Pesah will be here before we know it, and given the amount of detail that goes into Pesah preparations, we have put together the ACI community a special guide. This post is organized chronologically, beginning with preparing your home for Pesah and ending with the holiday’s official end.
Guide to Kashering for Pesah
Here is a brief guide from the Rabbinical Assembly on kashering your home for Pesah, along with a fantastic set of videos from the Hadar Institute demonstrating how to kasher your home for Pesah.
Pre-Pesah Shiur: Why Does Elijah Visit the Seder?
Please join Rabbi Josh on March 30, 2026, from 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET for an evening of adult Jewish learning in preparation for your Pesah Seder.
Why do we invite Eliyahu HaNavi to our seder? While Elijah is one of the most well-known Jewish prophets, his story and afterlife in Jewish tradition are less well-known. This session will focus on Elijah’s leadership persona in the Tanakh and why he chooses the seder to visit Jews around the world.
Mehirat Hametz (Selling Hametz)
As the community’s rabbi, I will act as our congregation’s agent for those who wish to sell their hametz. If you want to sell hametz, please complete this form by Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
I am proud to share that this year, we will sell our hametz to my friend, Father Carlos Holmes Rendón Agudelo, the new priest at The Church of the Redeemer, the congregation that neighbors ACI.
Biur Hametz (Disposal of Hametz)
The last time to eat hametz is on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at 10:51 a.m. ET, and biur hametz (disposal of hametz) must take place by 11:58 a.m. ET.
Ma’ot Hittin
It is customary to make a donation, called ma’ot hittin, “money for wheat,” to aid the poor and hungry during Pesah. Click here to donate online, and be sure to designate the money for the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund when asked to select your “cause.”
Need a Place for Seder?
ACI is committed to ensuring that no one who needs a place for a seder will be left alone. If you would like a place for a seder for one or both of the first two nights, please email me at [email protected] by Monday, March 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET. I will do my best to find you a host family.
Shabbat Hol Ha’Moed Pesah
ACI will hold services on Shabbat Hol Ha’Moed Pesah on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. ET. On that day, we will hear a reading from Megillat Shir HaShirim and recite Yizkor.
End of Pesah
Pesah officially ends at 8:11 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 9, 2026. I will likely complete the return of the community’s sold hametz one hour after the holiday concludes. This means that, after the holiday ends, you can eat “new” hametz, but you should wait until you receive confirmation from me before eating hametz you sold.
