Timely Program Ideas

Timely Program Ideas
Department of Congregational Programming
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
155 Fifth Avenue,
New York, NY 10010
212-533-7800 ext 2620

TPI 9: Putting Pesach Into Practice - "Let All Who Are Hungry Come and Eat"

At the very beginning of the Pesach Seder we recite the “Ha-Lahma Anya," which is both an invitation to the hungry and homeless to join with us in our festive meal and a hope that in the future such poverty and despair will disappear. Often the invitation is only a formula as we do little on Pesach to realize the ideals embodied in it. Yet, Pesach offers us many opportunities to reach out to those less fortunate and to realize, at least in a small way, "Let all who are hungry come and eat."

Mitzvah of Hametz

One of the central mitzvot connected with Pesach is the obligation to rid our houses of all hametz- (grain products). This is usually achieved in several ways. The hametz is eaten, thrown out, or sold. The last of these, the selling of the hametz, usually involves a legal fiction where the hametz is rabbinically sold. It remains in the house of the original owner, with a proviso that the non-Jewish owner will pay the full price and pick up the hametz following the holiday. The sale is canceled before the collection date on the contract.

Enhancing The Mitzvah

People are disturbed by the realization of wasting food when people are starving. This year, in addition to the usual means of disposing of hametz, encourage congregants to donate to the hungry and homeless within the community. This is a very easy program to implement and it can add tremendously to the meaning of the Pesach observances.

We are not suggesting that congregants not clear their houses of hametz. This is an essential mitzvah for the proper observance of Pesach. Rather, encourage closed packages be donated to the hungry. Open packages and items which are too expensive to dispose of should be dealt with in the traditional manner. The open packages should be set aside or discarded and the expensive items should be sold.

Those families and individuals who sell their hametz should be encouraged to find additional ways to help the hungry and homeless for Pesach. It is traditional to make a donation to tzedakah when the hametz is sold to a Maot Hittim (money for wheat) Fund through the rabbi.

The Program

Several weeks before Pesach, a communication should be sent to every member of the congregation with the other information about the observance of the festival. (Model Pesach information packets are available from the Circulating Library of the USCJ). The communiqué should inform congregants about the project which seeks to connect the food collection with the ideals of the holiday:

• Pesach obligates us to fight hunger ("Let all who are hungry come and eat').
• Pesach reminds us about a life of hardship and poverty. Matzah is the bread of affliction, the bread of poverty which our ancestors ate as slaves.
• The messianic vision of Pesach pictures a world where all are free to celebrate, a world which has conquered poverty and hunger.

Action

• Congregants should be asked to bring unopened packages of food to a designated place in the synagogue. A closing date for the collection should be set (several days before the start of the holiday) to enable the congregation to deliver the food before Pesach begins.
• Congregations may want to place a large basket at the entrance to the synagogue. A large sign should be placed above the basket (perhaps saying "Let All Who Are Hungry Come and Eat"). This will serve not only as a receptacle for food but also as a constant reminder.
• Congregants should be strongly encouraged to participate. Rabbis can use this project as a theme for a Pre-Pesach sermon, and it should be mentioned in synagogue announcements after the letter has been sent out. Congregants could be asked to bring at least one item of hametz each time they come to the synagogue.

Synagogue school children, Schechter Day School attendees, and local Kadima/USY chapters can also play an important role in the project. They can help in the collection and distribution of food and remind their parents about the importance of participation. This project will enhance their understanding of the moral message of Pesach.

The food can be delivered to local homeless shelters, soup kitchens or other food providers in your community.

Helping Our Community

Pesach packages can also be provided to others in your community./p>

Kosher L'Pesach food can be expensive for the homebound and fixed income members of your community. Using similar means collect kosher for Pesach food and distribute it to the elderly or poor Jews of your community. Packages containing Matzah, chicken, gefilte fish, vegetables, desserts, and elements of the Seder will be especially welcomed./p>

MAZON, and MAZON CANADA, local Jewish federations, and other Jewish charities may be able to help you identify people who need Pesach food. For further information on MAZON, contact MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, 2940 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064, (310)-470-7769.

Student Packages

Some students may not be able to come home for Pesach. Send them a Pesach care package so they can celebrate at school. You may want to include Matzah, macaroons, and other traditional foods. You may also want to include a copy of the Hagadah.

Send out a letter to parents of college-age children in your congregation to determine if they will be home for the holiday. A small fee may be requested of parents for the Pesach packages, or the congregation can plan ahead by budgeting or asking for members to underwrite the project.

Hospitality

Encourage people in the congregation to share their Sederim with other members of the congregation. There may be some people who will be alone for the holiday, and others may not have Sederim in their own homes. Pesach is a good time to reach out to these people and to build a more caring congregation.

Place a notice in your synagogue bulletin asking anyone who is willing to share a Seder to call your synagogue office. Also ask for people to call who have no Seder to attend.

An announcement should be made from the bimah during services. The rabbi may know of people who have nowhere to go, or will be alone for the holiday. Remember: Pesach becomes much more meaningful if we share it with others.