(Metro News Service) Matzah features prominently in Passover celebrations. When the Israelites were fleeing Egypt after Pharaoh released them from slavery, the bread they took along had no time to rise. The result was a flattened cracker called matzah. In addition to eating matzah as their bread source throughout Passover, Jewish families hide a piece of matzah called the afikomen to find at the end of the Seder. A piece of matzah cracker is broken in half. One portion is enjoyed through the Seder rituals and the other is the "dessert" that will be eaten at the end and will conclude the ceremony. Hiding the afikomen helps ensure that children stay engaged until the end. Once found, the piece of matzah may be redeemed for a small gift.