Invite Your Guests

Are you having seder with only your immediate family? Will you invite extended family? Friends? Or perhaps you’re planning to have seder alone? The seder is a learning experience that changes depending on who comes to the table. It’s never too early to extend invitations and firm up your guest list. 

Choose a Haggadah

The Haggadah contains all the blessings, prayers and songs you will need to host your seder, and it can be helpful if everyone at your seder is using the same one. There are an overwhelming number of Haggadahs on the market, and many that are free for download. You may also be able to borrow a set from a friend. If you don’t know where to start, check out our guide to choosing a Haggadah.

If you are planning a seder with young children, our colleagues at Kveller have produced a Haggadah that may work well for you.

Plan Your Menu

Now that you know who will attend your seder, you can plan a dinner that all will enjoy. You can review this article about what is kosher for Passover and ask guests about their dietary needs. Consider whether there are any family recipes you look forward to making. If you need something new to try, our friends at the Nosher have curated wonderful Passover recipes for every diet and course. Because dinner can come late in a seder, it is helpful to have some appetizers on the table as well so your guests don’t get too hungry.

Plan for the Ritual

Do you have a seder plate or other physical items that are used during a seder? If not, consider purchasing or borrowing those things. There are myriad ways to make a seder ritual meaningful. You might start by familiarizing yourself with the 14 basic steps of a Passover seder and get to know the Haggadah you’ve chosen. This is a starting point, but there is much more you can add. For example, the traditional Haggadah doesn’t tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt — it leaves seder participants to do that in their own way. How would you like to tell the story? There are also many ways for people to participate, either with planned additions or spontaneous conversation. Consider asking your guests to bring articles, poems or other passages to read that are particularly meaningful to them. You might also figure out who will ask the Four Questions so that person can prepare. And think about keeping young children happy and comfortable for the night, either with materials appropriate to them or things like Lego. This might also be a good time to ask your guests to contribute dishes to the meal.

Finding the Haggadah overwhelming? We have an email series that will break it down for you.

Clean

Clean your house and prepare your kitchen the way you ordinarily would for Passover before you start cooking. We have tips for making the cleaning more manageable. 

Shop

In addition to whatever you need for your meal, you will also need special foods for the seder ritual. This includes lots of matzah, which you can purchase or even make yourself. You will also need a generous amount of wine. For your seder plate, you will need parsley, romaine lettuce, haroset, bitter herbs, a shank bone and an egg.

Set the Table

In addition to setting a festive table for your guests, you will want to add items needed for the ritual. Each guest will need a comfortable seat (ideally with a pillow for leaning) and table setting, a glass for wine and a Haggadah. The center of your table will also require a seder plate, a plate with three covered matzahs, a bowl of salt water for dipping the parsley, a cup for Elijah and candles to light as the seder begins.

Take a Deep Breath

Creating a relaxed and warm atmosphere is your last job. Welcome your guests with a smile, and don’t worry about every detail being perfect. The wine spilled on the tablecloth or the afikomen that got permanently lost will just be stories to tell in future years. Chag Sameach!

Prep for Passover like a pro with this special email series. Click here to sign up and you’ll receive a series of helpful, informative, and beautiful emails that will help you get the most out of the holiday.

The post How to Plan a Passover Seder appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Passover History

The origins of Passover lie in pre-Israelite spring celebrations of the first grain harvest and the births of the first lambs of the season. In the Jewish context, it celebrates God’s great redemptive act at the time of the Exodus, leading the Israelites out from slavery in Egypt to freedom. Together with Shavuot (the Festival of Weeks) and Sukkot (The Festival of Booths), Passover is one of the three ancient Israelite pilgrimage festivals, during which adult males journeyed to the Temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices and bask in the divine presence. Since the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the focus of Passover shifted to the ritual meal, called the seder, which normally takes place at home.

Passover At Home

In anticipation of Passover, it is traditional to engage in a thorough spring cleaning. During the holiday, the food reflects the major theme of Passover and is intended to help Jews relive God’s great redemptive act, albeit in a vicarious manner. Because the Israelites had no time to let their bread rise as they hurriedly left Egypt, Jewish law forbids eating (or even possessing) any food that contains leavened grains.Therefore, a major part of the preparations for Passover consists of removing all traces of leavened foods from the home and replacing them with unleavened foods (though many Jews prefer to “sell” some leavened products to a non-Jew for the duration of the holiday). This necessitates both a massive cleanup and the replacement of one’s ordinary dishes with special Passover ones. It also requires a shopping expedition to stock the kitchen with special kosher-for-Passover foods.

The central ritual of Passover is the seder, a carefully choreographed ritual meal that typically takes place in the home. A number of symbolic foods are laid out on the table, of which the most important is the matzah, the unleavened “bread of affliction.” The seder follows a script laid out in the Haggadah, a book that tells the story of the redemption from Egypt. Although the Haggadah is a traditional text, many people add to it and revise it in accord with their theology and understanding of God’s redemptive actions in the world.

Passover In the Community

Although the focus of Passover observance is on the home, on the first and last days traditional Judaism prohibits working. There are special synagogue services, including special biblical readings, among them Shir ha-Shirim, “The Song of Songs,” and Hallel, psalms of praise and thanksgiving. The last day of Passover is one of the four times a year that the Yizkor service of remembrance is recited.

Passover Theology and Themes

The overarching theme of Passover is redemption. After all, this is the holiday that celebrates God’s intervention in history to lead the Israelites from slavery to freedom. It is a time to celebrate God as the great liberator of humanity. The divine redemption of the Israelites thus becomes the blueprint for the Jewish understanding of God and divine morality and ethics.

Learn more about Passover from our partner sites:

The 18 Best Passover Episodes on TV

Passover Facts You Didn’t Learn in Hebrew School

How To Incorporate the Women of Exodus Into Your Seder

Kveller’s Guide To Passover Crafts for Kids That Are Easy and Actually Fun

Download a Printable Version of the Passover Story for Kids

The Jewish History of Macaroons, a Classic Passover Cookie

Prep for Passover like a pro with this special email series. Click here to sign up and you’ll receive a series of helpful, informative, and beautiful emails that will help you get the most out of the holiday.

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The story is read out of a book called a haggadah, and as the narrative proceeds we refer to several symbolic items on a seder plate, which is a large plate that holds matzah, bitter herbs, charoset (a mixture of fruit and nuts designed to look like mortar), an egg, a shank bone, salt water, and some greens. Each item on the plate is used and explained as the meal progresses.

What Each Item Represents

Matzah–the bread of affliction that was eaten by the slaves as they rushed out of Egypt

Bitter Herbs–the bitterness of life as a slave

Haroset–its sweetness represents the sweetness of freedom, and its appearance reminds us of the mortar we were forced to make for Pharaoh

Egg— the circle of life

Shank Bone— the lamb that Jews sacrificed as the special Passover offering when the Temple stood in Jerusalem

Salt water— the tears of the slaves

Greens— the initial flourishing of the Israelites during the first years in Egypt, and the coming spring.

While it is not necessary to use a special plate for the seder plate, many families have passed one down through the generations, or have made or purchased one themselves. These seder plates often have designated spots for each of the symbolic items.

