Pandemic Passover: Chabad offers DIY tools for meaningful holiday-at-home
Goshen /
| 22 Mar 2021 | 01:53
From Generation to Generation: Rabbi Pesach Burston hands Alan Friedman of Pine Bush and his granddaughter, Sofia, of Goshen, a box of Passover Shmurah Matzah. The Passover Seder is centered around the theme of “telling your children” about the Exodus and inspiring the traditions from generation to generation.
Chana Burston, right, hands a Passover Cooking Demo Tasting Box to Svetlana Askenazy, center, of Highland Mills and Anita Reich, left, of Harriman, prior to the virtual Passover Cooking demonstration.
Landon Godenberg of Warwick learns about the Mah Nishata – The Four Questions asked at the Seder table – with a fun “Mah Nisthana Magic” workshop at Chabad Hebrew School.
Yasmine Mosker of Monroe learned about the Jews’ slavery in Egypt by building pyramids with plastic cups of at Chabad Hebrew School.
Rabbi Pesach Burston, wearing a “Pharaoh hat,” offers a virtual class through Zoom on how to run a Passover Seder at home and illustrates the story of Passover. To view the DIY Seder tutorials, visit www.ChabadOrange.com/MySeder.
As Passover — the most widely-celebrated Jewish holiday in America — approaches, and with the pandemic continuing to affect day-to-day life, many of Orange County’s Jewish community members are preparing to celebrate Passover — which begins this year Saturday evening, March 27 — at home, and Chabad of Orange County, led by Rabbi Pesach and Chana Burston, is responding with Passover Seder-to-Go kits and DIY tools.
The Passover Seder is a feast that includes reading, drinking wine, telling stories, eating special foods, singing and other Passover traditions. The central observance of Passover—eating matzo, the unleavened bread—will take center stage at the Seder, with handmade round shmurah matzo available to all.
This year’s observance, with the holiday beginning on Saturday evening, is a relatively rare occurrence on the Jewish calendar, bringing with it unique rituals and prayers. The next time the holiday will be on Saturday evening is in 2025, followed by 2045 the time after that.
Unable to gather for the Seder at Chabad—or with extended family, friends and community—this year during the pandemic, families and individuals will largely be celebrating the Seder at home. In response, Chabad of Orange County will offer “Seder Survival” kits containing instructions on how to conduct a Passover Seder at home as well as all of the traditional foods.
“While traditionally, Passover is a time when families and communities come together, this year, we’ll each be celebrating at home” said Rabbi Pesach. “But even when we are alone we do it together! That’s why we’re making sure that everyone has what they need to celebrate Passover.”
Rabbi Pesach has posted “DIY Seder” video tutorials online at www.ChabadOrange.com/MySeder.
In addition to the crash course, Chabad has an extensive Passover Resources page – full of guides, recipes, videos and much more – at www.ChabadOrange.com/MyPesach. There is even a Mah Nishatan trainer tool!
Chabad of Orange County is also making available a unique, user-friendly Passover Haggadah—the most widely-printed Jewish book—designed for the post-pandemic world. The Haggadah, published by Chabad.org, is available for free download at www.ChabadOrange.com/friendlyhaggadah
For more information, contact Rabbi Pesach and Chana Burston, directors, at 845-782-2770, rabbi@ChabadOrange.com or visit www.ChabadOrange.com
What is the holiday of Passover?
The eight-day festival of Passover is celebrated this year from sundown on Saturday night, March 27, until after nightfall on Sunday, April 4.
Passover commemorates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and will be celebrated with festive “Seder” dinners on March 27 and 28.
Other holiday observances include restricting the consumption of leavened products such as bread and pasta, instead eating unleavened matzo.
Additional information about the Passover holiday is available at www.ChabadOrange.com/MyPesach