A Night to Remember: Preparing for the Seder with Michael Zion of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America
Sunday, 4/10, 10-11am PST. No charge
How will you do Seder this year?
Join Rabbi Samuel Klein in conversation with Rabbi Michael Zion as they discuss themes in his high­ly imag­i­na­tive Hag­gadah "A Night to Remember" (2007). Come prepared for a lively exchange, engaging voices from Rab­bi Joseph Soloveitchik and Amos Oz to Toni Mor­ri­son and Leonard Cohen, as we explore the uni­ver­sal mes­sage of the Exodus.
Spoiler alert: This event will enhance your seder experience by bringing in ideas that will make the evening rich, thought-provoking, and fun for all. Questions? Contact Rabbi Samuel Klein.

ExploringJudaism is a new home for the Torah of Conservative Judaism, embracing the beauty and complexity of Judaism, and our personal search for meaning and learning. There is always something to learn and explore.  Check out the Passover resources including: How to Kasher your Kitchen; and Tips for Passover with Toddlers, Including Non-Jewish Guests at Seder, and more.

Return to top of page.

We know that Passover this year will be quite unusual (again).
If you have questions about preparing for Passover this year, please contact the rabbis.

Families & Youth

Young Family Tefillah & Kids Kehillah Passover Edition
Saturday, 4/9, 11:30am - 12:00pm
This Shabbat we are excited to offer two different youth Shabbat programs, Kids Kehilla for kids 5-11, and Young Family Tefillah for Children 5 and under and their grown-ups (big siblings welcome, too!) More information and registration for both of those programs is available here.

Matanot and Chaverim (2^nd-5^th Graders) Explore the Chocolate Factory
Sunday, April 3^rd 4pm-6pm, Cost: $25
Meet at 4pm outside Theo Chocolate Factory- 3400 Phinney Ave N.
Come join Mor and Rachel for chocolate trivia, a tour of Theo’s chocolate factory, learning about how chocolate is made, and of course tasting Theo’s many treats. Sign up soon; spots are limited! Any questions? Email Mor.
We are looking forward to a magical and tasty experience.
Please set max registration at 16 people! Also please ask if anyone has allergies to nuts, dairy, or gluten!

Chocolate Seder with Kadima (6th-8th graders)
Saturday, April 24th, 2:00-4:00pm in the CBS Annex Garden, Cost: $10
Get ready for Pesach with Mor and Dmitri! Join us for kiddush lunch and then we'll play some Passover-related games and have a sweet chocolate-filled seder together in the annex garden. Come hungry! Pre-registration is required. For questions, please contact Dmitri.

Matza Pizza and Game Night for Teens
Tuesday, April 19^th 6:30-8pm
Celebrate Passover in a fun way! Join Rabbi Rose and CBS teens for yummy matza pizza and lots of games. This is open to all 7th-12th graders and is in place of teen learning that evening.
Address will be provide upon RSVP.

Passover Schedule

PASSOVER RITUALS

Pre-Passover

For COVID-19 safety reasons, Do It Yourself Pot and Utensil Kashering is cancelled this year.  If you have questions about kashering for Pesach, please ask the rabbis. 

Bedikat Chametz - Search for Chametz
Thursday, April 14, after dark, at home
The search is usually performed the night before Pesach. It is customarily done with a candle, feather and wooden spoon.  Chametz which is found (except that which may be specifically set aside for use before Pesach), is put aside until the morning for burning.  (See the beginning of the Haggadah for the liturgy for bedikat chametz).

Mekhirat Chametz - Selling of Chametz
Thursday, April 14, 3:00pm
Any chametz not consumed, burned or otherwise disposed of prior to Passover must be sold to a non-Jew who will own it during Pesach. In order to ensure compliance with the details of the law, Rabbi Borodin will act as our agent for the sale. If you would like Rabbi Borodin to serve as your agent, you must complete the “Sale of Chametz” form and return to Ellis Engbar or Rabbi Borodin by Thursday, April 14 at 3:00pm.

Ta’anit Bekhorim - Fast of the Firstborn, Siyum Bekhorim, in person and virtual Minyan &  Breakfast
Friday, April 15, 7:00-8:15am
Minyan: 7:00-7:40am (please use the morning minyan zoom link from cybershul to join virtually)
Siyum and breakfast: 7:40-8:15am
The fast applies to the firstborn child of a mother or a father, and begins at dawn (4:39am this year). It is customary, after Shacharit, to have a siyum, completion of study of a section of rabbinic literature, followed by a seudat mitzvah, a meal accompanying the performance of a mitzvah. All firstborn in attendance are then permitted to eat for the rest of the day.  This year, Rabbi Mark Greenspan will lead the siyum.  Please RSVP to let us know if you're planning to attend in person.

Biur and Bitul Chametz - Destroying and Nullifying of Chametz
Friday, April 15
Dispose of the chametz found the previous night during bedikat chametz and recite the formula for nullifying chametz (found in the beginning of the Haggadah).

Passover Home Rituals

Birkat Hamazon during Passover
It is traditional to use either your haggadot or benchers only used at Passover (not the rest of the year) for birkat hamazon during Passover to avoid being exposed to possible chametz in the regular bencher. We add ya’aleh v’yavo for every day of Passover.  On days 1, 2, 7 and 8 we also add the harachaman for Yom Tov.

First And Second Days Of Pesach

Candlelighting
On the first night of Pesach (Friday, April 15), we recite the blessings “Baruch atah...le’hadlik ner shel Shabbat v’shel Yom Tov” and “shehecheyanu” (p. 718/303 of Siddur Sim Shalom).  On the second night (Saturday, April 16), we recite the blessings “Baruch atah...le’hadlik ner shel Yom Tov” and “shehecheyanu.”  On the second night, candles should not be lit until the end of Shabbat and the first day of Yom Tov, and we do not light a match but transfer the fire to the candles from an existing flame.  Therefore, when you light Shabbat candles on Friday, make sure that you have a fire burning that will last until after dark on Saturday.  A burning candle that lasts for more than 25 hours or a pilot light on a gas range (not a gas range with an electronic starter) works well for this purpose.  

Kiddush
There are festive meals for dinner (i.e. seder) and lunch on each of the first two days of Pesach. At each meal, 
kiddush is recited and hamotzi is made over matzah. Details regarding evening kiddush are fully set forth in the Haggadah; please note that kiddush on the second night includes havdalah.  The daytime kiddush can be found on page 746/335 in Siddur Sim Shalom; please note that the additions for Shabbat are included on the first day of Pesach (Saturday, April 16).

Seventh And Eighth Days Of Pesach

Candlelighting
On the seventh night of Pesach (Thursday, April 21), we recite “Baruch atah...le’hadlik ner shel Yom Tov”, but we do not recite “shehecheyanu.”  
On the eighth night (Friday, April 22), we recite “Baruch atah...le’hadlik ner shel Shabbat v’shel Yom Tov”, but we do not recite “shehecheyanu.”  
On the eighth night, we do not light a match but transfer the fire to the candles from an existing flame.  When you light candles on Thursday, make sure that you have a fire burning that will last until after candlelighting time on Friday.

Kiddush
There are festive meals for dinner and lunch on each of the final two days of Pesach. At each meal, kiddush is   recited and hamotzi is made over matzah.  On the seventh and eighth nights we recite the evening festival kiddush with the insertion for Pesach (and on the eighth night, for Shabbat). The daytime kiddush can be found on page 746/335 of Siddur Sim Shalom. On the eighth day (Saturday, April 23), include the verses for Shabbat as well.