Here’s the 2014 Schedule of Passover Seders, Holiday Meals and Prayers at Shabbos House.

Click here for the 2015 Passover Schedule at Shabbos House.

Remember, RSVPs while helpful and appreciated (thanks for letting us know which/both Seders you plan on attending), are not absolutely necessary – please come regardless. There’s no obligation to come for prayers, or stay the whole time, no attendance taken or dress-code required, just come when you can and as you are. The one-hour Seder-within-a-Seder option is designed for those who can’t or won’t come for the whole thing but want to get the key parts in and fulfill as many Pesach Seder Mitzvot in as a short time as possible.

4/14: First Seder 8-11:30pm (Holiday Prayers 7pm)
(Seder-within-a-Seder 9:30-10:30pm)

4/15: Passover Lunch 12:30pm (Holiday Prayers 9:30am)

4/15: Second Seder 8:30-12:00am (Holiday Prayers 8:15pm)
(Seder-within-a-Seder 10-11pm)

4/16: Passover Lunch 12:30pm (Holiday Prayers 9:30am)

4/18: Friday Night Dinner 8pm (Shabbat Prayers at 7pm)

4/19: Shabbat Lunch 12:30pm (Shabbat Prayers 10am)

4/20: 7th Night Passover Dinner 8pm (Holiday Prayers 7:30pm)
late night Torah study after dinner chavruta-style on Haftorahs

4/21: 7th Day Passover Lunch 12:30 (Holiday Prayers 9:30am)
Kohain Blessing near end of the Morning Prayers, approx Noontime

4/21: 8th Night Passover Dinner 8:30pm (Holiday Prayers 8:15pm)
early version of “Moshiach-Meal” with songs and spirit

4/22: 8th Day Passover Lunch 12:30 (Holiday Prayers 9:30am)
Yizkor Memorial Service recited near end of Prayer, plus Kohain Blessing around Noon

4/22: Farewell Passover “Moshiach Meal” Dinner 7pm
Moshiach Meal is a Chassidic tradition to end Passover on a looking-forward note. Join us for Lchaim, Moshiach songs in Hebrew and English, and last hour of holiday inspiration. Holiday ends at 8:29pm in Albany NY. 

Hillel Moroccan Mimouna Post-Passover Party is at Interfaith Center, with costumes, music and food prepared by local Israeli women with authentic flavor according to UAlbany Hillel’s Kashruth policy.

Prayers precede all holiday meals. Kosher for Passover Dining is also available on Dutch Quad, especially on Passover weekdays.

WHO PAYS FOR ALL THIS?

Contributions from parents and alumni keep Shabbos House going all year but are especially important at Passover with the many holiday meals and especially high food prices. Thanks for the support. The L’chaim Student Group (SA funded) allocates $2,000 in funds for Price Chopper Kosher shopping, (which picked up about 2/3 of that tab), plus there are large produce orders, costs of paper-goods, and lots of bulk items that we get at wholesale stores. It’s indeed a costly endeavor, but the experience is priceless and we value every student interaction far beyond any cost.

SELL YOUR CHAMETZ

Not only is Chametz forbidden to eat on Passover, we’re not even allowed to own it. Any leaven (bread, bagels, beer, vodka, whiskey, cookies, pretzels, etc) that we have not eaten or destroyed before Passover must be sold via the agency of a Rabbi (not to a Rabbi) to a non-Jew, so that it is not in Jewish ownership over Passover. You can do this process in person with your Rabbi, or with the advent of technology use this online CHAMETZ SALE FORM at Chabad.org.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PASSOVER!

We hope that our Seders and holiday meals are quality informal enjoyable learning experiences. You can also take time to read up online on the laws, inspiration, background and in-depth meaning of the Passover story, rituals and Haggadah texts. Check out Chabad.org’s PASSOVER MEGASITE to browse and learn. By the way, the same site can be viewed in nine languages!

SPECIAL GUESTS FOR PASSOVER AT SHABBOS HOUSE

Rabbi Shlomo and Shifra Galperin, Raizy’s parents, will be once again joining us for Passover, along with their youngest daughter Sara, and Raizy’s grandmother Mrs. Fox. Rabbi Galperin is a rich treasure house of Chassidic stories and insights, and his personal experiences growing up religiously observant under communism in Russia are a great source of inspiration.