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OF THE SHABBAT REMINDER

Yom HaAliyah 2025 / 5785

Recognizes Aliyah, immigration to the Jewish State of Israel

Yom HaAliyah for Hebrew Year 5785 begins at sundown on Monday, 7 April 2025 and ends at nightfall on Tuesday, 8 April 2025.

Yom HaAliyah (Aliyah Day) is an Israeli national holiday celebrated annually on the tenth of the Hebrew month of Nisan to commemorate the Jewish people entering the Land of Israel as written in the Hebrew Bible. The holiday was established to acknowledge Aliyah, immigration to the Jewish state, as a core value of the State of Israel, and honor the ongoing contributions of Olim to Israeli society.

COUNTDOWN TO PASSOVER

SEARCH FOR CHOMETZ: Thursday, April 10

BURNING OF CHOMETZ: Friday, April 11

FIRST SEDER: Saturday, April 12

SECOND SEDER: Sunday, April 13

In 2025, due to Passover starting on Shabbat, the search for chametz (bedikat chametz) will occur on Thursday night, April 10th, and the burning of chametz on Friday morning, April 11th, a day earlier than usual. 

On Thursday night, as soon as night has fallen, gather the household together, light the candle, and recite the following blessing:

Bo-ruch A-toh Ado-noi

E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ho-olom

A-sher Ki-de-sha-nu Be-mitz-vo-sov

Ve-tzi-vo-nu Al Bee-ur Cho-metz.

Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by His commandments, and has commanded us concerning the removal of chametz.

Next, hold the lit candle and search for chametz in every room, as well as any other area of the home that may have chametz, such as the basement, attic, garage, or car. Even once a house is thoroughly cleaned, there is often still a bagel crust or a Cheerio hiding in some overlooked cranny.

When you’re done, take all the chametz that was found in the search, wrap and seal it securely, and place it in a conspicuous spot. This chametz will be joined with all remaining chametz in your home, and burned the next morning. Food intended to be sold or eaten later should similarly be carefully put aside.

When you’ve completed the search, and done your best to get rid of any possible chametz, gather the family back together and recite the "Kol Chamira" declaration, translated below, nullifying all unknown chametz and relinquishing it from your ownership.

All leaven or anything leavened which is in my possession, which I have neither seen nor removed, and about which I am unaware, shall be considered nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.



TO SELL CHAMETZ: A CRUMMY DEAL?

According to the Torah, a Jewish person is forbidden to own chametz (חָמֵץ) during Pesach. This is true even if it won’t be seen or used during Pesach. Chametz owned by a Jewish person during Pesach becomes non-kosher and may not be eaten, even after Pesach. This is why we sell it. (If you want to know why this is, write me and ask me to teach a class on it. For now, assume that this rule was devised by the Chametz producers of the world in order to create a market for new Chametz after the holiday J).

In New Jersey, the prohibition against owning chametz begins at 11:50 am on Shabbat morning, Saturday, April 12th, 2025. (The prohibition against eating chametz begins slightly earlier, at 10:44 am.) The prohibition ends when Pesach ends – at 8:23 pm on the evening Sunday, April 20th.

Ideally, a person should finish eating all their chametz and destroy all leftovers before Pesach begins.

Since in our days, destroying all of one’s chametz is often difficult, wasteful and impractical, the rabbis provided us with another way of fulfilling the Torah’s requirement. We can do this by selling our chametz to a non-Jew. Non-Jews have no Jewish requirement to disown their chametz during Pesach, so if we sell them chametz we are not asking them to transgress anything for our benefit. By selling it, we no longer own it and, thus, we no longer risk transgressing.

By filling in the Attached form, I will act as your agent to sell your chametz on your behalf. This saves you the hassle of having to locate an interested non-Jew and negotiating the sale yourself. You do not sell chametz to me! I am merely acting as an agent and selling your chametz directly to the purchaser. All chametz to be sold should be stored in a special place or a few special places and clearly marked “chametz”.

This year, a complicating factor is that Pesach begins on a Saturday evening. This means that, since Saturday is Shabbat, many of the things we might have done during that day to prepare for Passover, are prohibited. (e.g., One cannot burn or sell anything on Shabbat)(By the way, you must burn your chametz by 11:50 on the morning of Friday, April 11th). So, even though we may continue eating chametz until 10:44 am on Saturday morning, we must burn all but the last few bits of chametz on Friday morning, and we must sell all but a small amount of chametz before Shabbat begins. From the moment the Sale is done, we cannot use or move sold Chametz even though we're still allowed to eat chametz. (Sold chametz is no longer ours, and eating or moving it could constitute theft)(You can now get a sense for why so many of our people are neurotic). If you want to eat non-Passover foods on Friday night (April 11th) and/or early that Saturday morning (April 12th)(being careful not to get crumbs on your Passover dishes), you must intentionally exclude those from your sale.(As it happens, the attached “Sale of Chametz” form which I have prepared for you, has the needed provision). FYI: Leftover crumbs will need to be disposed of in a Shabbat-compliant way, but not in a household trash can. It can be placed in an outside garbage bin or crumbled up and disposed of in the restroom, before 11:50 am Saturday(April 12th).

