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T'filah Talks: Passover Foods in the Modern World

03/27/2020 10:05:49 AM

Mar27

Rabbi Jonathan Biatch

What is with those other grains?

Maror … charoset … gefilte fish. Passover supplies us with a panoply of foods to consume. But the one food that we are commanded by tradition to eat is matzah. Exodus 12:15 spells it out clearly: “For seven days you will eat unleavened bread; further, on the first day you shall banish leaven out of your houses.”

Since the earliest observances of Passover, Jews have been concerned with the content of the foods for this holiday. For example, we are prohibited from eating five specific grains: wheat, oats, rye, barley, and spelt. We avoid these grains because they naturally germinate when exposed to moisture in the air and could contain leavening. Matzah that is sold must be supervised to ensure that no such germination has taken place.

But what about other grains and grain-like foods—chia, corn, flax, garbanzo beans, lentils, quinoa, peas, different varieties of rice, sesame seeds, soybeans, sunflower seeds, and more—that we find in our world? Throughout the years, they have been prohibited at Passover for some Jews while permitted for others. Why this distinction? And can any modifications be made in the way we observe Passover?

Please join me and Cantor Jacob Niemi on Zoom as we explore the interesting and intricate world of kitniyot (legumes, etc.), which some Jews consume on Passover and some do not. We will also contemplate our traditional practices here at Temple Beth El and whether we may want to modify how we observe this custom.

This event is sponsored by the Religious Practices Committee, chaired by Leslie Coff and Jodi Harris.

All are invited to join this online discussion on Thursday, April 2, at 11:00 am via Zoom

March 29, 2024 19 Adar II 5784