Metro

From burning bush to burning bread — a Passover tradition

A Passover tradition that goes back centuries was alive and well in Williamsburg on Monday as thousands of Hasidic Jews tossed bits of bread onto small pyres to usher in the Passover holiday.

The devout follow the annual rite to remove any particle of “chametz” or leavened bread from their homes. On Passover, the faithful can only consumed unleaveaned bread, or matzoh.

Rain fell intermittently throughout the morning, diminishing some large crowds, but the smell of the burning wheat, bran and other grains carried across many blocks.