The post How to Set a Passover Seder Plate appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Within this framework, there is still plenty of room for innovation and customization, especially when seder hosts seek to make the Passover themes of liberation and memory relevant to their own cultures and familial experiences. As a result, Jewish communities around the world have developed a number of unique Passover traditions. Some have become more well-known in recent years, such as the Sephardic tradition of singing Had Gadya in Ladino or Moroccan communities marking the end of Passover with a carb-fueled festive meal called Mimouna. Here are 10 more lesser-known Passover traditions from around the world. 

1. Next Level Passover Cleaning 

Like most Jewish communities, Kurdish Jews begin preparing for Passover after the end of Purim. However, Passover cleaning traditionally involved washing the bags that held rice, lentils and other legumes — as well as the foods themselves — several times to ensure that no hametz or insects could render the food treif for Passover. Kurdish Jews would also paint their walls in the days before Passover, although the origin of that custom is unclear. 

2. A Bloody Hamsa

In Mumbai, India, Jews mimic the Passover lamb’s blood that was smeared across the entrances to Israelite homes in Egypt on the eve of their liberation. The Bene Israel Jews dip their hands in the blood of a sheep or goat. Then, they press their hands to blank pieces of paper and hang the prints above their doorway. The imprint resembles a hamsa, and like the amulet, symbolizes good luck and protection. 

3. A Seder Table of Jewels and Gold

In some parts of Hungary and Austria, women at the seder would decorate the table with their jewelry collections, based on this passage from Exodus 3:21-22 in which the escaping Jews are permitted by God to loot the Egyptians who had enslaved them for generations:

And I will dispose the Egyptians favorably toward this people, so that when you go, you will not go away empty-handed. Each woman shall borrow from her neighbor and the lodger in her house objects of silver and gold, and clothing, and you shall put these on your sons and daughters, thus stripping the Egyptians.

Exodus 3:21-22

4. Grass, Candy and Coins from Grandpa

Jews from Turkey recall the wealth that the Israelites brought out of Egypt differently. The patriarch of the family throws grass (symbolizing the Red Sea’s reeds), coins and/or candy for children to collect. While tossing the items, the father or grandfather will also share wishes for a productive year ahead.

5. Retelling through Reenactment 

In Góra Kalwaria, the town in Poland that the Ger Hasidic movement originates from, families would pour water on their floor, and then family members would reenact the moment when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea by walking through it. This custom always occurs on the seventh day of Passover, because Jewish tradition says that the seventh day is when the Israelites reached the sea. As they walk through the water, some Jews will name the towns and cities that their ancestors were displaced from in Europe.

Some Romanian Jewish families also recreated scenes from the Exodus by filling a bag or pillowcase with heavy objects and walking around the seder table several times while carrying it, to remember the Israelites leaving Egypt with their belongings on their backs.

6. Pharoah’s Cup

While filling a cup for Elijah — and sometimes for Miriam and/or Ruth — is a familiar ritual at most seders, the Jews of India also fill a cup not for a hero but a villain: Pharaoh. The wine from this cup is then dumped into the glasses of each seder participant, as a snub at the wicked Egyptian king.

7. No Seder Plate Here

Yemenite Jews don’t use a dish for their seder plate. Instead, the entire table is utilized as a seder plate, with the vegetables arranged aesthetically. This lack of a plate likely reflects ancient practice. In the time of the rabbis, food was commonly served on trays that were set on stools to create individual tables for eating.

Jews in Tunisia similarly do not use a plate; instead, the ritual foods that are otherwise found on a seder plate are placed into a reed basket, to evoke Moses being placed in a basket as an infant. The matriarch of the house then takes the reed basket and hovers it over each guest’s head. The matriarch says, “We left Egypt.” The guest replies, “Yesterday, we were slaves. Today, we are free. This year, we are here. Next year, we will be free people in the land of Israel.”

Jewish communities in Morocco recite a similar dialogue; however, Moroccan Jews use a seder plate rather than a reed basket.

8. Passover in Ethiopia

Since Beta Israel Jews did not encounter rabbinic Judaism until the 1900s, Passover celebrations in Ethiopia were derived solely from local customs and the Torah. Ethiopian Jews understood the word hametz to include all fermented foods, and would refrain from consuming yogurt, butter, cheese and any leavened drinks. 

Beta Israel would also perform the ritual slaughtering of a Passover lamb and smear its blood above the entrances to their synagogues. In place of haggadot, the Israelites’ oppression and liberation was recounted by reading directly from a sefer Torah. 

Today, many Ethiopian Jews — especially in Israel — have adopted rabbinic customs like haggadot and seder plates.

9. Mystical Yachatz

In many Jewish communities that originate in North Africa, breaking the middle matzah (yachatz) takes on a mystical meaning. The matzah is broken to resemble the Hebrew letter “hey,” which has kabbalistic connotations of redemption at the seder. The letter hey was chosen because its numerical value is five and the fifth cup of wine at the seder  is poured for Elijah, the prophet that will announce the coming of the messiah.

Some Syrian Jews break the middle matzah to resemble the Hebrew letters “dalet” and “vav.” The numerical values of the letters add up to 10, which can represent the 10 plagues or the 10 sefirot — mystical emanations of God. 

10. Scallion Whips

When chanting Dayenu, some Persian and Afghan Jews have the custom of beating each other lightly on the back with scallions or leeks. This tradition symbolizes the whipping that the Israelites endured in Egypt while enslaved.

The post 10 Passover Customs from Around the World appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

1) In Gibraltar, There’s Dust in the Haroset.

The traditional haroset is a sweet Passover paste whose texture is meant as a reminder of the mortar the enslaved Jews used to build in ancient Egypt. The name itself is related to the Hebrew word for clay. In Ashkenazi tradition, it is made from crushed nuts, apples and sweet red wine, while Sephardi Jews use figs or dates. But the tiny Jewish community of this small British territory at the tip of the Iberian Peninsula takes the brick symbolism to another level, using the dust of actual bricks in their recipe.

2) Abraham Lincoln Died During Passover.

The 16th American president was shot at Ford’s Theatre on a Friday, April 14, 1865, which coincided with the fourth night of Passover. The next morning, Jews who wouldn’t normally have attended services on the holiday were so moved by Lincoln’s passing they made their way to synagogues, where the normally celebratory Passover services were instead marked by acts of mourning and the singing of Yom Kippur hymns. American Jews were so affected by the president’s death that Congregation Shearith Israel in New York recited the prayer for the dead — usually said only for Jews — on Lincoln’s behalf.

3) Arizona Is a Hub for Matzah Wheat.

Hasidic Jews from Brooklyn have been increasingly sourcing wheat for their Passover matzah from farmers in Arizona. Excessive moisture in wheat kernels can result in fermentation, rendering the harvest unsuitable for Passover use. But rain is scarce in Arizona, which allows for a stricter standard of matzah production. Rabbis from New York travel to Arizona in the days leading up to the harvest, where they inspect the grains meticulously to ensure they are cut at the precise moisture levels.

4) At the Seder, Persian Jews Whip Each Other with Scallions.

Many of the Passover seder rituals are intended to recreate the sensory experience of Egyptian slavery, from the eating of bitter herbs and matzah to the dipping of greenery in saltwater, which symbolizes the tears shed by the oppressed Israelites. Some Jews from Iran and Afghanistan have the tradition of whipping each other with green onions before the singing of “Dayenu.”

5) Karaite Jews Skip the Wine.

