Dear Friends,

The day before Pesach is my favorite day of the Jewish year. I love everything about it: The early morning minyan, the siyyum, the last bagel, the sale of hametz, the moment when our final crumbs go up in smoke. Chag sameach! Chag sameach! We declare our bread and pasta ownerless, shake hands, hug. How many are you having? Are you hosting? Being hosted? Where? With whom?

Crocuses and daffodils bloom. They move in the wind like golden promises: We haven’t made it yet but we will. Of course we will! We make it every year. Every year is a mad scramble. We forgot to get horseradish! There won’t be enough soup! How can we talk when much is passed over in silence?! Every year the same story and every year we are surprised by its sudden vitality, its reality, its impossible ending. We go free, we are enslaved, we go free again. The fire still burns on the lawn. Nothing divides bread from ash. 

We return home to our preparations, smelling of hickory. The day builds toward a crescendo. Leaven has been removed, the kitchen gleams like a polished gem, the seder plate takes shape. With any luck we’ve managed to jettison a few sins along the way. We’ve kashered and cleaned and schlepped, but there is still much to do, more crumbs and more transgressions, endless tasks. There are apples to grate and tragedies to mourn and napkins to fold and hidden mysteries to uncover and egg whites to whip and forgiveness to experience and to extend and tables to set and seats that remain empty and others squeezed in. We’ve cooked but the cooking is without end. Silver shines from atop floral linens. Tables are extended. Bottles are opened. Wine breathes. Books await their readers like night watchmen. The dizzying exhalations from the kitchen broth, dumplings, sweet spices. Stolen charoset. Don’t eat the matzoh You need to be hungry at the seder, you need to wait. The waiting is part of it. 

Family and guests arrive, one, two, thirty–syncopated greetings, conversations ripening and bursting with sweet juice that runs down the chin, or else withering unpicked on the highest branches. Children running off (to where?). The day blurs into the sky. Colors mix. 

Meanwhile a voice travels, Elijah-like, from home to home. It does not pass over but enters silently, beneath doorframes, through open windows, through tiny crevices in every wall, rising up from the floor like perfume, whispering to each in his own time, to each in his own language, “It is time.” 

Kadesh, urchatz, karpas, yachatz…

With brachot for the future,

R. Benjamin Resnick

Ben

"My son, even if you were to give me all the silver and gold, precious stones and pearls that are in the world, I would not dwell anywhere except in a place of Torah; for when a man passes away there accompany him neither gold nor silver, nor precious stones nor pearls, but Torah and good deeds alone, as it is said, “When you walk it will lead you. When you lie down it will watch over you; and when you are awake it will talk with you” (Proverbs 6:22). “When you walk it will lead you” in this world. “When you lie down it will watch over you” in the grave; “And when you are awake it will talk with you” in the world to come.” Pirkei Avot, 9:6

As we move through the vibrant month of March, the PJC Learning Center is a whirlwind of activity, song and sacred study. We invite you to tour behind the scenes of our classrooms: from the colorful chaos of our Purim carnival and the heartfelt leadership of our Bnei Mitzvah students to the sensory-rich preparations for Passover that are currently filling our halls. At the heart of all this activity is a simple, beautiful truth: we are building a "place of Torah" right here in Pelham, where Jewish identity is not just taught, but joyfully lived.

As it is written in Psalms, the teachings of our tradition are more precious than thousands of pieces of gold. At the Learning Center, we see this "wealth" in the eyes of our students every day.

We recently concluded a phenomenal Purim celebration, a true collaboration between our LC Team and the Holidays Committee (that’s Emily Pauley ;-). Our Bnei Mitzvah class stepped into their roles as future madrichim (leaders), guiding younger students through three immersive stations. The air was filled with the scent of "Rainbow Hamantaschen" baking in Bubby’s Kitchen, later served at a festive Seudah for over 120 parents and children. Between face painting, carnival games, and crafting wooden-spoon Megillah characters, the Sanctuary was transformed into a space of pure communal joy. To see our older students teaching the younger ones while our teachers performed the Purim Spiel was a beautiful reminder that our strength lies in our togetherness.

With Purim behind us, the journey toward Passover has begun! Walking through the building, the holiday "transpires" from one room to the next:

One class is crafting a hand-made and beautifully decorated Haggadah, while others are decorating three-layered napkins for the Seder matzot. Our Bubby’s Kitchen chefs are busy mastering matzoh brei and preparing various types of charoset from across the Jewish diaspora, choosing their favorite recipes to share at their family tables. 

In our Nitzanim (youngest) class, our beloved Jerusha leads the children in a reenactment of the Exodus. Dressed as the protagonists of the story, they cross "seas" of blue fabric, chanting "Let my people go!" with infectious enthusiasm. When we asked our students why they were crafting Seder plates, they answered with such clarity: "It’s to remember the symbols and say the blessings."

Our Bnei Mitzvah students continue to impress us with their dedication. As they master their Torah portions, they are also earning the "Seven Badges of Judaism." They study the lives of Rashi (Study), Heschel (Shabbat), Henrietta Szold (Chessed), Debbie Friedman (Tefillah), Herzl (Israel), Ben-Yehuda (Hebrew), and the Rambam (Jewish Life). Every month, they present these lessons to the younger students, embodying the value of "learning in order to teach."

We crown each week on Thursday afternoons with Kabbalat Shabbat. In the Sanctuary, we celebrate birthdays and family smachot, sing with all our might, and "get in the zone" for a day of rest. As we light candles, say kiddush and share challah and grape juice, the room vibrates as we all feel being truly blessed.



