Celebrate Passover End With Mimouna
“Mimouna” Concluding Passover With A Sephardi Festival Celebrate Passover End With Mimouna – Wednesday nightfall April 8 – Thursday daytime April 9, 2026 Mimouna, (pronounced “mee-moh-oo-na” ) is the name given to the little known seder that celebrates the end of the eight days of the Passover festival According to journalist Ophir Toubul (Cafe […]
Sicilian Charoset Just in Time for Passover – Rabbi Frank Tamburello
Rabbi Frank Tamburello is a colleague, a friend and a discoverer of his family’s Sicilian Jewish roots. He serves on the editorial staff of the International Federation of Rabbis where he writes a popular column, “Ravenous Ravs,” that highlights his vast collection of Italian Jewish recipes. Just in time for Passover, Rabbi Tamburello shares a […]
Looking Back – Life Lessons on the Seder Plate
Aging Jewishly – What Our Traditions Tell Us about Growing Old By Rabbi Barbara Aiello The wine stained Haggadot are tucked away in the closet, while only the empty matzah box remains – a reminder of a seder filled with family and tradition, not to mention a “bissel” stress. But now that Pesach 5785 is […]
“I haven’t heard from him in years…” When Parents and Adult Children Are Estranged
Aging Jewishly – What Our Traditions Teach Us about Growing Old By Rabbi Barbara Aiello The cellphone chimed the first few bars of Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville”, jolting Julie out of her ten minute afternoon “schlaf.” “Did I catch you sleeping?” It was Beth, Julie’s oldest friend – the only person other than her husband that […]
Seder Plate History
Let’s “Dish” About the Seder Plate! In ancient times our sages taught that in anticipation of the Passover holiday, we Jews should prepare a specially made, large wicker container in which to place Passover’s symbolic foods. This wicker container would then be displayed on the seder table. That’s right. The first seder plate wasn’t made […]
Trauma at the Seder Table
With the “good dishes” gracing the table, wine glasses gleaming and places set for 26 guests, the annual Passover seder was, as PopPop pronounced, “ready for prime time.” But in seconds the tranquility of the evening was disturbed by the shrieks of the two youngest granddaughters. “It’s my turn to put the parsley on the […]
Passover Items for the Passover Seders
ON YOUR TABLE Candles, candlesticks, matches for Yom Tov Box or plate of matzah (unleaved bread) Salt water and parsley or celery and vinegar Green onion with stem – one for each person A traditional seder plate or dinner plate Kiddush cup or wine glass with wine or juice A Haggadah – the seder book […]
Last Supper? Passover Seder?
Ancient Seder Traditions Was the Last Supper a Passover Seder? Originally, Passover night was a rather informal affair, There was no ornate Passover plate, no Haggadah, the book of prayers and blessings that we today at every Passover seder. Instead in ancient times each father would teach his child in his own way and with […]
The Modern Seder – Women’s Role
New Passover Traditions Arise As We Celebrate the Changing Role of Jewish Women: Beginning in the mid 1970’s when the first woman rabbi was ordained in the Reform movement, modern Jews have expanded the role that women play in Jewish culture, tradition and observance. Changes have taken place on the bima where most synagogues now […]
Sephardic Passover Traditions
Sephardic Traditions at the Passover Seder Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews – What’s the Difference? There is a division within the Jewish community that began thousands of years ago and continues to this day. It is not a division between religious denominations such as Reform, Conservative, Orthodox or Reconstructionist. The division is earlier and more pervasive […]