Preparing for Passover

Passover is almost here and, while we won't be together in our usual way, there are many ways to come together as a Center family. As we responsively and responsibly follow social distancing directives, it will not be possible to have a Community Seder at the Center for the second night of Passover as originally planned. Information will be sent very soon regarding an alternative once all the details are worked out. In the meantime, below are ways to prepare for Passover, both at home and with each other.

O ur liturgy refers to Passover as z’man h eruteinu , the Season of our Freedom. It may strike us as ironic to celebrate a festival of freedom at a time when the Coronavirus has circumscribed our ability to come and go as we please. True freedom, however, isn’t about an absence of spatial constraint, it’s about God’s gift to us of self-transcendence. We have the power to liberate ourselves from the shackles of spiritual slavery and emotional bondage. While never easy and often painful, time and again our forebears celebrated Passover in the shadow of fear without succumbing to it. The Conversos of 16 ^th century Spain held secret seders though discovery could have cost them their lives; Jews living underground in Nazi Europe gathered together to recall the Exodus . . . even when their own liberation seemed so far away.

Our own worries at this moment may not be as dramatic, but they are no less real. Some of us are anxious about our own health or that of loved ones; others may be fearful of unemployment and an uncertain financial future. The arrival of Passover, of course, won’t make these concerns disappear, but z’man h eruteinu , this Season of our Freedom urges us to have faith in God and in ourselves. To merit redemption from Egypt our ancestors had to participate in their own liberation by trusting in the future. Throughout the ages, even in the darkest hours Jews concluded the Seder with the hope of being “next year in Jerusalem”. To get there necessarily begins with the belief that we can . . . and will.

Mo’adim L’sim h ah,

Rabbi Jonathan Lubliner

Rabbinical Assembly Passover Guidelines

Please note, the link which follows offers SPECIAL GUIDANCE for Passover preparations in light of supermarket shortages and the difficulty of locating certain Kosher-for-Passover items due to the Coronavirus: Kashrut Subcommittee Recommendations for Passover 5780 in Light of COVID-19 . It should be used in conjunction with the Rabbinical Assembly's regular Pesa h Guide, that is available in a downloadable PDF by clicking here .

Purchasing Kosher-for-Passover Food Items

Our very own Margo’s Catering is offering kosher-for-Passover menus throughout the festival. You will find the link to their take-out food here . Margo's is coordinating pick-up in the back of the building at times when the Center's gates are open.

Griller’s Pride , the kosher meat and purveyor from Atlanta, has generously offered to schedule a special delivery to Jacksonville for Passover if they receive a minimum of 17 orders by Wednesday, April 1 ^st . The delivery date will be Sunday, April 5 ^th . If you are interested click here . Disregard the information on the website about not taking additional orders, and please make sure on check-out to select Scheduled Delivery - Jacksonville, FL.

2020 / 5780 Passover Schedule

April 7: Search for Hametz (B'dikat Hametz) after 8:15 PM
April 8: Latest Time for Eating Hametz is 11:21 AM
April 8: Latest Time for Burning Hametz (Biur Hametz) is 12:24 PM
April 8: Candle Lighting Erev Pesah is 7:32 PM
April 9: Candle Lighting on Day 1 of Passover is 8:27 PM
April 10: Shabbat Candle Lighting is at 7:33 PM
April 11: Havdallah is at 8:29 PM
April 14: Candle Lighting for Day 7 of Passover is 7:37 PM
April 15: Candle Lighting for Day 8 of Passover is 8:31 PM
April 16: Pesah Ends at 8:32 PM
April 16: Hametz mat be eaten after 9:30 PM

Sale of Hametz

We have created an online form for you to be able to sell your h ametz by electronic signature.

While there is no charge for the selling of leaven, it is customary to include a charitable contribution with the “Sale of Leaven” form. Checks may be sent to the Jacksonville Jewish Center for Rabbi Lubliner’s Discretionary Fund with a note that it is for the Sale of Leaven or you can make your donation online HERE , or you may send your checks/make online donations directly to the following causes: the JFCS Food Pantry , and/or MAZON – A Jewish Response to Hunger .

PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM ONLINE HERE , or download and return the form HERE , to the Jacksonville Jewish Center Clergy office with your tzedakah donation to be received in our office (not determined by postmark) no later than Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Since Jewish Law requires h ametz to be sold no later than Wednesday morning, the deadline is a firm one of necessity.

Eruv Tavshilin, B'dikat Hametz & Biur Hametz

When a festival immediately precedes Shabbat, special arrangements are made to allow cooking for the Sabbath on the holiday. Click here for more information about Eruv Tavshilin.

Blessing for searching for (b'dikat) hametz and burning (biur) hametz can be accessed by selecting this link.

Feast of Freedom Passover Haggadot

The Feast of Freedom Passover Haggadah p ublished by the Conservative Movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, is available in full as a free PDF by clicking here . Print copies may be purchased here .

The Feast of Freedom: An Abayudaya Haggadah p ublished by the Conservative Movement’s Cantor's Assembly, is available in full as a free PDF by clicking here .

Going Virtual at the Center

For more information on Passover learning, click here.
For a full list of weekly worship services and other learning opportunities, click here.
For instruction on how to use Zoom, click here.

H esed and Member Outreach

Volunteer to call and/or help run errands for our congregants in need of assistance. It will take a number of volunteers, each calling 5 or more households, for us to be able to check in with everyone. During these difficult times, a simple phone call can make a world of difference and is a mitzvah bein adam l’ h avero (a sacred obligation between one person and another). Please click HERE to sign up .

If you are aware of anyone who needs assistance during this time, please reach out to the Center's Clergy Office at 904-292-1000, ext. 115, or email Danielle Berke at [email protected] .

Jewish Community Emergency Relief

Please join us in supporting the Jewish Federation and Foundation of Northeast Florida's Jewish Community Pandemic Emergency Relief Fund .

This fund is aimed at helping our institutions, including the Jacksonville Jewish Center, manage the economic impact, provide support for a range of current and anticipated social services, and offer emergency assistance to those most vulnerable and impacted in our community.