Service Times | Sale of Hametz + Search for Hametz | Shabbat | Fast of the Firstborn/Siyum | Passover Guide | Additional Resources
Important Times
Wednesday, April 5
Latest time to Eat Hametz: 10:50am
Latest Time to Dispose of Hametz: 11:54am
Candlelighting at 7:06pm
Thursday, April 6
Morning service at 9:30am, in person and on Zoom.
Friday, April 7
Morning Service at 9:30am, in person and on Zoom.
Abbreviated Kabbalat Shabbat at 6:30pm, on Zoom
Saturday, April 8
Morning Service at 9:30am, in person and on Zoom
Havdalah at 8:05pm, Zoom only.
Tuesday, April 11
No minyan this week
Candlelighting at 7:13pm
Wednesday, April 12
Morning Service at 9:30am, in person and on Zoom.
Thursday, April 13
Morning Service at 9:30am, in person and on Zoom. Service includes Yizkor.
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Yom Tov ends at 8:16pm
Enjoy some hametz!!
Hametz
The Sale of Hametz
With the arrival of the Hebrew month of Nisan on Thursday, March 23, 2023, we are reminded that Passover is on its way. One of our traditional practices in advance of Pesach is the sale of hametz. Jewish law calls on us to remove hametz - food prepared from wheat, barley, oats, rye, and spelt - from our homes for the duration of the holiday. In case we leave some hametz in our homes, we sell our hametz to someone non-Jewish for the duration of the holiday. Immediately following the completion of Passover, ownership of the hametz reverts to the original owner.
Complete this form to sell your hametz. We must receive responses no later than Monday, April 3 at 5pm.
The sale of hametz is accompanied by a donation for Ma'ot Hittim/feeding those who are hungry, to enable all to appreciate Passover. Donations to Ma'ot Hittim take place through the sale of hametz form. All collected funds will be divided among local and national organizations providing food for the hungry.
The Search for Hametz/B'dikat Hametz
Tuesday evening, place small pieces of hametz (usually 10 pieces) around the room. When ready to begin your search, recite this blessing:
Barukh ata adonai eloheinu melekh ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al biur hametz/Blessed are you Holy Gd who rules the universe and sanctifies us through responsibilities and mitzvot like the practice of removing leaven from our dwelling places.
Now, search for the pieces of hametz by the light of a candle or flashlight. Collect the pieces with a feather and wooden spoon, or pick them up. Once you've found all the pieces, recite the following blessing to nullify the hametz,
Kol hamira d'ika virshuti d'la hamitey ud'la viartey libateil v'lehevey hefkeyr k'afra d'ara/All hametz in my possession which I have not seen or removed is now nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.
Now, put the pieces of hametz away until morning.
Biur Hametz
On Wednesday, dispose of the hametz collected the night before by 11:54am (NYC) either by biur/burning (carefully in the sink), flushing down the toilet (be careful of your pipes), disposing in a public garbage can, or, as the tradition teaches, by scattering it to the wind (feeding the birds or pigeons). Then offer the nullification blessing below (also often found in the opening pages of the Haggadah.
Kol hamira v'hamia d'ika virshuti, d'la hamiteih udla viarteih udla y'dana leih, libateil v'lehevei hefkeir k'afra d'ara. All hametz in my possesion which I have not seen or removed, or of which I am unaware, is hereby nullified and ownderless as the dust of the earth.
You can also download a printable version of the above information for reference.
Shabbat
Candle lighting:
Lighting a new flame is not permitted on yom tov. Instead, we use an existing flame for cooking other purposes. Prior to Passover, light a candle that will burn for more than 25 hours. Use this candle to transfer flame to light your yom tov candles. We begin yom tov with candle lighting, affirming our sacred relationship with the holy through these flames. Two candles, just like Shabbat, connecting us to the past and lighting our way into the future. Find the blessings for lighting yom tov candles HERE, along with a blessing for a third candle for peace and well being for each of us and our world.
Eruv Tavshilin
Eruv Tavshilin is made when Shabbat begins immediately following Yom Tov. Cooking on Yom Tov is permitted for the needs of that day. The rabbis permitted cooking on Yom Tov for Shabbat provided that preparations for Shabbat begin before the holiday. Those preparations happen through eruv tavshilin.
Here's how - Before Passover starts, take a piece of matzah and a cooked food (typically hard-boiled egg), hold them, and recite the following:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל מִצְוַת עֵרוּב
Barukh ata adonai eloheinu melekh ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al mitzvat eruv
Blessed are you Holy Gd who rules the universe and sanctifies us through responsibilities and mitzvot like the practice of creating an eruv.
בַּהֲדֵין עֵרוּבָא יְהֵא שָׁרֵא לָנָא לְמֵפָא וּלְבַשָּׁלָא וּלְאַטְמָנָא וּלְאַדְלָקָא שְׁרָגָא וּלְמֶעְבַּד כָּל צָרְכָנָא מִיּוֹמָא טָבָא לְשַׁבַּתָּא לָנוּ וּלְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל הַדָּרִים בָּעִיר הַזֹּאת.
With this eruv we have permission to bake, cook, heat food, light candles and do what is necessary on the holiday in preparation for Shabbat.
Now set the eruv foods aside to be eaten on Shabbat.
Fast of the Firstborn - Register for the East Coast Siyum!