Karaite Jews reject rabbinic Judaism, observing only laws detailed in the Torah. Which is why they don’t drink the traditional four cups of wine at the seder. Wine is fermented, and fermented foods are prohibited on Passover, so they drink fruit juice instead. (Mainstream Jews hold that only fermented grains are prohibited.) The Karaites also eschew other staples of the traditional seder, including the seder plate, the afikomen and charoset. Their maror (bitter herbs) are a mixture of lemon peel, bitter lettuce and an assortment of other herbs.

6) Israeli Jews Have Only One Seder.

Israeli Jews observe only one Passover seder, unlike everywhere else where traditionally two seders are held, one on each of the first two nights of the holiday. Known as yom tov sheni shel galuyot — literally “the second festival day of the Diaspora” — the practice was begun 2,000 years ago when Jews were informed of the start of a new lunar month only after it had been confirmed by witnesses in Jerusalem. Because Jewish communities outside of Israel were often delayed in learning the news, they consequently couldn’t be sure precisely which day festivals were meant to be observed. As a result, the practice of observing two seder days was instituted just to be sure.

7) You’re Wrong About the Orange on the Seder Plate.

Some progressive Jews have adopted the practice of including an orange on the seder plate as a symbol of inclusion of gays, lesbians and other groups marginalized in the Jewish community. The story goes that the practice was instituted by the feminist scholar Susannah Heschel after she was told that a woman belongs on the synagogue bimah, or prayer podium, like an orange belongs on a seder plate. But according to Heschel, that story is false. In that apocryphal version, she said, “a woman’s words are attributed to a man, and the affirmation of lesbians and gay men is erased. Isn’t that precisely what’s happened over the centuries to women’s ideas?”

8) “Afikomen” Isn’t Hebrew.

For many seder attendees, the highlight of the meal is the afikomen — a broken piece of matzah that the seder leader hides and that the children in attendance search for; the person who finds the afikomen usually gets a small reward. Most scholars believe the word “afikomen”derives from the Greek word for dessert. Others say it refers to a kind of post-meal revelry common among the Greeks. Either theory would explain why the afikomen is traditionally the last thing eaten at the seder.

9) For North African Jews, After Passover Comes Mimouna.

Most people are eager for a break from holiday meals when the eight-day Passover holiday concludes. But for the Jews of North Africa, the holiday’s end is the perfect time for another feast, Mimouna, marking the beginning of spring. Celebrated after nightfall on the last day of Passover, Mimouna is marked by a large spread of foods and the opening of homes to guests. The celebration is often laden with symbolism, including fish for fertility and golden rings for wealth.

The post 9 Things You Didn’t Know About Passover appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

1. Prepare your partner, children and guests who are not Jewish.

As more and more partners, children and extended family who are not Jewish attend seders, letting them know what to expect will be helpful. Whether you are hosting or attending a seder, explain what will happen, who will be there, what will be eaten and when, and what they will be asked to do during the meal. Tell everyone that welcoming those who are not Jewish to the seder makes it a special and more valuable occasion and that the purpose of the seder is not to proselytize, but to celebrate freedom.

2. Select the right Haggadah.

The Haggadah is the book that contains the order, blessings, narrative and songs for the seder. There are Haggadahs to reflect different approaches and needs, from traditional to liberal, from recovering alcoholics to feminists to vegetarians and more. Consider selecting a Haggadah that:

• Uses Hebrew with aligned translation and transliteration, so that people unfamiliar with Hebrew are better able to follow along.
• Is inclusive and reflects gender equality.
• Provides background and explanations for the rituals.

3. In advance of the seder, consider rephrasing parts of your Haggadah to be more welcoming to the people who will be coming to it.

Doing this with your partner’s and/or children’s help, might enable them to feel more a part of things and can unite the family.

4. Add blessings to welcome those who are not Jewish.

For some ideas, check out this article. You can include some or all of these in your own seder, or write your own blessings, with your family.

5. Assign everyone passages from the Haggadah to read aloud during the seder.

Participating in this way can give your partner, children and friends a better opportunity to experience the seder. Review the Haggadah before the seder to identify appropriate sections for them.

6. Connect the story of the Passover liberation story to other freedom stories, past or present, political and/or psychological (such as freedom from negative patterns).

If there are particular struggles that people attending your seder would relate to (such as the struggle for independence in India if an Indian woman will attend), be sure to mention them. Or discuss ten “plagues” that we face today. This discussion may engage your partner, children and friends.

7. Don’t forget to have fun.

Seders can be relaxed and informal. Some families add favorite songs that children learn in religious school, while others enjoy reading aloud Deborah Uchill Miller’s “Only Nine Chairs,” a humorous account of a family seder.

8. Remember the children.

Some families have created a “Pat the Bunny”-type Haggadah for young children, using coloring sheets and cotton balls on pictures of sheep, sandpaper on pictures of bricks of the pyramids and grape scratch-and-sniff stickers on pictures of the Kiddush cups. Some even give children “goody bags” filled with Passover symbols, frog stickers and even moist towelettes for the inevitable spills of wine.

9. Debrief after the seder.

Talk with your family about the ways in which they felt comfortable and uncomfortable. Find ways to diminish any discomfort for the coming year’s seder.

Reprinted with permission from InterfaithFamily: supporting interfaith families exploring Jewish life. Sign up for their newsletters here.

The post How to Make Your Passover Seder Inclusive appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Whatever the situation, we can help. Below (and in no particular order) are the best online resources we could find. Are we missing something great? Leave a comment below and we’ll consider your suggestions.

Zemirot Database

Zemirot Database (“zemirot” is the word for songs sung around a holiday table) is also a great place to find songs for Shabbat and other holidays. The site provides free printable lyrics, in Hebrew, English and transliteration, for more than 20 Passover songs. Most songs also have recordings embedded for streaming.

Haggadot.com

Haggadot.com is set up to help you to create your own Haggadah. But even if you don’t want to make a whole Haggadah, you can use the site, which is free but requires registration, to search for Passover music and other content. Search the site’s clip library for songs and other content. You can search by media type (ie. Text, audio or video) and also by section of the seder.

Chabad

This site features more than 15 Passover songs with streamable audio (plus links directing you to places where you can purchase the songs), and printable song sheets/lyrics in Hebrew, English and transliteration. One unique offering is “Mah Nishtanah” (The Four Questions) in Yiddish.

YouTube

If you know what song you’re looking for and just want to listen to the melody, this is a great resource to search. You can also do a search for “Passover Songs” and browse the results. Videos vary dramatically in quality, of course – but a number of them include lyrics and transliteration, sometimes presented karaoke style. In addition to traditional songs, here you’ll find a wide range of modern parody songs, including myriad versions of “Let It Go” (generally changed to “Let Us Go”). We’ve embedded an example below:

JewishMusic.com

You can pay to download PDF versions of numerous songs here – most cost around $3.95 and include sheet music so you can play along on an instrument.

Another option if you want the notes, as well as the lyrics, is to purchase a book on Amazon.com or at your local Judaica store or bookstore.

The post Where To Find Songs for Your Passover Seder appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

The Four Questions in Hebrew

מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת? שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה – כֻּלּוֹ מַצָּה.שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת – הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה (כֻּלּוֹ) מָרוֹר. שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת – הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים. שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין – הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלָּנוּ מְסֻבִּין.

