The Countdown to Passover
Passover (Pesach) is the festival of freedom marking the Jewish people’s redemption from slavery in ancient Egypt. Passover is celebrated with joyous meals (Seders), symbolic foods, blessings, singing, and the retelling of the powerful story of redemption and liberation as God intervened in history (the Haggadah).
This year, 2021, Passover begins on Saturday night, March 27th, and concludes on Sunday night, April 4th. Throughout the holiday, Jews around the world abstain from eating leavened foods and eat a traditional unleavened bread called matzah.
The central theme of Passover is freedom, along with other strong themes of justice, compassion, empathy, and unity. The holiday sees each generation teach the coming generation of this ancient story, its complex themes, while encouraging them to add their own new perspectives.
We have put together a few resources to help you find information to augment and enrich your Pesach holiday.
The resources included here reflect our inclusive community, and its broad perspectives of knowledge, education, and Jewish thought, to promote everyone’s personal Jewish choices.
We also made sure to include great music to keep everything joyous!
Videos
Passover is a holiday that invites deeper meaning each year we celebrate. In these videos, Rachael Turkienicz offers ideas on bringing Mussar, the mindful Jewish approach to free will, into both the Passover preparations, as well as the celebration of the Seders.
Mussar and Passover Preparations
As you get ready for Passover this year, watch this video to learn how you can incorporate the idea of Mussar into your preparations.
Mussar Themes for My Passover Seder
Consider incorporating a little bit of Mussar into your Passover Seder. Rachael shares some ways you can introduce Mussar in your seder table discussions with your family and friends.
What Food to Eat During Passover
From the Rachael’s Centre vault, in this fun “After Shul Special” video, Jane wants to have a snack, but needs to eat something that is Kosher for Passover, and not Chametz.
Seder Resources
As our Seders continue to take place in the virtual space this year, we know you may be in need of a Haggadah appropriate for your family and friends. Here are some digital options and supplements to assist you in creating a meaningful experience.
Chabad Haggadah
Chabad offers free downloads of a traditional Orthodox Haggadah. There are Hebrew-English, Hebrew only, and English only options.
PJ Library Haggadah
A traditional Haggadah for children: PJ Library has provided a digital Haggadah for the whole family to enjoy.
The Velveteen Rabbi’s Haggadah
Nondenominational Haggadah: This Haggadah augments the traditional text with poetry, moments of mindfulness, and theology of liberation.
Make Your Own Haggadah
Haggadot.com offers users the opportunity to make your seder your own by creating your own custom Haggadah or choosing from hundreds of user-created haggadot.