Tradition teaches the fast of the firstborn - ta'anit b'chorot - memorializes the exemption of firstborn Israelites from the 10th plague (killing of the firstborn) which preceded our escape from Egypt. This year, the fast of the firstborn takes place Wednesday, April 5, 2023. Many firstborn men and women participate in a siyum/conclusion of learning to exempt themselves from fasting before Passover.
This year, we will again join the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) online for their East Coast Siyum, Wednesday, April 5. All are welcome to join for an all-levels celebration of learning. Shaharit begins at 6:45am ET followed by the siyum which will begin around 7:30am ET. Dr. Marcus Mordecai (Mordy) Schwartz will lead the siyum b'chorot.
Register here to participate in the siyum. Make sure to register for the East Coast Siyum. The Siyum is open to all!!
Passover Guide
Getting ready to shop and prepare for Passover seder? Click here for this year's full Rabbinical Assembly's Passover Guide.
A few tips from the Rabbinical Assembly to keep in mind when purchasing food for the seder:
Matzah - One is obligated to avoid hametz throughout Passover. The obligation to eat matzah is limited to fulfilling the rituals of the first/second night seder. Each home should have at least enough matzah for each person to fulfill the obligation of אכילת מצה, eating matzah, at seder - about one piece of matzah per person, per seder.
Karpas - Can be any vegetable. In Israel, boiled potato is a common food for karpas.
Maror - If horseradish is not available, people are encouraged to find other vegetables or fruits that can bring a tear to the eye when consumed raw: hot peppers, fresh ginger, mustard greens, raw lemon. In Israel, romaine lettuce is commonly used as maror.
Egg and Roasted Shankbone on Seder Plate -- A roasted beet may be used in place of the shankbone. (Babylonian Talmud, Pesahim 114b)
Kashering/Cleaning:
Cleaning this year may again be more difficult for those who are still at home living differently than before corona. Generally, places should be well-searched and specifically cleaned for hametz if it’s a place for which and in which hametz is normally consumed and cooked. Furthermore, the prohibition of owning & seeing hametz applies specifically to amounts of pure hametz that is at least the size of an olive (k’zayyit).
Cleaning/Kashering for elderly/infirm:
In these households, if there is an already living-in-home caretaker in place, cleaning and kashering should be carried out, to the extent possible, according to the guidelines which apply to all. In a household where there is no able-bodied caretaker in place, the residents of the household should do their best to remove hametz from every surface that will be used for the preparation or consumption of foods during Passover. These surfaces should be wiped down with all-purpose cleaning materials. If possible, refrigerator shelves should also be wiped down. If the oven will be used during Passover, the walls of the oven should be wiped down and aluminum foil placed between the rack and the baking dish.The self-cleaning function is of course also an option, though some general wiping down should be done first, especially of any grease build up, which is known to be a potential fire-hazard.
KITNIYOT
Kitniyot include beans, corn, millet, peas, rice, soy and some other plant based foods like mustard, buckwheat and sesame seeds. Peanuts and peanut oil with year round kosher certification without hametz ingredients may be consumed on Passover. The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS) offers that kitniyot may be consumed during Passover with the following caveats: Fresh corn on the cob and fresh beans (like lima beans in their pods) may be purchased before and during Passover like any other fresh vegetable. Dried kitniyot (legumes, rice and corn) may be purchased bagged or in boxes and then sifted or sorted before Passover. These should ideally not be purchased in bulk from bins because the bin might previously have been used for hametz and some hametz may be mixed in. One should inspect these purchases before Passover and discard any pieces of hametz. Kitniyot in cans should be purchased with Passover certification.Processed foods, including tofu, although containing no listed hametz, require Pesah certification due to the possibility of admixtures of hametz during production. Even those who continue to observe the Ashkenazic custom of eschewing kitniyot during Pesah may eat from Pesah dishes, utensils and cooking vessels that have come into contact with kitniyot
Click here to explore a variety sources from scholars and students at the Jewish Theological Seminary to enrich your Passover experience.
Additional Resources
Meal Planning Help
Use these two compilations from Leket Israel (Israel's National Food Bank) and the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) to enhance your menu and try out new Passover recipes this year:
Leave No Crumb Behind - Leket Israel Cookbook for Passover and More
JDC ENTWINE's Favorite Global Passover Recipes
For those wanting to commemorate the original 10 plagues through food, try these edible plagues.
For Your Seder Plate
To tell the story of our freedom, we can add items or place them near the seder plate to spark conversation and represent important values and principles. Miriam's Cup is an example of inviting unheard voices. This year, consider adding something to your table to honor Israel's 75th. Perhaps a pomegranate, dates or an Israeli Flag. See how this addition enhances the telling of your seder freedom story.
Haggadot
As you prepare for passover, explore these Haggadot for download here or purchase to guide and enhance your Passover Seder:
A Journey Towards Freedom: A Haggadah for women who have experienced domestic violence
Mishkan HaSeder: A Passover Haggadah
Or make your own at www.haggadot.com!
More Resources
Looking for engaging Seder (or pre-seder) activities? Order this Passover Seder Coloring Poster
Passover is a time to focus on our collective story, but it can also be a time for us to explore our own - you can download a Mental Health Seder Companion, tell your own story, or find more resources about the connection of Passover to mental health.
Four Children from Be'chol Lashon, an organization committed to raising awareness about the ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity of Jewish people and experience around the globe. More materials available here .
Just released! The newest Passover Song Video from the a cappella group, Six13, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the film. Listen/watch here!