The Four Questions in Transliteration

Ma nishtanah halailah hazeh mikol haleilot?

Sheb’khol haleilot anu okhlin hametz umatzah; halailah hazeh, kuloh matzah.

Sheb’khol haleilot anu okhlin sh’ar y’rakot; halailah hazeh, maror.

Sheb’khol haleilot ein anu matbilin afilu pa’am ehat; halailah hazeh, shtei f’amim.

Sheb’khol haleilot anu okhlin bein yoshvin uvein m’subin; halailah hazeh, kulanu m’subin.

Listen to the Four Questions in Hebrew (courtesy of Hadar):

The Four Questions in English Translation

Why is this night different from all other nights?

On all other nights we eat leavened products and matzah, and on this night only matzah.

On all other nights we eat all vegetables, and on this night only bitter herbs.

On all other nights, we don’t dip our food even once, and on this night we dip twice.

On all other nights we eat sitting or reclining, and on this night we only recline.

Video in Transliteration, Hebrew and Translation

Got kids? Check out this handy guide to teaching the Mah Nishtanah to children.

Prep for Passover like a pro with this special email series. Click here to sign up and you’ll receive a series of helpful, informative, and beautiful emails that will help you get the most out of the holiday.

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On its own, this rule requires fairly extensive effort to observe, but it is, at least, quite clear. For the past 700 years, however, Ashkenazic Jews have complicated Passover observance by avoiding rice, millet, and legumes. These are collectively known as kitniyot, from the Hebrew word katan (little). (In recent years, the discovery of the New World food quinoa, which most Jews now consider kosher for Passover, has eased the kitniyot burden somewhat.)

Note: The Conservative movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards ruled in December 2015 that kitniyot now are permitted on Passover.

The Talmudic Discussion of Kitniyot

Although the earliest mention of the custom to prohibit kitniyot dates from the 13th century, the discussion concerning their use goes back to Tannaitic times. The second century Rabbi Johanan ben Nuri considered rice and millet to be close enough to the five grains that one could use them for matzah:

“Our Mishnah [which defines the five grains that can leaven and can therefore be used for matzah] disagrees with R. Johanan b. Nuri, who holds: Rice is a species of grain, and one is punishable for [eating it in] its leavened state. For it was taught: R. Johanan b. Nuri prohibits rice and millet, because it is close to leaven” (Bavli Pesachim 35a).

Here, the Talmud points out that Johanan b. Nuri’s approach disagrees with the Mishnah. A later Talmudic discussion mentions that the amoras (rabbis of the third to sixth centuries) R. Huna and Rava used to put rice on the seder plate, from which behavior, Rav Ashi concludes, “We do not pay attention to the opinion of R. Johanan b. Nuri” (Bavli Pesachim 114b).

Reasons for Prohibiting Kitniyot

During the 13th century, rabbis in France began to refer to a custom of prohibiting kitniyot, including rice, dried beans, millet, and lentils, although most of the reasons explaining (or justifying) the prohibition were developed later. The 13th-century talmudist Rabbenu Peretz b. Elijah of Corbeil suggests that people might get confused because hametz and kitniyot are boiled similarly, and in some places they make kinds of “bread” out of kitniyot. People might wrongly assume that what is permitted for rice or beans might also be permitted for the five grains. In the 14th century, R. Jacob b. Asher, the author of the Arba’ah Turim, suggested that grain might be mixed up with kitniyot during storage.

Reasons for Allowing Kitniyot

On the other hand, the custom has been widely criticized. As the Israeli Masorti (Conservative) Rabbi David Golinkin has shown, not only is the custom contrary to the opinions in the Talmud, but more than 50 different early sages reject it outright. One of the earliest sages to mention the practice, the 13th-century Samuel b. Solomon of Falaise, considered it a “mistaken custom,” and others called it a “superfluous stricture” or even a “stupid custom.”

READ: Rabbis Expand Menu for Passover, But Will Conservative Jews Bite?

Some authorities consider it obligatory to abolish a stupid custom. The 18th-century Rabbi Jacob Emden wrote that he would have abolished the custom had he had the authority to do so. In the 19th century, R. Israel Salanter, the founder of the Musar (ethics) movement in Lithuania, ate kitniyot on Passover in public during a time of scarcity, dramatically demonstrating that kitniyot were not the same as hametz (which he clearly did not permit).

Although scarcity has not been a serious issue in recent times, modern arguments against the custom focus on how it raises the cost of observance, how it detracts from the joy of the holiday, and how it divides the Jewish community, especially in Israel, where there is a significant split between Ashkenazic Jews who observe the custom and Sephardic Jews who do not.

Reasons for Maintaining the Custom

A 700-year-old custom, however, should not be lightly abandoned. Rabbinic sources abound with warnings not to remove the boundaries set by previous generations. Indeed, many customs ultimately develop legal force. While in Israel most “kosher for Passover” products are made for people who eat kitniyot, in North America, it is almost impossible to find kitniyot products that reliably do not have hametz.

Furthermore, since most Jews in North America are Ashkenazic, there is little basis for an argument that maintaining the custom divides the Jewish community. To the contrary, wholesale abandonment of the prohibition on kitniyot might contribute to further divisiveness.

Customary Confusion

Each year, more questions are asked about kitniyot than are asked about hametz, which makes some rabbis concerned that our educational focus has lost its sense of priority. One rabbi reports how a well-meaning but ill-informed congregant “knew” that string beans were a prohibited legume, but planned on making lasagna (with regular wheat pasta) since it’s flat and doesn’t rise. Regular pasta is, of course, outright hametz according to all authorities (though special kosher-for-Passover pasta is sold these days).

While incidents like these argue for a re-evaluation of what is taught, they also indicate that the concerns about popular confusion are quite real. Nevertheless, the widely held and generally correct perception that the rules about kitniyot seem to change from year to year is probably the most significant factor contributing to the confusion.

Kitniyot May Not Leaven, but the Prohibition Expands

In addition to what has already been mentioned, items that have been considered prohibited by some community or other include peas, caraway, fennel seed, mustard, garlic, corn, soybeans, and peanuts. Another way in which the customary prohibition has expanded has been to limit the use of derivatives of kitniyot, including derivatives that could not be confused with grain or flour, like soybean oil and peanut oil.

Potatoes provide an interesting contrasting case. Unlike peas, potatoes do make a flour that is used quite effectively in Pesachdik (Yiddish for “Kosher for Passover) cakes and brownies. Nevertheless, potatoes are not prohibited. Indeed, one of the leading halakhic (Jewish legal) authorities of the 20th century, Rav Moshe Feinstein, has argued that potatoes were initially not prohibited because they simply weren’t known in Europe. Once they became known, they weren’t prohibited because there were early authorities that considered the kitniyot prohibition a “foolish custom.” On this basis, Rav Feinstein permitted peanuts; he also permitted peanut oil with the additional reason that it was a derivative.

According to this line of thinking, items that were traditionally prohibited could continue to be prohibited, but there was no basis for expanding upon the list of prohibited items (Igrot Moshe, Orah Hayyim 3.63).

Over the past decade, peanut oil has become far less available for Passover. Safflower oil, which had also been considered acceptable, is also hard to find. The most commonly available oil now is cottonseed oil. But that oil will also probably disappear from our shelves, since many Israeli rabbinic authorities have declared it unacceptable. Ignoring Rav Feinstein’s reticence to expand the prohibition, most kashrut authorities in North America are quick to adopt new strictures.

