Events

Come for a Passover pre-game to learn about, experience and get ready for Passover. Together with area clergy, lay leaders, educators, Israeli partners and JCC staff let's get in the Passover spirit. 

Experience, Taste, Sing, Learn, Do, Shop, Schmooze, Move, Create! 

Kids, teens, families, adults – there's something for everyone!

Register

Schedule

Activity Session One – 2:20 - 3:00 p.m.
Songs, snacks, wine tasting – 3:00 - 3:20 p.m.
Activity Session Two – 3:20 - 4:00 p.m.
More songs, snacks, wine tasting – 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.  

2:20 - 3:00 p.m.

For Families with Children

The Matza Challenge: Israeli style with Shlicha (Israeli Emissary) Daniella Geffen
for families with children
Make matzah the Israeli way in this timed and fun challenge with our Israeli shicha and rishonim.

Greatest Moments in Passover History with Rabbi Howard Tilman
for families with children
Join Rabbi Tilman for an interactive, family-friendly learning experience that traces how Passover has been celebrated—and re-imagined—across 3,000 years of Jewish history. From moments in the bible, in history, and in modern times, parents and children will explore key moments when the meaning of freedom was tested, renewed, and passed on to the next generation. Together, families will discover that Passover is not only a story we remember, but a tradition we continue to shape every year.

Passoverview: Fun and Learning About Pesach with Lay Leader Meredith Bodgas
for families with children
Whether it's been a while since you've sat down for a Seder or you're about to celebrate Pesach for the first time, come learn all about Passover history and traditions in a warm, judgment-free space with other Pesach-curious families. With traditional foods and songs for ages 3+, you'll leave with a better understanding about the holiday and be ready to party with your loved ones this April and for years to come. This is a great opportunity for interfaith families.

Passover Family Yoga with JCC Fitness Director Marissa Domanski
for families with children (toddlers, preschoolers)
Come move your body and learn about the Passover story through movement and play!  Appropriate for young families!  (Think Cosmic Kids Yoga, for Passover!)

Art Projects with Sunnyside Studio
for families with children
Come and create Passover items to bring to your seder!

For Adults

A Different Night a Different Haggadah with Rabbi Victor Appell
for adults
Tired of the same old Seder? Why not mix things up? How about trying a different Haggadah? Passover has come a long way since Maxwell House. Take a look at a variety of different contemporary Haggadot that can spice up your Seder.

Choose Life: Jewish Insights and Wisdom on Health, Longevity and Meaning with Rabbi Steven Stern
for adults
This session will explore Jewish texts and practical teachings from Torah and rabbinic literature that guide us to living longer and better.

A Night of Questions with Rabbi Ethan Prosnit 
for adults
Delve into the questions of Passover. Study the history, the questions, and maybe even find some answers.

Resin Seder Plate Making with New Leaf Design
for adults
Create your own special seder plate using resin.  This workshop is longer and the finished plates may be picked up after 24 hours at the JCC.

Matzah: It's All You Need with Rabbi Uri Allen
for adults
Matzah is the central symbolic food of Passover. What makes it so essential and why is it the vehicle to experience our freedom from slavery? Come take a deep dive into Matzah.

What Does Elijah Have to Do with Passover with Rabbi Josh Finkelstein
for adults
Every year at the Passover Seder, we open the door for Elijah the Prophet. Why do we do this and what does it mean for us, our Seders, and Passover? We will look at the history and lore surrounding Elijah at Passover and throughout the Jewish year.

Haggadah as a Family Heirloom with Jewish Educator Ellen Berman
for teens and adults
Our tradition teaches us that in every generation, we must see ourselves as if we personally came out of Egypt. In this workshop, you will receive materials that help connect you to the themes of Passover while serving as a starting point to create a resource to share family history, photos, recipes, traditions, and holiday memories that can be passed down l’dor va’dor, elevating your Passover experience from generation to generation.

3:20 - 4:00 p.m.

For Families with Children

The Matza Challenge: Israeli style with Shlicha (Israeli Emissary) Daniella Geffen
for families with children
Make matzah the Israeli way in this timed and fun challenge with our Israeli shicha and rishonim.

A Chocolate Seder with JCC Early Childhood Director Sarah Koffler
for families with children
Join us for a delicious and chocolate filled interpretation of the Passover Seder! While not meant to replace a traditional Seder, our Chocolate Seder will be an exciting complement to this joyful holiday. From four cups of chocolate milk to the Hillel S'more, this will be a fun and tasty afternoon for children and parents to enjoy together!” 

Storytime with PJ Library
for families with children

Passover Family Yoga with JCC Fitness Director Marissa Domanski
for families with children (elementary age)
Come move your body and learn about the Passover story through movement and play!  Appropriate for young families!  (Think Cosmic Kids Yoga, for Passover!)

The First Four Questions with Rabbi Josh Finkelstein
for teens/families
We teach our children to ask the Four Questions on passover, and we attempt to answer them.  Sometimes we should admit that the questions are more important that the answers. We will look at the development of the Four Questions at the Seder and ponder what other questions we could and should ask. 

Art Projects with Sunnyside Studio
for families with children
Come and create Passover items to bring to your seder!

Exodus from Egypt Sensory Experience with Samantha Fox, Owner of Little Foxes Playtime
for families with children
Join PJ Library and Little Foxes for an immersive Exodus from Egypt sensory experience! Children will explore pyramids, plagues, and the parting of the Red Sea through hands-on sensory play and storytelling, featuring Afikomen, Where’d You Go?. Each child will decorate and take home a personalized Afikomen bag for their Passover seder.

Fun Introduction to the Passover Seder with Jewish Educator Ellen Berman
for families with children
Years ago, Ellen challenged herself to create an engaging Haggadah for her two-year-old godchild, which would also make the concepts of the Passover seder accessible for her interfaith parents. The result was a Dr. Seuss style Haggadah, which explains in simple terms the focus of each of the 15 steps of the Passover seder, making the seder relatable to people of all ages.

For Adults

The Top Twenty Books Every Jewish Family Might Want to Have in Their Home with Rabbi Paul Kerbel
for adults
The Jewish people are called "The People of the Book." Rabbi Kerbel will share his list of the twenty most important holy books and reference books that will enhance your Jewish library.

The Meaning (and Some Tasting) of Charoset with Rabbi Ethan Prosnit
for adults
Charoset is meant to evoke the bitterness of slavery , so why is it sweet?   Study the origins of charoset with Rabbi Prosnit and make some different charoset from Jewish communities around the world.    

Two Little Goats with Rabbi Howard Tilman
for adults
This session explores Chad Gadya as more than a playful Seder song, examining whether it functions as an allegory of Jewish history, a meditation on power and violence, or a theological protest. Through close reading of the Haggadah text and a comparison with modern interpretations, participants will grapple with questions of suffering, redemption, and moral responsibility. We're invited to consider why this song closes the Seder and what it represents in the story of freedom. 

This Year We Are Slaves Next Year May We All Be Free Passover and Social Justice with Rabbi Victor Appell
for adults
More than any other Jewish holiday, Passover reminds us of our role in the world. We will explore the social justice messages of Passover, how to incorporate these messages into our seder through ritual, and how the actions we can take to eradicate modern-day plagues.

We welcome and thank...

Sunrise Cellars Fine Wines
Serve It Up Designs
New Leaf Judaica
PJ Library and Little Foxes Playtime
Kirschenbaums Baking Co.
Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ Global Connections

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