Passover 5783 / 2023 | Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan

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Message

כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל, כָּל דִצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח.

Kol dichfin yeitei v'yeichol, kol ditzrich yeitei v'yifsach.

"All who are hungry, let them come and eat. All who are in need, let them come celebrate Passover with us.""

— from Ha Lachmah Anya, Passover Seder

We recite these ancient words every year as we hear the "snap" of the matzah being broken around our seder table. Maybe we say them in Aramaic, maybe we translate them—but in what ways do we live out these values of human dignity and security? All those who are hungry: they are not faceless, nameless, or imaginary. They are our neighbors on the Upper West Side, whom we encounter every day.

This Passover, the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan partners with West Side Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH) to throw our doors and our hearts open wide to New Yorkers experiencing food insecurity. Join us as we celebrate Passover together as a neighborhood, united by the Jewish and universal value of making sure everyone has access, with dignity, to a choice of healthy food. Opportunities abound for participants of all ages, from the youngest Seder participant to the seasoned volunteer.

Learn the long-standing wisdom Judaism has to offer about this vital and contemporary issue with two leaders in their fields: Greg Silverman, CEO of WSCAH, and Rabbi Joanna Samuels, CEO of the JCC.
Volunteer to package and distribute food for our neighbors and WSCAH customers.
Visit and see for yourself the incredible work WSCAH does on the Upper West Side and throughout New York City from their current base of operations, just around the corner from the JCC.
Share the story, ancient and new, of the twin threads of hunger and liberation that are woven into the Passover story with the JCC and WSCAH’s one-page seder supplement. This handout can be an addition to your seder table that brings the story home to the Upper West Side, and includes ways to update three of our seder rituals to infuse them with contemporary meaning and relevance.
Find all of this and more at the JCC, detailed on our Passover webpage, as well as many additional treats, resources, and of course—how to find a seder!

May this be a chag kasher v'sameach, a fitting and joyous holiday for us all, in many senses.

Rabbi Yael Rapport
Director, The Gottesman Center for Jewish Living + The Selma and Lawrence Ruben Center for 20s + 30s

Sheryl Parker
Director, The Joseph Stern Center for Social Responsibility

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Programs

All programs are in person unless otherwise noted.

Combating Growing Hunger in NYC: Rabbi Joanna Samuels in Conversation with Greg Silverman (Virtual)
Mon, Mar 27 noon–12:45 pm

Volunteer at West Side Campaign Against Hunger
Tue, Mar 28, 9–11 am + 11 am–1 pm

Rabbis Teach Passover
2 Tuesdays, Mar 28 + Apr 4, noon–1 pm, $18 per session

Positive Psychology Hour—Growing Compassion and Freedom through Religion,
Good Books + Positive Psychology with Rabbi Debra Orenstein (Virtual)
Tue, Mar 28, noon–1 pm, Pay what you wish

Empty Chair at the Seder Table: A Passover Bereavement Program (Virtual)
Tue, Mar 28, 5:30–7 pm, Free

CSN Passover Judaica Flash Sale
Mon, Apr 3 + Tue, Apr 4, 2–5 pm
Wed, Apr 5, 10 am–1 pm
Located in the JCC Lobby.
All proceeds support The Jack and Shirley Silver Center for Special Needs.

Moses, Magic + Monotheism: The Passover Story in Egyptian Art
Sun, Apr 9, 10 am–noon, $25/$30

Tour West Side Campaign Against Hunger
Mon, Apr 10, Free
Adults: 11–11:30 am
Families: 11:30 am–noon

20s + 30s Matzah Pizza Party
Mon, Apr 10, 7–9 pm, $10

Looking for a seat at a seder?
Check out UJA-Federation's Find a Seder for in-person and virtual options.

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Treats + Resources

Read more about the JCC's work in tackling food insecurity around Passover in our ongoing partnership with the West Side Campaign Against Hunger.

Hosting a seder? OneTable is here to help!

Looking for a refresher? Here's Passover 101, courtesy of Today.

Ready for a comprehensive Passover site for families, with everything you need from Passover Mad Libs to lunch ideas? Check out the PJ Library Passover hub.

Eager to add some new readings to your seder? Maybe a poem about COVID-19 and exile? Comb through the archives of Ritual Well for all kinds of goodies.

Revisit 2020's Saturday Night Seder starring the funniest folks in Hollyweird.

Watch Alison Roman of New York Times Cooking prepare some Passover table winners.

Or enjoy the new classics: Passover a cappella song parodies here, here, and here.

Not your musical vibe? What about the Israeli Philharmonic playing the Four Questions?

Looking for a Passover skit your whole family can do at the Seder table? Try this one from JewBelong.

Ready to create your own haggadah? Visit our friends at Haggadot.com.

And check out the origin story for an iconic Passover special.

The wonderful Cantor Laura Stein has complied a Queer Haggadah for all to use.

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