Kosher, but Perhaps Educationally “Unacceptable”

On the other hand, some commercially produced foods that use potato starch and/or matzah cake meal to create imitations of regular, hametz foods — such as Pesach noodles, breakfast cereal, and cookies — while technically Pesachdik, might be avoided for precisely the same reason that kitniyot originally were. How is one to teach a child (or an adult) what hametz is if many of the primary forms of hametz in a child’s diet are also available in fairly indistinguishable forms on Passover? Surely, technology will soon yield Pesachdik sliced bread! Foodies will quickly aver that Passover noodles are inferior and will never be confused with the real item, but then, what is the point of buying them in the first place?

Some Final Thoughts

While one is prohibited to own, use, or benefit from hametz, Ashkenazic tradition for kitniyot only applies to consumption. One does not have to sell one’s kitniyot along with one’s hametz. Furthermore, one can continue to use cornstarch-based bath powder. Even medicines that use corn starch as a binder are permitted.

Especially in Israel, where there is a substantial Ashkenazic minority, kitniyot can be a very divisive issue. North America has far fewer Sephardim, but the dual trends of expanding lists of prohibited items and a backlash among liberal Ashkenazim, who are limiting or abandoning their observance of avoiding kitniyot, can lead to serious divisions in the Jewish people. Therefore, people should be aware that someone who does not eat kitniyot may still eat from the dishes of someone who does eat kitniyot. It is appropriate to be strict on Passover; it may not be appropriate to make “little things” into such a big thing that it separates Jew from Jew.

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The post Kitniyot: Not Quite Hametz appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Ashkenazi Jews who keep kosher for Passover have also traditionally avoided eating kitniyot, a category of foods that includes corn, rice, beans and lentils, though the Conservative movement’s rabbinic authorities overturned the kitniyot prohibition in 2015. Sephardi Jews do not abstain from kitniyot. A minority of Jews add an additional stringency by avoiding “gebrochts” — unleavened matzah products that become wet, such as matzah balls or matzah meal.

Many Jews avoid most processed food that is not explicitly labeled kosher for Passover. This is true even for products like cheese or juice that do not contain any hametz, but may have been processed in a plant alongside products containing hametz. Some products that are kosher year-round are modified slightly to be kosher for Passover — most famously Coca-Cola, which substitutes cane sugar for corn syrup in some regions over the holiday and is marked by a distinctive yellow cap.

A guide to kosher for Passover foods is published each year by the Orthodox Union, which also maintains a searchable database of Passover foods on its website. The OU also has information on food products that can be used without explicit Passover certification.

There are a range of additional practices common to Jews who keep kosher for Passover. Chief among them is ridding the home of any hametz products. This is typically done in the days leading up to Passover when homes are cleaned of all hametz. For hametz products that are too valuable or difficult to discard, it is also possible to sell the hametz to a non-Jew. Generally, a rabbi performs this service on behalf of his congregants and then repurchases the hametz for them when the holiday concludes. In these cases, the seller rarely delivers the food to the purchaser, but instead packs it away.

Making a kitchen kosher for Passover is an elaborate process. Countertop surfaces and sinks are either kashered (made kosher) with boiling water or covered for the duration of the holiday, depending on the material. Metal pots and utensils can usually be kashered with boiling water, and various appliances have their own requirements. The OU has a guide to kitchen preparation.

Given the difficulties involved, many Jews maintain separate Passover cookware, dishes and utensils that are used only during the holiday.

Many Jews who do not follow all these restrictions nonetheless make some dietary changes in honor of the holiday. Some people avoid eating hametz but do not thoroughly purge their kitchens of it, while others cut out bread and pasta, yet continue to eat some traditionally forbidden items.

READ: At Passover, Let My People Go South

In recent years, some affluent Jews have opted to avoid the rigors of cleaning their kitchen for Passover by going on special kosher-for-Passover cruises or to kosher-for-Passover resorts. The trend, while costly, not only makes the holiday easier to observe, but often provides a welcome opportunity for an extended family to get together without the burden of having to host and cook for large numbers of guests.

Prep for Passover like a pro with this special email series. Click here to sign up and you’ll receive a series of helpful, informative, and beautiful emails that will help you get the most out of the holiday.

The post What It Means to Keep Kosher for Passover appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Traditionally, this is the last step in a multi-stage process of ridding one’s house of all leavened products that begins days, if not weeks, prior to Passover. The process often begins with a thorough Passover house cleaning and the quarantine of any hametz that will not be removed to a specific location. Many Jews have the custom of selling any hametz they do not discard to a non-Jew for the duration of the holiday.

Searching for the Last Hametz

Once the house has been thoroughly cleaned of hametz, there is a final search called bedikat hametz (checking for hametz). This is done the night before the holiday, traditionally by candlelight. Many have a tradition of searching the house with feathers and wooden spoons and sweeping the hametz into the spoons with the feathers. This can be a fun activity with children and parents will often intentionally hide ten pieces of hametz around the house for kids to find.

Before searching for the final hametz, the following blessing is recited:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל בִּעוּר חָמֵץ

Baruch ata Adonai, eloheinu melech ha’olam, asher kiddeshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al bi’ur hametz.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us with commandments and commanded us to destroy hametz.

Once all the hametz has been collected, it is put in a safe place for the night to burn the following morning.

Burning the Hametz

The morning following the final search for leaven (the 14th of Nisan), any hametz that was turned up during the search is burned. The hametz is burned by mid-morning (check with your local rabbi for exact time). Synagogues often light fires that their congregants can use to do the burning, but some people do it themselves.

Once the burning is complete, it is customary to make the following declaration which declares any hametz which may have been missed in the search process null and void:

כָּל־חֲמִירָא וַחֲמִיעָא דְּאִכָּא בִרְשׁוּתִי דְּלָא חֲמִתֵּהּ וּדְלָא בַעֲרִתֵּהּ לִבְטִיל וְלֶהֱוֵי כְּעַפְרָא דְאַרְעָא

Kol chamira v’chamiya d’ika virshuti d’la chamitae u’d’la va’aritei livtil vlehevei k’afra d’ara.

May all hametz or leaven that is in my possession, whether I have seen it or not, whether I have removed it or not, be annulled and deemed like the dust of the earth.

The post How to Burn Your Hametz Before Passover appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

That’s because this South American crop is not just nutritious, versatile and gluten-free – it’s widely (but not universally) considered kosher for Passover. Which means that for those observing Passover’s myriad dietary restrictions, particularly the Ashkenazi customs that bar not just hametz (the leavened products of wheat, barley, spelt, oats and rye) but also kitniyot (a category that includes legumes, corn and rice), it offers a nice carb fix during a week in which many other kitchen staples are verboten.

What Is Quinoa?

Grown primarily in South America, quinoa, when cooked, looks and tastes like a grain. However, it’s not a grain, but a member of the chenopodium class of plants. Not widely exported until the 1990s, quinoa has become increasingly trendy in the United States, particularly among people on gluten-free and vegetarian diets. You can find it in most supermarkets, shelved with the grains. Several brands are now certified kosher for Passover by major kosher agencies like the Orthodox Union and Star K.

Why Wouldn’t Quinoa Be Kosher for Passover?

