Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz

Shabbat Chol haMo’ed Pesach 2017 Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz Let’s Take It Personally I don’t do this often because who wants a rabbi who abuses the pulpit in order to inflict smarmy tales of domestic bliss upon her congregation? Yet, I can’t resist: watching my two toddlers sing Mah Nishtanah at the Seder table was possibly one of the greatest sources of naches that I’ve been privileged to experience as a young Jewish parent. I fully admit, I’m a fool for Pesach. I love Spring, I love the ‘thickness’ of the ritual and culture of the festival and I love cooking and hosting. A dear friend of mine spent part of the holiday with us and the three of us cooked a storm and our family enjoyed a Seder with all the trimmings: chicken soup with kneidlach, glazed brisket, quinoa salad, potato salad, egg salad and more (and you can probably guess where I’ve lingered on the kitniyot debate!) Once seated, I feasted my eyes on a beautifully set table, as I’m sure as many of you have, and s...

I've collected some Pesach resources to share. Some of these are (British) Reform Movement resources and some of them are Conservative/Masorti Movement resources. I hope you will find them useful! - Spice up your Haggadah with an insert discussing social justice and modern slavery . Published by Tzedek and Jhub , this colourful source sheet is perfect for printing off and using on Seder night. Slavery is not just a metaphor but a painful reality of our world.  - Want the know-how on Pesach and Seder from a (British) Reform perspective? The Movement for Reform Judaism has brought together these resources.  - To eat kitniyot (legumes) or not to eat... that is the question! My esteemed colleague Rabbi Michael Hilton has written a responsum from a Reform perspective on the matter. - Need a contemporary and reasonable Halakhic guide to keeping Passover and kashering your kitchen? See the Conservative Movement's ' Passover Guide '.  - For those intere...