar. It commemorates the Exodus, or the Jewish peoples' release from Egyptian bondage in the days of Moses.

Although the churches will observe Seder in various ways for various reasons, they agree on one thing: Seder is a celebration of freedom, and its lesson can be applied in other contexts.

Covenant Presbyterian Church on East Jefferson Street will observe the Passover with help from Michael Desnoyers, a practicing Jew who is a member of the church's choir.

"Michael has been one of our choir section leaders and has been wonderful in helping to educate us about the Jewish culture and has even sung choruses for us in Hebrew," the Rev. James Swanson said.

Swanson and Desnoyers will use the Haggadah, or the book of Exodus, as part of Covenant's Seder, which will take place tonight.

The meal will include some of the traditional foods such as matzoh ball soup and the apple salad called charoset, reminiscent of the mortar the Jews used to make for bricks during slavery.

St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church on Jefferson Street observed the Passover with a Seder meal on Wednesday.

"Education about the Passover Seder is part of our teaching to our youngsters," said Kay Wharton, Christian education director at St. Mark's. "It is part of our First Communion instruction."

Wharton said the event included images and symbols believed to be part of Jesus' last meal.

Their meal consisted of braised steak, baked potatoes and salad in addition to the traditional bitter herbs, apples and matzoh.

"We believe it is the appropriate time to celebrate it prior to the children's first Holy Communion, which falls on Maundy Thursday as Christ was the Passover lamb for us," she said.

That same significance also has led St. Ferdinand Roman Catholic Church in Cranberry Township to celebrate the Passover for more than 20 years.

"We are a Eucharistic people," said Barbara McCarthy, pastoral associate at St. Ferdinand.

"We believe that it was during a Passover meal that Christ first gave instructions for Communion. We believe that Passover meal was his last and that it is worthy of honoring and remembering," she explained.

"We will hold a Seder with the ritual foods and prayers and readings, then our congregation will have a meal together and close the evening with more of the ritual prayers," McCarthy said.

"We honor and respect our Jewish brethren and as a sister religion can benefit from remembering their freedom from slavery," she said.

Over the years, Hazzan Adriane Caplowe, spiritual leader for the Congregation B'nai Abraham in Butler, has participated in various Christian Seders.

"I have been invited to various churches over the years to educate them about the Seder and Passover. Judaism weaves through the fabric of their religions as well," she said.

"While the significance may be different to nonJews, Jesus was Jewish and, as a Jew, the Passover would have been part of his culture — so it is significant."

In addition to celebrating Seder in an educational capacity, Caplowe cites fond memories of Seder at home.

"My grandmother would come early and we would clean out the kitchen of all leavened foods called hametz," she said, noting 40 or more people would come to her house.

The Haggadah was read and the history celebrated with its stories, songs and prayers, she said.

"The meal is comprised of symbolic foods that recount the history of the Jewish people coming out of Egypt," said Caplowe.

"For us it is a holiday of freedom."