Two main reasons: It could be processed in a factory that also processes grains or other ingredients that are forbidden on Passover, and it could be considered kitniyot, the category of foods, like legumes and rice, barred by Ashkenazi rabbis in the Middle Ages. Sephardic custom allows kitniyot, and growing numbers of non-Orthodox Ashkenazi Jews, including the Conservative movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, have adopted this custom as well. Everyone in the rabbinic and kosher world agrees that if you can eat kitniyot and a certifying agency like the Orthodox Union has determined that the quinoa in question did not come into contact with any Passover-forbidden items, quinoa is perfectly acceptable on Passover.

So Is Quinoa Kitniyot, and What Is Kitniyot Anyway?

Kitniyot is a category that applies to a long list of foods that medieval Ashkenazi rabbis deemed unkosher for Passover for fear that they could be confused with the five hametz grains (wheat, barley, rye, oats and spelt). Why would such confusion occur? Because these foods were often stored alongside the five grains, or because they can be ground into a flour like those grains, or because when cooked they look similar to the forbidden grains. (Learn more about kitniyot here.)

Since the medieval rabbis of Europe had never heard of quinoa (or other New World foods like potatoes and corn) they didn’t rule on whether or not to classify it as kitniyot. So modern rabbis have had to decide if it counts as kitniyot or not. Not surprisingly, they have come to different conclusions. Israel’s chief rabbinate has ruled that quinoa is kitniyot, while the Orthodox Union (which was initially undecided) has ruled it is not kitniyot.

What’s Right For You?

If you aren’t sure whether quinoa is right for you for Passover, you might want to check with a rabbi or friend you trust. Likewise, if you are thinking of bringing a quinoa dish to a kosher-for-Passover friend’s house during the holiday, you should check with them first. Checking about any food is generally a good policy during Passover, since Jews have widely different levels of observance (and definitions of observance) on this holiday. The spectrum (and there are many variations along this spectrum) runs from those who attend seders, but do not observe dietary restrictions for the rest of the eight-day holiday, to those who observe all the dietary restrictions and eat food only if it is served on Passover dishes and was prepared in a kitchen that was thoroughly cleaned and made kosher for Passover.

Our Favorite Passover Recipes with Quinoa

Masala Lamb Stew with Creamy Coconut Quinoa Roasted Veggie Quinoa SaladQuinoa Sweet Potato Patties with Arugula SaladSpiced Quinoa with Lamb and Pickled LemonsRed Quinoa Tabbouleh with Labne Berry Spinach Quinoa SaladChicken Soup with Quinoa, Leeks and Abondigas

(contains kitniyot)

Find More Passover Recipes Here!

The post Is Quinoa Kosher for Passover? appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

For generations, enterprising seder leaders have been sticking post-it notes in their favorite parts of existing Haggadahs, adding in photocopied readings or even cutting and pasting from multiple Haggadahs and combining it all in a looseleaf binder.

The Internet makes the project of creating a personalized Haggadah infinitely easier — and tidier, even if your tech and graphic design skills are minimal. Plus, you can do it with a clean conscience: Whereas the old-fashioned technique of photocopying pages from copyrighted, published Haggadahs is technically illegal, the websites we list below provide only material that is in the public domain.

While a seemingly infinite trove of Passover-related blessings, readings, songs and images are available online, don’t forget that you can also incorporate your own (or your guests’) writing, art and family photographs into the finished product.

Many DIY Haggadot are copied and stapled, but you can make yours more durable (and spilled wine resistant) by laminating each pages or putting them in a photo album, looseleaf binder with plastic sleeves or art portfolio like this.

Or, if you are reasonably tech-savvy and want to go paperless — and your guests are OK with using electronics on Passover (when traditional prohibitions similar to the Shabbat rules apply) — keep the whole text digital. You can email a PDF, PowerPoint or other document to your guests to download on their mobile devices, or even create a password-protected website.

Below are some resources for DIY-ers. Leave a comment if we’ve missed one, or if you have other tips you’d like to share:

Haggadot.com

Haggadot.com is the most comprehensive and user-friendly resource for Haggadah makers — and it’s free. After you register, you can choose from a constantly growing library of readings and images. The site guides you through the process with templates and an outline of all the sections of the seder. You can search by section, theme (i.e. social justice) and media type (text, video, image). In addition to letting you search by themes, the site also provides templates like this with recommendations for family-friendly and other specific needs.

You can also invite friends, or even all the seder guests, to log in and participate in the Haggadah-making. When you’re done, you print it out as a PDF file or download to your guests’ mobile devices. This video gives an overview of the process:

PunkTorah.org’s “Make Your Own Haggadah for Kids”

Print out this free (suggested donation of $10) downloadable PDF and have your children fill in the blanks with words and pictures. While this somewhat irreverent Haggadah was originally designed for use in Hebrew schools, it is self-explanatory and can be used anywhere. Highlights include “The story of Passover: in comic book form” with panels where kids can put their own illustrations; activities like puzzles and lyrics to original songs like “Take Me Out of Mitzrayim” (sung to the tune of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”) and “Passover Things” (to the tune of “My Favorite Things”). (“Mitzrayim” is Hebrew for Egypt.)

Sefaria.org

Sefaria, a growing online library with many major Jewish texts in Hebrew and English, offers the full text of the Ashkenazi Haggadah and the Edot Hamizrach Haggadah. You can also create a DIY Haggadah by incorporating commentaries, source sheets, multimedia content, art and more. Further instructions here.

Looking for something a little simpler? You can download the Haggadah text in English as a Microsoft Word document at LivelySeders.com and add to it (or cut) as you see fit.

The post How to Make Your Own Passover Haggadah appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

The tradition dates back to the 1980s, when Susannah Heschel, a Jewish feminist scholar and the daughter of Jewish social justice icon Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, learned about an early feminist Haggadah suggesting the addition of a crust of bread to the seder plate as a solidarity gesture with Jewish lesbians. The idea came from a short story in which a Jewish lesbian is told by a Hasidic rabbi that there’s as much room for a lesbian in Judaism as there is for a bread on the Passover table. 

Heschel felt that including bread on the seder plate was a step too far. Bread is the quintessential non-Passover food, all traces of which are traditionally removed from the home prior to the holiday. So instead, Heschel chose to include an orange at her next seder to symbolize the inclusion of gays and lesbians alongside other marginalized groups. Seder participants were invited to spit out the seeds as a gesture of repudiation of homophobia. 

“I chose an orange because it suggests the fruitfulness for all Jews when lesbians and gay men are contributing and active members of Jewish life,” Heschel has said.

The custom has often been erroneously described as a feminist one inspired by an Orthodox man once telling Heschel that a woman belongs on the bimah of a synagogue as much as an orange belongs on the seder plate. But that history is false. As Heschel herself has written: 

Somehow, though, the typical patriarchal maneuver occurred: My idea of an orange and my intention of affirming lesbians and gay men were transformed. Now the story circulates that a man said to me that a woman belongs on the bimah [podium of a synagogue] as an orange on the seder plate. A woman’s words are attributed to a man, and the affirmation of lesbians and gay men is erased. Isn’t that precisely what’s happened over the centuries to women’s ideas?

