Now that we’ve had some fun and frivolity with Purim, we look ahead to Passover, just three weeks away. We here at OZ are excited to take that journey towards the Promised Land with you, through resources, services, and our community seder!
Please flag this page as it contains multitudes of information as we prepare ourselves physically and spiritually. As always, we are always available for any questions or concerns.
Pre-Pesach Prep
Help Others to Afford Pesach — Ma-ot Chittin
Pesach can be expensive! Because of this, our tradition includes the mitzvah of donating ma-ot chittin (literally, “wheat money”) to help others afford the basics. This year, the need is great. Donations are welcome to our Rabbi or Cantor Discretionary Funds to assist those in need within our community.
Get Rid of Your Chametz — Food Pantry
Can’t finish all your chametz before Pesach? Give it away to a local food pantry, which serves our entire community– one such pantry is the North End Food Pantry. Donated food must be unopened and unexpired!
Sell the Chametz Left Behind — Mekhirat Chametz
Chametz should neither be seen in your home, business or vehicle, nor owned by you, during Pesach. Chametz includes not only wheat, but also spelt, rye, oats, and barley. In a case where getting rid of your chametz would cause you a substantial loss (e.g., your collections of small-batch bourbon and heirloom spelt flours, or all your year-round pots and pans), you can put it out of sight and out of reach, and authorize Rabbi Ariel to sell it on your behalf to a non-Jew, for the duration of Pesach. CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE AUTHORIZATION FORM — DEADLINE: end of Monday, March 30th at 11:59 PM.
In preparation for Pesach, it is customary to sell our unused chametz (mekhirat chametz) so that it may be repurchased after Passover. Although widely practiced, this process is rarely witnessed and can often feel confusing. Please join with Rabbi Ariel to learn about and witness the sale of chametz on Tuesday, March 31st at 11:45 AM.
Make Your Kitchen Kosher
Scrub, boil, wash, and toil — the process of kashering a kitchen for Pesach can be exhausting, but it doesn’t need to be. Approached with a sense of sacred avodah (work, or divine service), it can be a beautifully focused discipline, and achievable in a few hours. Just don’t leave it to the last minute!
Kashrut and cleaning guidelines are available through the Rabbinical Assembly, as well as from the OU certification agency.
Video tutorials: Two series of helpful videos on kashering your kitchen for Pesach are available from the Rabbinical Assembly and from the Hadar Institute.
The “Minimalist’s Guide to Passover and Seder” (updated 2021) by Rabbanit Leah Sarna may also be helpful in understanding what’s essential, and how to save time and money.
Kitniyot: A Long Note about Small Things
Until recently, the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS) of the Rabbinical Assembly upheld the longstanding Ashkenazi minhag (custom) of refraining from eating kitniyot (literally, “small things”) which include beans, corn, millet, peas, rice, soy, and some other plant-based foods such as mustard, buckwheat and sesame seeds. In Fall 2015 the CJLS approved two responsa (halakhic opinions) which permit the consumption of kitniyot for Ashkenazim. To fully understand their positions, which differ in their reasons, please see here and here; to read the dissenting opinion see here. If you would like to discuss your own practice, feel free to contact Rabbi Ariel!
Resources for Making a Seder
Some helpful resources as you prepare are from Exploring Judaism as well as The Solo Seder.
Find and Burn the Last Crumbs of Chametz — Bedikah and Bi-ur
Tuesday night, March 31st and Wednesday morning, April 1st
The search for chametz is conducted on Tuesday night after dark, 8:03 PM.
The latest time for eating chametz is Wednesday morning at 10:25 AM.
The latest time for destroying any final chametz, and reciting the final nullification formula, is Wednesday morning at 11:41 AM.
(All times are for Burlington)
This blessing guide contains the procedures and blessings for finding, annulling, and burning the last crumbs of chametz in your house. See also this Bedikat Chametz FAQ.
Step One: On Tuesday night, March 31st, “hide” and “find” a few last pieces of bread or other chametz in the house, by candlelight (or cellphone light). Gather the crumbs safely in a sealed bag and recite the first nullification formula. The search is also a spiritual one, for the last bits of pride and oppression inside of us. Get ready to burn them up.
Step Two: On Wednesday morning, April 1st, destroy any chametz that you found last night. You can burn the chametz but it can also be destroyed by breaking it up and flushing it (if it won’t bust the pipes), or putting it into the garbage (outside your house). Recite the final nullification formula.
Prayer Services and Yizkor
Join us for festival prayers, complete with special Torah readings, joyful and song-filled Hallel, and once-a-year sacred poetry including Tal (the Prayer for Dew) and Shir haShirim (Song of Songs).
Shabbat Hagadol Sermon – Saturday, March 28th
A long-standing custom during services on the Shabbat before Pesach is for the Rabbi to address the community on a topic relating to the halakhot (laws and practices) of Pesach. This year, Rabbi Ariel will be leading us in a discussion on kitniyot.
Pesach Day 1: Thursday, April 2nd, 9:00 AM
Featuring “Tal” (A Prayer for Dew) at Musaf — don’t miss this dramatic once-a-year prayer, in which initial letters fall from tav ת to aleph א, like dew descending from the Divine, like redemption upon our people and our land.
Community Pesach Seder: Thursday, April 2nd, 6:00 PM
The Passover Seder is one of those nights that so many of us carry in our hearts — the familiar melodies that rise around the table each year, the recipes that taste better than ever this one time a year, the feeling of a table stretched just a little longer to make room for one more. On the second night of Passover, we’ll gather for our OZ Community Seder, led by Rabbi Ariel and Cantor Silverberg. It will be an evening of conversation, music, storytelling, and some much needed joy. Together, we’ll retell the Exodus story — both because it’s tradition, and because the themes still matter: resilience, hope, and the stubborn, beautiful human longing for freedom. And of course, we’ll gather around a truly special meal.
Pesach Day 2: Friday, April 3rd, 9:00 AM
Kabbalat Shabbat, Pesach Erev Day 3: Friday, April 3rd, 6:00 PM
Shabbat, Pesach Day 3: Saturday, April 4th, 9:15 AM
Featuring the once-a-year delight of the multi-gendered love poetry of Shir Hashirim (the Song of Songs), as well as “Shirat Ha-Yam,” the dramatic reading of the Song at the Sea.
Chol Hamoed Pesach Day 4: Sunday, April 5th, 8:45 AM
Chol Hamoed Pesach Maariv: Sunday, April 5th, 7:00 PM on Zoom
Chol Hamoed Pesach Maariv: Monday, April 6th, 7:00 PM on Zoom
Pesach Day 6: Tuesday, April 7th, 6:00 PM In-person Only
Pesach Day 7: Wednesday, April 8th, 9:00 AM
Pesach Day 8: Thursday, April 9th, 9:00 AM– with Yizkor
Remembering those who have left our world with Yizkor’s psalms, readings and the liturgy of mourning. Donations in honor of Yizkor may be made to OZ by clicking here.