With Passover right around the corner, some of you might be asking, “which holiday is this again, the eating one, or the not eating one?”
Here’s a refresher: Jews commemorate the liberation of our ancestors some 3,300 years ago from the hands of Pharaoh and the ancient Egyptians. God helped the children of Israel escape slavery by inflicting ten crazy plagues not to be confused with Adam Sandler’s “Eight Crazy Nights” that made life for the Egyptians unlivable, forcing Pharaoh to release the Israelite slaves. Go see the movie Exodus if you’re more of a visual learner (spoiler alert: it’s pretty inaccurate if you’re a fan of the Torah, but Christian Bale is really hot).
Also, Passover’s the eating one. Just no carbs.
Now for questions related to the modern day application of the holiday: What should I do for Passover? Where do I go? Should I eat Chametz and hope I don’t get caught? I’m not here to judge your inability to avoid muffins and all food that is good for 8 days, but I can help with the “what’s and where’s of Passover.”
If you’re looking for entertaining, interactive activities with other Jewish young adults, check out NextGen. Last year, NextGen hosted “Epic Afikomen,” a huge scavenger hunt competition throughout Orange County that helped familiarize participants with different Jewish organizations in the area, introduced participants to one another, and concluded with a Pesach-friendly BBQ at Mandel House, the first Jewish residential home in OC for adults with special needs. This year, NextGen will host another scavenger hunt, but the name may change to “Jews Clues,” so keep an eye out for more information. Email NextGen@jffs.org for inquiries on how to be more involved.
Want a Passover Seder hosted by an incredible family? Enter Rabbi Drew and Rachel Kaplan, the Long Beach campus Rabbi and Executive Director of Hillel, respectively. For the past several years, the Kaplans have opened their home to students and young adults alike to enjoy a fun, family style seder, only walking distance from Long Beach State. This is an incredible opportunity to enjoy a delicious meal with other young adults, and feel comfortable asking questions about Passover, Judaism, or anything else on your mind! Collectively, the Kaplans possess an abundance of knowledge, and know how to connect with young adults as educators, role models, and friends! Contact the Kaplans at rabbidrew@socaljss.org.
For a fun event in Costa Mesa, check out Moishe House! From seders to get-togethers, MoHo is certain to bring something fun to the mix this Passover! Contact the residents at MoisheHouseOC@gmail.com to get involved with the 20-something age group.
Lastly, if you’re searching for a synagogue near you, but not sure where to start, feel free to message me at Adam@jffs.org. Happy Fasting! Α
Adam Chester graduated from UCSD with a degree in Clinical Psychology and is the NextGen Outreach & Engagement Coordinator at JFFS.