As the year progresses, we see our students’ Jewish pride elevated. They are growing up knowing they are loved by their teachers, their Rabbi, and their entire community. We are deeply grateful for the PJC’s community's unwavering support. Every small detail counts toward building the promise that Am Yisrael Chai: the People of Israel live: and here in Pelham, you can feel that life, chayim, in every step you take.

Wishing you a blessed and joyful Passover,

Ana Turkienicz

Ana

Dear Friends,



As Adar slips slowly into the month of Nissan, we shift from merriment to seriousness, from Purim to Pesach. The seemingly endless snowy winter gives way to the colorful croci of spring. Nissan 15th, Erev Pesach, arrives early this year: Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

For me, the core teaching of Passover,

"In every generation a person must see oneself as if he/she had been liberated from Egyptian bondage"

remains compelling. It is unusual for a people to place emphasis on what it feels like to be an outsider, a stranger in a strange land. We are taught to have compassion for those who are displaced - in the United States, Israel or Iran. Empathy is achieved when we see ourselves as if we had been liberated from Egyptian slavery. Compassion is the touchstone of Judaism.

As we prepare our homes and ourselves for the holiday, let's keep in mind that we are not truly free until every one of us is free to celebrate with their loved ones.

Barbara

Late Blossoms

by Merav Fima

Merav Fima's debut short story collection, Late Blossoms, imagines a meeting of female artists - writers, poets, dancers and musicians - who come to Jerusalem to pursue their art in the Jewish homeland. The collection is inspired by historical figures brought to life with Fima's exquisite touch.

Anna Ticho is a seasoned Viennese hostess who longs to start painting again, though the desolation of Jerusalem offers little inspiration. Rachel is gaining a reputation as Israel's national poetess, but she is ostracized by her colleagues due to tuberculosis. Zelda struggles to reconcile her artistic aspiration with her family's religious observance. Else is persecuted by the Nazi's as a "degenerate artist," only to be ridiculed by her peers once she escapes to Jerusalem. Adina, a budding violinist lacking inspiration, falls for a mysterious dark stranger spewing love poetry. And, Laura, a member of a modern dance troupe, has her longed-for performance canceled due to Gaza protests.

Meeting at the magnificent Ticho House in Jerusalem to share their creative work and discuss the difficulties of creative efforts in a new and unfamiliar environment, language and culture, these women shape the emerging State of Israel's literary, artistic and intellectual scenes. They explore woman's issues, including childlessness and unrequited love, as well as discrimination by the patriarchal literary and artistic establishments of their time.

Barbara

It is good to thank Adonai,

and to sing of Your name, O Most High;

To tell of your lovingkindness

in the morning and Your faithfulness by night;

With ten strings, with the lyre,

with a solemn sound upon the harp.

For You have made me

glad through Your works, Adonai;

I exult in the works of Your hands.

-- Book of Psalms, Tehillim 92

We are here to take the pieces of the universe that we are

given, burnish them with love, and return them in better

condition that we received them.

--Fran Djuna Sussman

"Share a Simcha" allows congregants to share their news with our PJC community. Please submit news about family members -- engagements, births, job updates, kid achievements, community acknowledgements and any other milestones -- to the HaKol Editor, Barbara Saunders-Adams.

*Mazal Tov to our March Birthday Celebrants: Daviel Schulman, Julia Myerson, David Sasson, Daniel Levitz, Brian Katz, Hildy Martin, Patricia Levinson, Alex Jacobson, Donna Weissman, Glyn Morgan, Phillip Jaffe, Mark Levine, Lilyan Pauley, Romy Kushnick, Melissa Kagan, Marcela Hoffer, Marshall Jaffe, Irina Dynov, Timothy Singer, Reid Singer, Alex Adou, Aviva Malkis, Jeremy Schulman, Matthew Schwarz, Michael Glickman, Joel Serebransky, Nicole Sasson, Jonathan Liesman, Madison Cohen, Sam Charney

• Mazal tov to Sari Schulman and the cast of Shrek

Share a Simcha is a regular HaKol feature, so keep your news and updates coming!

Tributes & Donations

Donations to General Fund

Rafael Gleicher

Joel & Beth Serebransky

Marjut & Jonathan Herzog

Michael & Michelle Dvorkin

Mitchell & Julie Cepler

Donations to Programming

Sybil Rosenberg,

Emily & Justin Pauley, 

Lauren Dehler, 

Adam & Jennifer Gerber, 

Meredith Steinberg, 

Rachel & Peter Davis, 

Corey & Lindsay Zettler

Donations to Rabbi's Discretionary Fund

Joel & Beth Serebransky

Judy & Michael Bowen

Billing statements are emailed monthly. 

Checks made out to the Pelham Jewish Center can be mailed to Pelham Jewish Center, P.O. Box 418, Montvale, NJ 07645. Credit card payment instructions are on your monthly emailed billing statement, or go to https://thepjc.shulcloud.com/payment.php. 

If you are interested in paying via appreciated securities or IRA distributions, please email Mitch Cepler.

It is the policy of the Pelham Jewish Center to make every effort to assist members experiencing financial challenges. Financial challenges should never be a barrier to being an active member of the PJC community. You can reach out to President, Lisa Neubardt, Treasurer, Mitchell Cepler or Rabbi Benjamin Resnick to speak confidentially concerning your ability to pay PJC dues and Learning Center tuition.