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Celebrating Passover 2023

 

Passover 2023 begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 5, and ends Thursday evening, April 13. The first Passover seder is on the evening of April 5, and the second Passover seder takes place on the evening of April 6.

 

Pesach (Passover) celebrates the Biblical exodus from Egypt. The seven- or eight-day holiday (depending on whether one is celebrating in Israel or elsewhere) begins with a festive meal called a seder ("order," because the evening follows a specific ritual pattern) on the first and/or second night. The accompanying guide is called a Haggadah, or "telling." Specific foods are eaten during the seder and throughout Pesach to commemorate various aspects of the Exodus. Because dough did not have time to rise while the Jews fled Egypt, matzah (an unleavened bread) is eaten instead for the duration of the holiday, while leavened items made of wheat, rye, barley, oats or spelt (bread, pasta, etc., collectively known as chametz) are avoided.

 

Other symbolic foods include a green vegetable (signifying the coming of spring) dipped in salt water (like the slaves' tears), a bitter herb called maror (to remember the bitterness of slavery), and charoset, a pasty mixture of fruit, nuts, and wine that resembles mortar used by the slaves to make bricks. Z'roa, a lamb shank bone, represents the animal sacrifice whose blood was painted on Jewish doorposts so the Angel of Death would know to "pass over" those homes during the tenth plague on Egypt (Death of the Firstborn) and later the animal sacrifice brought to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

 

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Check back for more updates throughout the coming weeks.

Passover Stories from Shalom New Haven

    • THIS YEAR, the eight-day festival of Passover starts on the evening of Wednesday, April 5 and ends at sunset on Thursday, April 13 (in Israel the holiday is celebrated seven days, ending on. April ...

Passover Resources for Celebrating at Home

Cannot find the perfect haggadah for you? Then create your own. Haggadot.com is a resource for the Passover haggadah with thousands of options for blessings, artwork, songs, and more.

"Travel" to Jewish communities around the world from the comfort of your seder table. Downloadable recipe cards and community profiles so we can celebrate the global Jewish community, in all its diversity.

Sedering alone? Just you and a roommate? OneTable has great resources to make your social distancing Passover as meaningful and lively as ever.

18 Doors (fromerly Interfaith Family) offers tips for interfaith families in preparing a seder as well as supplemental readings and activities for the whole family.

Seder resources, haggadah inserts, and additions from one the leading Jewish service organizations to spark meaningful conversations at your seder.

From Passover songs, readings, and even skits, JewBelong offers a variety of resources including a downloadable haggadah.

Put social justice on your Seder table withthe AJWS Global Justice Haggadah. Spark meaningful conversations at your Seder and connect our shared story of liberation with people fighting for freedom around the world today.

 Passover Ideas for Kids

  • PJ Library Interactive Haggadah

    This beautifully illustrated guide to the seder (Passover ritual meal) will make your Passover experience more family friendly, as a guest or a host. Covering all the highlights of a traditional seder while creating new ways to engage children and adults alike in retelling the Passover story, this Haggadah is sure to be a favorite for many years to come.

More Ideas on PJ Library's Pinterest Board:


How to Celebrate Passover

A quick, kid-friendly rundown of Passover traditions in the order they happen

Matzah Candy Crunch

A delicious recipe for Passover, brought to you by the Severs Family and PJ Library.

Recipes to Try at Home!

Ellen's Passover Vegetable Kugel

(From the kitchen of Amy Holtz)

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of farfel

  • 3 cups hot chicken soup

  • 2 medium onions, chopped

  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped

  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped

  • ½ medium red pepper, chopped

  • 1 cup of carrot, chopped

  • 3 beaten eggs

  • 2 teaspoons of paprika

  • Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix farfel and broth together. Sauté all the vegetables in vegetable oil until they soften. Beat the eggs and mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into a greased, 2-quart casserole dish and bake in the oven for one hour (uncovered). Enjoy!

Roasted Asparagus with Almonds

(From Food & Wine)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound thick asparagus, trimmed

  • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

How to Make It

Preheat the oven to 425°. On a baking sheet, toss the asparagus and garlic with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the center of the oven for about 18 minutes, until the asparagus is tender and charred in spots. Transfer to a plate, top with toasted almonds and serve.

Ruth Reichl's Matzo Brei

(From epicurious.com)

Ingredients:

  • 4 matzos

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon of salt, or to taste

  • 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter

Preparation

Crumble matzos into a large sieve placed over a bowl to catch crumbs, then hold sieve under running cold water until matzos are moist and softened but not completely disintegrated, about 15 seconds. Transfer to bowl with crumbs, then add eggs and salt and mix gently with a fork.

 

Heat butter in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add matzo mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until eggs are scrambled and matzo has begun to crisp, about 3 minutes.

Coconut "Macaroonies"

(From Saveur)

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. high quality white chocolate

  • 1 cup coconut oil

  • 1 1⁄2 cups (10 1⁄2 oz.) sugar

  • 1 tsp. coconut extract

  • 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt

  • 6 egg whites, lightly beaten

  • 1 1⁄2 cups coconut flour

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350° and spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray then line the bottom with parchment paper. Place the white chocolate in a large bowl and pour the coconut oil into a glass measuring cup. Microwave the coconut oil until it’s hot to the touch, then pour it over the chocolate and let stand for 1 minute. Using a whisk, slowly stir the chocolate and oil together until smooth.

 

Add the sugar, coconut and vanilla extracts, salt, and egg whites and stir until well mixed. Add the coconut flour and stir until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake until golden brown and set, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the baking pan to a rack and let cool completely. Unmold the macaroonies from the pan, discard the parchment paper, and cut into 12 bars to serve.