March 27, 2026 | 9 Nissan 5786
Candlelighting 7:22 p.m. | Havdalah 8:21 p.m. | Vol. 69, No. 13 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
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Passover Pittsburgh Jewish faith leaders urge hope, openness celebrated with community this Passover seders
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL (Re)building bridges
Program explores Black/Jewish relations
Page 4
LOCAL Communal connections for young families
p Matzah offers timeless meaning.
JParent at the JCC
Page 6
HISTORY “The Goodwill Collection”
Books to foster understanding
Page 7
PASSOVER Seder wine pairings
A bottle of white, a bottle of red Page 21
By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer
A
s Pittsburghers clean, shop and determine seating arrangements for upcoming seders, local rabbis and spiritual leaders are contemplating themes tied to the holiday. Whether delivered to congregants from pulpits, via emails or in conversation, the lessons reflect a desire to tie the ancient Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt to today’s turmoil. With Operation Epic Fury now nearing a month, Passover is arriving at a precarious moment. Many people are experiencing a “mixture” of thoughts, Chabad of Squirrel Hill’s Rabbi Yisroel Altein said. A Passover-related teaching by the Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson simplifies the complexity, Altein said. Within the Haggadah, the passage beginning “Ha lachma anya” (“This is the bread of affliction”) concludes with “Hashta avdei; l’shana habah bnei chorin” (“Now we are slaves; next year we shall be free”). Those bookended words promote “balance,” Altein said. Recognizing one’s current situation — even if difficult — is important, however, remembering the “big picture” is imperative, he said. “We’re on the way to full redemption.”
Photo by cottonbro studio via Pexels
“Passover is one of the great Jewish resilience stories,” Temple Emanuel of South Hill’s Rabbi Aaron Meyer said. “We gather in our homes, we gather together with family and friends, not only to remind ourselves of our ancestors’ plight — and hopefully through that to remind ourselves that we can navigate through hard times to better days ahead — but we imagine as if we ourselves were there, internalizing this lesson in a more than intellectual way.” Passover practices began millennia ago. One challenge this year is that “as Americans, we’re currently trapped in a debate about how great evil has to be before it demands to be confronted or demands resistance,” Meyer said. Both Purim and Passover are seasonal indicators that “sometimes a strong hand is needed for redemption more often than our modern sensibilities might like.” The Passover story, in particular, “encourages us to not give into despair, but to embrace the idea that things can change and that we can go towards liberation and justice,” Congregation Dor Hadash’s Rabbi Amy Bardack said. With Passover beginning April 1, Pittsburghers will look to a familiar tale of slavery and freedom for inspiration.
p Chabad of Greenfield bought ads celebrating Passover.
Photo by Rabbi Yitzchak Goldwasser
By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
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ach year, Jews around the world traditionally gather with family at the seder table to retell Passover’s enduring story of freedom from slavery. But if you can’t celebrate with family this year — or simply want to join a larger community — there are many options across Pittsburgh. Local congregations and other Jewish organizations are hosting seders, and the Chronicle has assembled a guide to help you find one.
Reform Beit Kulanu — the combined Rodef Shalom and Temple Sinai congregation — will host its first community seder, led by Rodef Shalom Congregation’s Rabbi David Young. The seder will take place at Rodef Shalom, 4905 Fifth Ave., beginning at 6 p.m. To register, or to learn more about the seder, visit rodefshalom.org/ events-1/congregational-passover-seder-1-3.
Please see Passover, page 17
Chag
Sameach!
vetre / Adobe Stock
Please see Seders, page 17