The post An Orange on the Seder Plate appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

What’s Inside the Haggadah

Most Haggadot begin with instructions for the order of the seder (the word “seder” means “order” in Hebrew) and go on to include rituals like the blessings over the four cups of wine that will be consumed, the custom of washing one’s hands, and an explanation for various traditional items on the seder table including the seder plate, which contains the bitter herbs and other symbolic foods. There is usually a break in the seder for the meal and the Haggadah is picked up again before the seder is completed.

Haggadot usually include the 10 Plagues, the Four Questions — customarily read or sung by the youngest seder participant — and songs about liberation and freedom. “Dayenu” is one of the most recognizable songs in the Haggadah. It is more than 1,000 years old and thanks God for all of the miracles and gifts he has given to the Jewish people. The chorus “dayenu” translates to “it would have been enough for us.”

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Different Types of Haggadot

Haggadot vary widely in length and outlook. While some Haggadot are printed only in Hebrew and do not stray from the original text, many newer Haggadot explore alternative meanings for common seder symbols or encourage seder participants to reflect on the larger themes of emancipation and redemption and to explore their own personal feelings of persecution and freedom.

Some Haggadot have become historical artifacts or well-known cultural touchstones. One of the oldest Sephardic Haggadot in the world is known as the “Sarajevo Haggadah,” believed to have been created in Barcelona by Spanish Jews around 1350 and bought by a museum in Bosnia in 1894. The Sarajevo Haggadah was created in the medieval style of illuminated manuscripts. Some of its pages are stained with wine — evidence that it was used at seders dating back to the 14th century.

Incorporating Contemporary Issues and Themes

While traditional Haggadot focus on the ancient story of the Exodus from Egypt, some Haggadot suggest we can understand the enslavement and freedom of our ancestors only by reflecting on present-day political situations. In the late 1930s, the Polish-Jewish political artist Arthur Syzk created an illustrated Haggadah with watercolor images in which he paralleled the story of Pharaoh’s oppression to the rise of fascism in Europe. After Syzk’s Haggadah, it became more popular to draw connections to modern political struggles.

In 1969, the political activist and rabbi Arthur Waskow published the “Freedom Seder” Haggadah, which drew comparisons between the slavery and liberation of the ancient Jews to contemporary struggles such as the civil rights movement and women’s movement. The Stonewall Seder is an LGBTQ Haggadah that began as a seder celebrated by the Berkeley Queer Minyan for Gay Pride Weekend. It has been updated and expanded by members of the B’nai Jeshurun synagogue in New York. And because many modern Jews connect the themes of Passover with social justice, a number of social justice Haggadot or supplements speak to various communities and causes that might lie outside the Jewish community like the Black Lives Matter movement, hunger, and labor justice issues.

One of the most famous Haggadot in modern history is the iconic Maxwell House Haggadah, published by the Maxwell House coffee company to market their coffee as a “kosher for Passover” choice for an after dinner drink. Maxwell House’s Haggadah was offered alongside its coffee cans in supermarkets throughout the United States beginning in 1932, and is still offered at supermarkets for free with a purchase of Maxwell House coffee. It has been updated over the years and even made it to the White House, where it was used at a 2009 seder hosted by President Barack Obama.

Making Your Own Haggadah

Today, seder hosts can choose from a plethora of published Haggadot on the market, as well as a growing number of digital versions now available for free (often as downloadable PDFs) like this one and this one.  In addition, some Jews opt to create their own Haggadot. If that option appeals to you, read How to Make Your Own Passover Haggadah.

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The middle days of Passover — known in Hebrew a hol hamoed — are a period in which some of the restrictions observed on the first and last days of the holiday (known as yom tov) are relaxed, but the days are still meant to have a festive holiday feel. 

Among the main differences between hol hamoed and yom tov of Passover is that many types of work are permitted, provided they are for the holiday, are enjoyable, or you would incur significant loss otherwise. So many people will return to work during these days rather than take a full week off of work, but if it’s possible to take a vacation without a significant penalty, it makes Passover feel very special. 

Because work is generally discouraged during these days (taking into account the above caveats), the practice among Sephardic Jews and many Ashkenazi Jews is not to wear tefillin during hol hamoed. Some Ashkenazi sources say that you should wear tefillin without reciting a blessing. The practice of my teacher, Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik, was not to wear tefillin during morning prayers (when they are usually worn), but he would wear them during the afternoon service without saying a blessing. My personal feeling is that not wearing tefillin gives hol hamoed a more yom tov feel, so I recommend not wearing them. But whether you do wear them or not, try to be extra strict about making the hol hamoed days feel a little more special. Maybe take an extra day off, or work an hour or two less.

There are also several adjustments made to the daily liturgy during hol hamoed. One of these is that we recite an abridged version of the Hallel prayer, the celebratory selection of psalms recited on most Jewish holidays. We only say half of Hallel because we are sad that the redemption of the Jews from Egypt came at the expense of the Egyptians who drowned in the Sea of Reeds. Another reason is that even though the Jews were freed from slavery, the full redemption of the messianic age has not yet come. We also add a special prayer, Ya’aleh Veyavo, during the morning service, which expresses a yearning for a time of true redemption and peace. And we add the extra Musaf prayer, which commemorates the special sacrifice that was offered in the ancient Temple on Passover. 

We also read several short Torah readings each day of hol hamoed. The readings deal with the laws of the first born and teaching Torah, lending money and caring for the weakest in society, the second set of tablets that were received after the sin of the golden calf, and the second “make-up” Passover first observed in the wilderness. 

There is also a prohibition on getting a haircut on hol hamoed because the rabbis wanted you to get one before the holiday. Many opinions say that you can shave on hol hamoed, but some say you can only do so if you shaved the day before yom tov. The reasoning is similar to the prohibition on haircuts: The rabbis wanted you to enter the holiday looking your best. 

Finally, hol hamoed has an eating requirement. You don’t have to eat matzah, but you are not supposed to fast. In the old days, it was customary to add chicken fat to eggs and onions. I think that custom has long gone from most homes, but food is a way of bringing people together and allowing for joy and friendship.

Rabbi Asher Lopatin is the spiritual leader of Kehillat Etz Chaim in Detroit, Michigan.

The post Ask the Expert: How Do I Celebrate the In-Between Days of Passover? appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

Wine

Wine is made from fermented grapes and as such poses no issue for consumption on Passover. Indeed, the consumption of four cups of wine is one of the core rituals of the Passover seder. Virtually all kosher wines carry an additional certification identifying them as suitable for drinking on Passover, but there are rare exceptions in cases where the wine is flavored with a non-Passover-approved product or it comes into contact with a leavening agent. As a result, some Jews are careful to only purchase wine that is specifically certified for Passover use. 

Vodka

Vodka can be produced from any number of sources, but is most commonly made from wheat, rye or corn (the first two being hametz and the last forbidden by many Ashkenazi Jews because it falls into the category of kitniyot.) But vodka can also be made from non-hametz ingredients, including potato, sugar cane and fruit. A number of distilleries now produce kosher-for-Passover vodka, which is widely available in kosher retailers. 

Gin

Gin is a flavored vodka, most commonly by juniper berries, which are a fruit and are therefore not hametz. Though more limited than vodka, there are now a small number of kosher-for-Passover gins available for purchase. 

Tequila

Tequila is a Mexican distilled liquor made from blue agave, a succulent plant native to a handful of Mexican states. A large number of tequila varieties are now certified kosher for Passover including, as of 2018, two varieties produced by the popular Mexican distillery Patron.

