Religious School
March 2025
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Hello everyone,
As we move from March into April, we also head from the month of Adar on the Jewish calendar into the month of Nisan. In Adar, we increase our joy and retell the story of Purim; in Nissan, we recall our salvation from slavery by retelling the story of Passover.
Growing up, Passover meant many things to me, but it was also a time I was particularly aware of the mixed Sephardic and Ashkenazi heritage I grew up with. My maternal grandmother, Ray, and her family emigrated from Turkey in the early 1900s, and Grandma Ray’s first language was Ladino, a Jewish dialect of Spanish. On the other hand, my father’s parents came from Eastern Europe, and their family dialect was Yiddish, a mix of German, Polish, and Hebrew.
Part of having Sephardic and Ashkenazi heritage meant navigating the differences in customs between these two Jewish cultures, especially during Passover. My paternal grandparents avoided kitniyot, which comes from the Hebrew word katana, meaning little. Kitniyot includes rice, beans, and lentils. On the other hand, Grandma Ray continued eating such foods during Passover.
My immediate family chose to eat kitniyot as a part of our Passover practice in honor of my grandmother’s heritage. Since it was less stringent, it was easier for us as a family. However, ensuring we could bring food to my grandparents’ house on Passover was a more complicated question, and we had to work with them to figure out what food we could or could not bring.
As we navigate the complexities of tradition and observe Passover, I invite us to consider: Which customs feel most appropriate and meaningful for my family? How do we interact with those who have standards different from ours? And how does the practice of restricting our diet help us (or not) as we consider the move from slavery to freedom, from contraction to expansiveness?
One Sephardic dish I loved for Passover, in particular, is mina, a meat or veggie lasagna made with matzah instead of pasta. As one offering from me, here is a mina recipe I found online that looks like the recipe I grew up with!
Chag Pesach Sameach!
Religious School Calendar
• Sunday, April 6 Religious School at 9:30 am, J-Play Passover at 10:30, and Congregational Passover Seder at 11 am
• Sunday, April 13 NO Religious School (Passover – Chag Sameach!)
• Sunday, April 20 NO Religious School (MA Spring Break Begins)
• Sunday, April 27 Regular Religious School (NH Spring Break Begins)
Thank you again to everyone for all you do for the religious school! Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns or need to let me know about an absence, late arrival, or an early pick-up.
Sincerely,
Elisheva (Elli) Pripas
As we move from March into April, we also head from the month of Adar on the Jewish calendar into the month of Nisan. In Adar, we increase our joy and retell the story of Purim; in Nissan, we recall our salvation from slavery by retelling the story of Passover.
Growing up, Passover meant many things to me, but it was also a time I was particularly aware of the mixed Sephardic and Ashkenazi heritage I grew up with. My maternal grandmother, Ray, and her family emigrated from Turkey in the early 1900s, and Grandma Ray’s first language was Ladino, a Jewish dialect of Spanish. On the other hand, my father’s parents came from Eastern Europe, and their family dialect was Yiddish, a mix of German, Polish, and Hebrew.
Part of having Sephardic and Ashkenazi heritage meant navigating the differences in customs between these two Jewish cultures, especially during Passover. My paternal grandparents avoided kitniyot, which comes from the Hebrew word katana, meaning little. Kitniyot includes rice, beans, and lentils. On the other hand, Grandma Ray continued eating such foods during Passover.
My immediate family chose to eat kitniyot as a part of our Passover practice in honor of my grandmother’s heritage. Since it was less stringent, it was easier for us as a family. However, ensuring we could bring food to my grandparents’ house on Passover was a more complicated question, and we had to work with them to figure out what food we could or could not bring.
As we navigate the complexities of tradition and observe Passover, I invite us to consider: Which customs feel most appropriate and meaningful for my family? How do we interact with those who have standards different from ours? And how does the practice of restricting our diet help us (or not) as we consider the move from slavery to freedom, from contraction to expansiveness?
One Sephardic dish I loved for Passover, in particular, is mina, a meat or veggie lasagna made with matzah instead of pasta. As one offering from me, here is a mina recipe I found online that looks like the recipe I grew up with!
Chag Pesach Sameach!
Religious School Calendar
• Sunday, April 6 Religious School at 9:30 am, J-Play Passover at 10:30, and Congregational Passover Seder at 11 am
• Sunday, April 13 NO Religious School (Passover – Chag Sameach!)
• Sunday, April 20 NO Religious School (MA Spring Break Begins)
• Sunday, April 27 Regular Religious School (NH Spring Break Begins)
Thank you again to everyone for all you do for the religious school! Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns or need to let me know about an absence, late arrival, or an early pick-up.
Sincerely,
Elisheva (Elli) Pripas