Passover
Celebrate Passover With Central
As we near the celebration of freedom and liberation, we share with you the many ways you can engage with Central this Passover. From our congregational in-person seder to virtual celebrations, services, member-hosted gatherings, and more, there will be something for everyone. We hope you'll join us in community, music, and remembrance for the holiday.
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Evening Festival Service
Monday, April 22, 2024, 5:30 pm
In Person (Main Sanctuary) and Virtual (Livestream)
Join us as we gather for a meaningful community Passover service led by Cantor Jenna Pearsall and Rabbi Ari Lorge. The service will also be available via our website livestream, Facebook, YouTube, and JBS. Open to all.
First Night Seder (open to Central members only, SOLD OUT)
Monday, April 22, 2024, 6:30 pm
In Person, Registration Required
After a short festival service in the Sanctuary at 5:30 pm, join Cantor Jenna Pearsall, Rabbi Ari Lorge, and your Central family in the Pavilion for an unforgettable congregational seder full of music, memory, matzah, and more.
Morning Festival Service
Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 9:30 am
In Person (Main Sanctuary) and Virtual (Livestream)
Worship with your Central community in this meaningful Passover service led by Cantor Dan Mutlu and our Rabbinic Intern Rebecca Thau. The service will also be available via our website livestream, Facebook, YouTube, and JBS. Open to all.
Second Night Virtual Seder (open to Central members and Neighbors only)
Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 6:00 pm
Virtual (Zoom only)
Central members and Neighbors are encouraged to join this second-night virtual seder led by Rabbi Andrew Kaplan Mandel and Rabbinic Intern Rebecca Thau. Recount our journey to freedom, past and present, with song, stories, and joy, along with your fellow Central community members. The Zoom link will be emailed to members and Neighbors.
Pesach Yizkor Service
Monday, April 29, 2024, 9:30 am
In Person (Main Sanctuary) and Virtual (Livestream)
As Passover draws to a close, join Cantor Jenna Pearsall, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, and Rabbinic Intern Rebecca Thau for a Yizkor (memorial) service. The service will also be available via our website livestream, Facebook, YouTube, and JBS. Open to all.
Passover Programs for Adults
There are no events at this time, please check later.
About Passover
Passover (Pesach in Hebrew), is a seven-day, springtime festival beginning on the 15th day of Nisan. It commemorates the Jews’ exodus from slavery in Egypt to redemption in the Holy Land of Israel. It begins with a special seder at home where we retell the story of our journey from bondage to liberation using the Haggadah (a book meaning “telling”) and sharing a festive meal featuring many symbolic foods that help tell the story. Throughout the seven days of Passover, we are prohibited from eating chametz (leavened products) as a reminder of our hurried escape from Egypt when there was not even enough time to wait for bread to rise. Instead, we traditionally eat matzah (unleavened bread).
At this time when we celebrate the freedom of our people, we are provided with an opportunity to stand with those who still suffer under the bondage of modern-day slavery. Rabbi Angela Buchdahl speaks eloquently about this in the clip above. In the video below Rabbi Buchdahl and Cantor Julia Cadrain combine the Passover favorite “Dayenu” (“It Would Have Been Enough”) with the spiritual “O Freedom” as a way of connecting the Jewish community with all who have suffered from oppression and bondage. At Central, we celebrate Passover with a festival morning service on the first day and a community seder on the first night. On the seventh day of Passover, we come together again for a festival morning that also includes a yizkor (memorial) service—an opportunity to remember and reflect on the lives of those who have passed away.