Shabbat Shalom ~ Shabbat Vayikra 2025

Shalom WJC Family,

I hope you were able to experience some of the fantastic programming at WJC this weekend. A special shout-out to Allan and Susan Abravanel, who chaired a successful and enlightening Scholar in Residence Weekend – Abigail Pogrebin and Rabbi Dov Linzer were fabulous SIR guests – and to Yaron Shlesinger and our Teen Engagement Manager, Jessica Berger, who put together a wonderful evening with Shai Davidai on Monday night.

And now, there are no more excuses, distractions, or reasons to procrastinate. The time has come – Passover prep is in full gear! Continue reading for a rundown of events and resources for a joyful, meaningful, and kosher holiday!

1) Delegation of Power of Attorney – Observance of Passover calls for the eradication of all Chametz, leavened products, from our homes and places of business. If this proves impossible, we can seal all the Chametz away and sell it temporarily. I am happy to facilitate that sale for you – just fill out the form here by April 11 at 9:00am.

2) Learning for Our Seders with our Partners in Israel
Sunday, April 6, 1:30pm
Join us for an exploration of the Four Sons passage of the haggadah with our partner congregations in Jerusalem, Israel, Seattle, Washington, and East Windsor, NJ. The rabbis will introduce the topic with text and song, and then we will have breakout rooms to discuss with our peers across the ocean and the country. It promises to be a beautiful experience and to give us some interesting and meaningful material for our seders.
Click here for the Zoom Link.

3) When Passover starts on a Saturday night, the timing of some of the standard pre-Passover customs gets a little funky. So, here is a rundown:

• Fast of the First Born – Siyyum Bechorot: Thursday, April 10, 7:30am (following minyan at 7:00am)
  On the day before Passover, firstborn males fast in memory of the terrible Tenth plague. Since we don’t fast on Saturdays (except Yom Kippur) or Fridays (in preparation for Shabbat), the fast is pushed back to Thursday. So, Thursday morning, I will be hosting a siyyum after minyan upon completing the Talmudic Tractate Eruvin. Anyone who comes is allowed to break their fast to celebrate with me. So, come, have a bagel, and enjoy eating the rest of the day.
• Bedikat Chametz and Biur Chametz (searching and burning): Thursday to Friday, April 10 and 11.
  The night before Passover, it is a custom to search the house for hametz with a candle and a feather. Due to Shabbat, this practice is pushed back to Thursday night.
  Once you’ve collected all your chametz, keep it in a brown paper bag or something similar and bring it to the synagogue circular drive on Friday morning to burn it. (You can do the burning on your own, but it is way more fun to do it with us – we bring marshmallows to toast over the fire).
• Hametzdik Friday Night Dinner: Friday, April 11, 7:30-8:30pm
  Another quirk of Saturday night seder is that the house has to be clean of hametz for Shabbat. So, sign up for Friday night dinner with us at WJC – we’ll have challah and hametz galore. Register here. Dinner will be preceded by our traditional and Rhythm & Ruach services at 6:30pm.

4) Looking for guidance on everything from how to kasher a kitchen for Passover to what foods require a “Kosher for Passover” heksher and which don’t (especially if purchased before Passover starts). Check out the Rabbinical Assembly’s Annual Passover Guide for all the latest FAQs and deep dives.

5) One last thought – it is hard to believe that we will be celebrating another “Feast of Freedom” while our brethren languish in the prisons and dungeons of Gaza. If you are looking for supplemental material to help incorporate the hostages into your seder, here is a nice resource. You can use the whole thing or pick and choose for one or two parts of the seder.

There is lots more information about service times for Passover on the website, so go ahead and check that out too. And this week we will enjoy a Simple & Soulful service together on Saturday morning, along with all our other great Shabbat services.

See you in shul,
RJA