The sale will take place on Friday afternoon, April 11th, around 6:00 pm. Sold chametz must not be moved, destroyed or eaten from this point on, since it will belong to someone else. From that time Friday and for the duration of Pesach, I will also rent out the place in your home in which the chametz is being stored – be it a closet, a cupboard, or a section in your refrigerator or freezer – which is why it should be clearly marked.

According to the agreement with the non-Jewish person, once they own your chametz, they have the right to access it if they want to. The sale is final, not temporary, not conditional, and not merely symbolic.

After Passover, I will give the non-Jewish person the opportunity to sell the chametz back to its original owner, again through me. Assume it is yours again if you haven’t heard otherwise by 9:00 pm on Sunday night, April 20th. The chances are good you will get it back but give me a chance to purchase it on your behalf.

To appoint me to act as your agent to sell your chametz, please fill in the attached form. Return it physically to the JCC office, or by email to (jccoflbi@gmail.com.) Our deadline for receiving your forms is Friday morning, April 11th.

Shabbat Shalom – Rabbi Michael S. Jay

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FORM TO SELL YOUR CHOMETZ

MAH JONGG & CANASTA

WEDNESDAYS

12:30 PM TO 4:00 PM

April 9, 23. May 21, 28. 

Play starts at 11am and ends at 1:45  

PICKLEBALL

Sundays, Tuesdays

and Thursdays

10 - 1

NO PICKLEBALL 4/13 AND 4/20

CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WAX EVENTS

THIS SPRING AND SUMMER

JCC WOMEN’S AUXILIARY: BOOK GROUP DISCUSSION

 WEDNESDAYS AT 4:00 PM

NEXT BOOK REVIEW MEETING

Wednesday, April 16th at 4:00 PM

Discussion Leader: TBA

Book: Eternal Life By: Dara Horn

Rachel is a woman with a problem: she can’t die. Her recent troubles—widowhood, a failing business, an unemployed middle-aged son—are only the latest in a litany Continued on page 23 2 3 Volume 18/ Issue 2 JCC Women Auxiliary: Book Group Discussion – continued Wednesday at 4:00 PM Eternal Life by Dara Horn spanning dozens of countries, scores of marriages, and hundreds of children. In the 2,000 years since she made a spiritual bargain to save the life of her first son back in Roman-occupied Jerusalem, she’s tried everything to free herself, and only one other person in the world understands: a man she once loved passionately, who has been stalking her through the centuries, convinced they belong together forever. But as the twenty-first century begins and her children and grandchildren—consumed with immortality in their own ways, from the frontiers of digital currency to genetic engineering—develop new technologies that could change her fate and theirs, Rachel knows she must find a way out.

ABOUT THE COMEDIANS...

Robin Fox

New Jersey Stand-Up Comedian Robin Fox spent 17 years as a full-time mom and dieting. Then one day, Robin gave up dieting and decided to make her life long dream of being a comedian a reality. Today she is happier than she can ever remember and will never look back! Original and funny, she talks from her heart about the frustrations of suburban living, marriage, and being an empty nester. No longer is she willing to just be the funniest mom on her New Jersey cul-de-sac. This New Jersey mom is now a regular on the comedy scene playing at the top clubs in NYC and performing nationally.

Joe Bublewicz

A 20 year veteran of the national comedy circuit, Joe’s ability to take you on a tour of life’s absurdities will create an atmosphere of non-stop laughter by blending just the right mix of sarcasm, logic, and personality into a hilarious stand-up performance. His creative humor and sardonic style of comedy has made him a favorite at all the major comedy chains throughout the country. It’s a night out that will leave you wanting more.

Wayne Cotter

Wayne Cotter is a veteran of the talk shows, having appeared dozens of times with both David Letterman and Jay Leno. A top nationally touring comedian, Wayne hosted the Fox Television Network series “Comic Strip Live” for many years, and has been nominated as “Best Standup Comedian” in the American Comedy Awards. Although he studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania and began a career with a New Jersey computer company, before long Wayne started moonlighting as a Philadelphia comedian. He continued this double life for some time, and ultimately came to the visionary conclusion that the computer industry was going nowhere and left town to pursue showbusiness full time.



The JCC section at Crescent Memorial Park is available for sales. Please contact Bonni Rubin-Sugarman at 609-417-7148.

We are very excited to add to the WAX Gift Shop items from local merchants and artisans. Stop in to look and buy one (or more) of these beautiful pieces for your home, as a gift or just for yourself. Here is a sample of some of our new products. The gift shop is open during office hours M-F 10 - 2.

