Santa Fe Jewish Center Chabad Providing Free Seder Kits

With social distancing the new norm and more Santa Feans finally getting the message to stay home in an effort to flatted the COVID-19 curve, religious gatherings are forced to hit the pause button.

For those of the Jewish faith, who will observe the beginning of Passover (the eight-day celebration of the Exodus after hundreds of years of slavery…in the most simple of terms) this Wednesday, April 8, this is particularly challenging—Seders are group activities to be sure, and there are quite a few items that play an important role.

"This year unfortunately will not be able to get together as a community, and many people won't be able to join their family for this ritual," says Rabbi Berel Levertov of the Santa Fe Jewish Center Chabad. "For many, this will be the first time they will be leading a Seder, In an effort to assist, the [center] is providing 100 complete Seder kits for free to the community."

Sponsored by the Carla Freeman Charitable Fund, the Santa Fe Community Center and Santa Fe's Schlenger family, the kits look a little something like this:

• Three hand-baked Shmurah Matzah
• One bottle of wine or grape juice
• Grated horseradish and lettuce
• Charoset
• Egg
• Shank bone
• Parsley
• Seder plate
• Hagaddah
• Seder guide
• Kidush cup

The kits are available through the center's website, as are instructions for how to obtain them.

"This year we will celebrate intimately. With immediate family, a spouse or even ourselves. This year we are called to internalize the message of freedom on a very personal level, " Levertov tells SFR. "If an invisible, tiny virus can transform the whole world, there must be one good deed the world is waiting for for it to be transformed to the ultimate good, peaceful world."