Brandy

Brandy is a liquor made from distilled fruit wine. Though it can be made from any fruit, it is often produced from grape wine. Brandies that are not produced from grape wine are specifically labeled. As such, brandies can be made kosher for Passover. Among the best-known is Slivovitz, a plum brandy still popular among Ashkenazi Jews. 

Rum

Rum is produced from fermented sugarcane and as such is kosher for Passover. 

Hard Cider

Hard cider is made from fermented apple juice. As all fruits are kosher for Passover, so is hard cider, however in practice it’s difficult to find varieties that are certified as such. 

The post Which Alcoholic Drinks Are Kosher For Passover? appeared first on My Jewish Learning.

For those who don’t eat meat, this can be a serious challenge. Common meat substitutes — tofu, tempeh, seitan and others — though not necessarily products of the forbidden grains, are all problematic on Passover. Seitan is made of wheat, and therefore outright forbidden. The others are made from beans, which generally fall into the category of kitniyot and are therefore avoided by Ashkenazim.

But what if you do eat kitniyot on Passover? Though historically avoided by Ashkenazi Jews, this restriction has softened somewhat since the Conservative movement ruled in 2015 that kitniyot are permissible on Passover. And Sephardic Jews have always eaten these foods. For kitniyot eaters, both tofu and tempeh are, in theory, permissible meat alternatives. However, it is close to impossible to find kosher for Passover varieties of either of these in grocery stores, which is an issue for those who only eat processed foods certified kosher for Passover on the holiday. Making them at home is technically possible, but that’s not a simple task either. 

Passover-observant vegetarians therefore tend to rely on the following foods to stay nourished and full over the course of the holiday: 

Quinoa: This South American superfood has become the Passover vegetarian’s best friend in recent years. A complete protein — meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own — quinoa is both a vital source of Passover-friendly protein and is filling much like a grain. It’s also versatile. It can be steamed like rice and eaten as a side dish, ground with water into a paste and fried like pancakes, or baked into casseroles and veggie burgers. 

Avocado: Like all fruits and vegetables, avocados pose no problem from a Passover perspective. It’s also rich in nutrients. A typical avocado has about three grams of protein, along with a host of other nutritional assets, including healthy fats, vitamins and fiber. 

Nuts and seeds: With the notable exception of peanuts, most varieties of nuts and many seeds are kosher for Passover, and in their raw form require no special certification. (For a more complete guide, click here.) Nuts are also packed with protein, fat and antioxidants.

Eggs: Eggs are not only a vital source of protein on Passover, but also have ritual significance. An egg is one of the six items placed on the seder plate, symbolizing both one of the Passover sacrifices offered in the ancient Temple and the cycle of life. 

Dairy: Traditionally a favorite on Shavuot, milk, yogurt and cheese are all delicious foods that can add protein and fat to a vegetarian Passover meal.

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But in recent years, non-dairy alternative milk products have grown in popularity and these pose a number of unique considerations. The most general concern is that these products typically contain multiple ingredients which, even if they individually contain no leavened products, may still be made in facilities that also produce items that are not kosher for Passover. As a result, those who are strict in their Passover observance may still prefer to only use certified varieties. 

Aside from the production issue, some types of non-dairy milk are clearly prohibited, others are clearly allowable and still others are somewhat in between. Here’s a general guide to non-dairy milks for Passover. 

Oat Milk

Oat milk is the most straightforwardly problematic of the various milk alternatives. Oats are one of the five prohibited grains, along with wheat, barley, spelt and rye. Mixing oats with water, which is essentially what oat milk is, begins a process of fermentation, rendering oat milk hametz by definition. 

Almond Milk

Almonds are a nut and therefore pose no problem for consumption on Passover. In fact, many popular Passover foods are made from almonds, most notably macaroons. Almond milk therefore poses no inherent problem, save for the concern about production methods. A number of kosher companies now produce kosher-for-Passover almond milk that is available in many kosher grocery stores. 

Soy Milk

Soy milk was among the first non-dairy milks to become widely available. It is produced by blending processed soybeans with water and a few other ingredients for flavor, nutrition and texture. Soybeans fall into a category known as kitniyot, which historically was permitted to Sephardic Jews on Passover but not Ashkenazi ones. This distinction has begun to break down in recent years following the Conservative movement’s decision to permit consumption of kitniyot on Passover. However, since Orthodox Ashkenazi Jews generally do not consume kitniyot on Passover, it is all but impossible to find soy milk in the United States that is certified for consumption on Passover. 

Rice Milk

Like soybeans, rice is also considered kitniyot, so the same principles apply. 

Coconut Milk

Like almonds, coconuts are permitted for consumption on Passover and the only issue is the processing method. A small number of food manufacturers do produce coconut milk that is certified for use on Passover. 

Other Milks

Other non-dairy milks generally follow the same principles as outlined above. Those that are produced from nuts or seeds — like cashews, hazelnuts and flax — are fine for consumption on Passover, though they may be hard to purchase with a kosher-for-Passover certification. Those produced from legumes, like pea milk, are problematic due to the concern over kitniyot. Those produced from a prohibited grain, while rare, would not be permissible to consume on Passover.

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On Passover, it’s forbidden to consume hametz, defined as the fermented product of any of five grains: wheat, barley, oats, spelt and rye. Seeds, at least those from any other plant than those five, would therefore seem to pose no problem on Passover. And this is often the case — but not always. 

The main complication is the category known as kitniyot, a category of grain-like foods that Ashkenazi Jews have avoided on Passover at least since medieval times. (This category does not apply to Sephardic Jews.) Kitniyot is often defined as legumes, but in reality it is a category of food that includes certain legumes, rice, millet and the seeds of various other plants. There are three reasons commonly given for why kitniyot are not consumed on Passover. First, kitniyot can be ground into flour and baked just like the five grains, so people might get confused and believe they can therefore eat hametz. Two, kitniyot are harvested and processed in a manner similar to hametz. And three, kitniyot were liable to have hametz grains mixed in with them (at least historically). 

However, there are foods that run afoul of none of those concerns that are nonetheless considered kitniyot. Neither mustard nor sesame seeds are typically ground into flour, processed like grains, or commonly mixed together with a prohibited grain, yet both are considered kitniyot. There simply are no generally applicable rules for which seeds are kitniyot, the primary qualification of which is whether something has customarily been considered kitniyot. 

This is why certain foods that might logically be considered kitniyot — such as potatoes (which can be made into flour) and quinoa (ditto, and it looks an awful lot like a grain) — are not. They were simply unknown to European rabbis in the Middle Ages and thus no customs arose concerning their use on Passover. 

Among Ashkenazi Jews, the following seeds are generally considered kitniyot: mustard, sesame, flax, sunflower, hemp, buckwheat, fennel and poppy. 

The following seeds are not kitniyot, and therefore permitted: chia, pumpkin, coriander and cumin. 

Peanuts and fenugreek are a matter of debate. Peanuts, though botanically a legume, are another New World crop that only arrived in Europe with the return of Spanish explorers. As a consequence, there is no longstanding custom barring them from being eaten on Passover. And no less a religious authority than Rabbi Moshe Feinstein determined that they are not in fact kitniyot. Nevertheless, it is common for Ashkenazi Jews to avoid them on Passover. 

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