CONGREGATION NEWS

The Ocean County Library is honored to present “Courage to Remember,” a traveling exhibit of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, at three branches during the month of April:

• Barnegat Branch – 112 Burr Street, (609) 698-3331
• Lacey Branch – 10 East Lacey Road, Forked River, (609) 693-8566
• Waretown Branch – 112 Main Street, (609) 693-5133

Holocaust Remembrance Day takes place from sundown Wednesday, April 23 through sundown Thursday, April 24. “Courage to Remember” consists of 40 panels in three sections that visually describe the Holocaust experience from 1933 through 1945.

The images capture the brutality of persecution and genocide, the danger of complacency and the urgency of memory. Characterized as a tribute and a warning, it has been seen by millions on six continents and continues to travel internationally.

One section will be displayed in each of the three participating OCL branches throughout April. The Lacey Branch exhibit will encompass 1933-39; Waretown Branch, 1939-41; Barnegat Branch, 1941-45. The panels will be on view at all three branches on Friday, April 11.

The California-based Simon Wiesenthal Center confronts global antisemitism, prejudice and intolerance through nine branches in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Jerusalem and Brazil. It is an accredited Non-Governmental Organization at the United Nations, UNESCO, Organization of American States, Latin American Parliament and Council of Europe.

“Courage to Remember” is free and open to the public during normal operating branch hours. For more information, stop by or call the participating branch of your choice or call (732) 349-6200. See the full schedule of Library programs in the online Calendar of Events.



The exhibit is sponsored by the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, Ocean County Library, Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission, New Jersey Historic Commission, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Ocean County Jewish Federation, Beth Medrash Govoha, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Ocean County Prosecutor-Human Relations Commission, Ocean County College Center for Holocaust Genocide and Human Right Education, Ocean County Sheriff, and Ocean County Superintendent of Schools.

YOU CAN NOW FILL OUT A GIVING FORM AND PAY ON LINE IN ONE SIMPLE PROCESS.

Go to jccoflbi.org - Giving/Pay

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

PAVERS

Inscribe a paver at the front entrance to the building

8" X 4", 8" X 8" and 12" X 12"

SEE UPDATED ORDER FORM:

PAVER FORM

Become a permanent part of the JCC landscape.

Purchase a personalized paving stone

in honor of your family or in memory of a loved one.

Please contact Diane Hoffman

with your order or with any questions:

dihoff1@aol.com

PRAYER BOOKS

There are still High Holiday Prayer Books and Chumashim available to be purchased in memory or honor of someone or something. The cost of a Prayer Book is $72 each and $120 for an Eitz Hayim Chumash. The donation includes an affirmation sticker in the book and an acknowledgement letter or letters.

See Order form here: Prayer Book

TRIBUTES

SEND ONE OF OUR TRIBUTES IN HONOR OR IN MEMORY OF

See order form here: TRIBUTES

TREE OF LIFE

Add a leaf (leaves) to our beautiful Tree of Life located in the Social Hall. See the order form here: TREE OF LIFE

Bronze Leaf $90

Silver Leaf $126

Gold :Leaf $180

ENDOWMENT FUND

Herb and Selma z”l Shapiro established the first individual Endowment Fund in memory of his father, as part of the JCC’s Endowment Fund portfolio.

Since then, three additional individual Endowment Funds have been established. Other members are encouraged to also provide for the future of our JCC by establishing similar funds. Please consider adding to this number.

A donation of at least $50,000 to the endowment fund will allow the donor to name one of the funds as the donor wishes. All such named funds will be joined together to be part of the Endowment Fund portfolio.

Endowment funds are necessary to ensure the continuation and well being of our congregation. All members are encouraged to help this important effort by contributing to this portfolio, whether as a specific named individual fund, or as a general donation. The donation can be spread over one, two, or three years, and can be paid via check, donation of appreciated stock, wills, or from the RMD of your IRA or 401K account. Your gift to the fund can be sent to the JCC Office. Please mark your check accordingly. 

YAHRZEIT PLAQUES

Space is available for memorial plaques on the yahrzeit boards in the Sanctuary. 

Here is the order form: 

YAHRZEIT

KOL HAKAVOD

Please consider being a part of this campaign to supplement the clergy needs of our congregation. This is a separate, voluntary commitment and is additional to our low annual dues obligation. HERE IS THE LINK TO BRING UP THE DONATION FORM KOL HAKAVOD

2025 MEMBERSHIP FORMS

Your support is so important to the continued success of the JCC.

Here is form for renewal:

RENEW NOW

And if you have been reading our Shabbat Reminder and other communications and have not yet joined our congregation, here is the new member form:

JOIN NOW

BE A PART OF THE WOMEN'S AUXILLARY

2025 DUES FORM HERE