CBI Blogs

Shalom Chaverim,

With the first night of Passover just two days away I thought it might be helpful to share a few resources to help you celebrate!

Some of you might feel like professionals having been born and raised in a Jewish home with Jewish parents and extended family. Some of you have been adopted by Jewish family or friends through a life partner or spouse and you just wish you knew more. Some of you are just learning about Judaism and have never experienced this holiday before. Whether you are a seasoned host of first night seder or brand new to all of this here are some tips, tricks, and resources to make your celebration exactly what you need it to be!

Music

Click here for a for a full repertoire of standards like kadeish urchatz, the four questions and avadim hayinu along with explanations.

For Young Families

There are many talented Jewish musicians who bring our holidays to life with Music.

Jason Mesches has created a full playlist on YouTube called Passover Help From Jason! Adults wanting to learn Dayenu and Who Knows One? Can find these here.

Shira Klein has an entire Passover album entitled Shir LaLa Pesach. You can find this on Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music and Pandora.

Miss Emily cannot be overlooked for music for our youngest people. She has also put together a play list on YouTube called Miss Emily’s Favorites – Passover! It includes her favorite parodies, classics like the four questions and a how to for making an Origami Frog.

For Everyone

If parodies are your jam, a quick search in YouTube for “Passover parody songs” will bring up all sorts of options from Billy Joel to Lion King to The Red Sea Shanty: A Pirate Passover.

You can find Passover Playlists on most streaming services. Our family uses Spotify and quick search brough up over 10 possibilities!

Haggadot

You can acquire haggadot (the text we use for the seder) for free from a variety of sources:

Recustom.com – allows you to choose from something they have put together OR you can create your own.

PJ Library offers a downloadable Haggadah along with other resources for the holiday.

JewishBoston – has a free downloadable Haggadah for the cost of sharing your email address and zip code.

Mishkan Haseder – the most recently published Haggadah from the CCAR Press can be downloaded.

Blessings

ReformJudaism.org, has you covered when it comes to blessings for home observance.

Recipes

Now that you have the music in hand and are feeling confident about the blessings, we can move the focus to food! Here are some favorites from my home to yours:

Brisket: thanks to a good friend Emeril Lagasse’s Passover Brisket recipe was recommended to me years ago. My printed out copy shows all the love of a tried and true recipe. Best when made a day ahead, this delicious creation stays warm for hours in the oven as you greet your guests and begin your seder.

Fish: A few years ago, Jacob surprised us by coming home from Israel for Passover. With him he brought a recipe from one of his commanders (as he was serving in the IDF at the time) for Moroccan Spicy Fish. Wow. This was so remarkably delicious and is traditional in Sephardic households for both Shabbat and Passover. While I can’t share his exact recipe this one looks super delicious. I used cod when I made it and the first, just like the brisket, sat beautifully in the oven until it was served, and the firm fish maintained its integrity. Another suggestion is a slow baked salmon made in advance and then served at room temperature. That would also be delicious!

Eggs: While yes, a plain hard-boiled egg is delicious in its own right, some years I have served deviled eggs for this course. Of course, I always keep a few plain eggs for those who aren’t feeling devilish. This year, with the increase cost of eggs, deviled eggs might be the best idea portioning just ½ an egg/guest. Nobody would think otherwise as there is typically too much food! (I am usually full after the matzah ball soup)

Matzah Ball Soup: Some of us make our own chicken soup from scratch. My hats off to all of you remarkable humans. For those of you who have felt overwhelmed by this menu staple, I got you.

First, the soup itself. I am a fan of two containers of chicken stock (unsalted) and two containers of chicken broth (either full salt or, you could also choose low sodium). I find the combination gives delicious flavor and just the right amount of salt with the flexibility to add more. You can also do this with vegetable stock if vegetarian is your preference. To give a more homemade flavor I will start the soup by cooking carrots, celery, and onions (and sometimes some chicken bones if I have some) before adding the stock. Season the vegetables well with salt and pepper and this will add to the flavor of your soup.

Next, matzah ball mix is fail-proof. Both regular and gluten free (although, the Kosher store was out of this as of Tuesday so, I will be making these from scratch for the first time this year.) Follow the instructions on the box. Use schmaltz (chicken fat) instead of oil if you want to. Chop up some parsley, chives, or fresh dill and mix it in. Be very gentle with both mixing and then forming of the balls themselves. The instructions say to cook in water, but I always cook them either in the soup itself or vegetable broth.

I usually get this put together about an hour before my guests are scheduled to arrive and then drop the matzah balls in to cook when the first guest walks in the door. This guarantees they are cooked by the time we sit down at the table and the soup stays warm on low until we get to eat it.

Dessert: This Flourless Chocolate Cake is an annual hit! It is so delicious, my kids ask for it year-round. Also, these homemade coconut macaroons are ridiculously good. As are macaroons from the tin dipped in chocolate!

The key to any Passover celebration is to take on only what you can in the moment. DO ask your guests to bring things. DO meet your youngest guests exactly where they are. For many years we were lucky if we lit candles and had a bit of matzah. For many years there were chicken nuggets and challah at the table for our pickiest eaters who wouldn’t taste the charoset, horseradish or matzah. Flash forward 14 or so years and these are the same children who prepare the macaroons and bring home the fish recipe. The important thing is to create fun memories that will grow and change as you do. Having some plagues spread around your table for folks to fling at one another as you move through the Haggadah can also add to the joy of the gathering.

No matter how or with whom you celebrate I pray that your matzah balls are fluffy, your charoset is sweet, and your gathering joyous.

Chag Pesach Sameach!

Shabbat Shalom!