Passover at K.I.
Passover celebrations mark the beginning of spring on the Jewish calendar. Intense preparations precede the holiday of our freedom, which begins with two festive seders. Below please find information about preparing for Passover and service and programming times at Knesset Israel.
Preparing for Passover:
The Rabbinical Assembly publishes an annual Passover guide about kosher-for-Passover food and best practices for making a kitchen and home ready for the holiday. The best bet for Passover shopping in the area is the Stop & Shop market on Dan Fox Drive, Pittsfield. Click here for more information about finding kosher food in the Berkshires.
Preparation for Passover involves cleaning out all the hametz - leaven - from our homes. We encourage people to discard open hametz and to donate unopened hametz to a local food pantry, such as the Pittsfield Community Food Pantry, in which KI is a partner. There are sometimes reasons (hard-to-reach crumbs, expensive grain liquor) to sell what might remain, rather than donate it or discard it, so that it will not be in your possession during the holiday. To appoint Rabbi Weiner as the agent to sell your hametz, click here. Because of the time parameters, this particular sale will work best for hametz in the northeastern United States.
Passover Programming:
Knesset Israel Families Together offers a Passover program for families in conjunction with Hebrew School - Sunday, March 22 at Temple Anshe Amunim - Please RSVP for "the Amazing Matza Race" with Rabbi Val Lieber. (Major funding provided by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation)
First Night Seder:
A first night seder presented by the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires takes place on Wednesday, April 1. Rabbi David Weiner will lead the seder, which is catered by Handcrafted. Please click here to sign up through the Jewish Federation. Scholarships are available - no one who wishes to attend seder will be turned away for financial hardship - please call the Jewish Federation (413) 442-4360 for more information.
See the Calendar for Passover Service Times
Pesah 2026/5786 Ritual Times in Pittsfield
- Friday, March 27 – Latest date to turn in Hametz sale form to the KI office
- Tuesday, March 31 – Search for hametz after nightfall
- Wednesday, April 1 – burn hametz before 10:00 a.m.
- light candles no later than 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, April 2 – light* candles no earlier than 8:02 p.m.
- Friday, April 3 – light* candles no earlier than 7:02 p.m.
- Saturday, April 4 – havdalah no earlier than 8:04 p.m.
- Tuesday, April 7 – light* candles no earlier than 7:07 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 8 – light* candles & yahrzeit candle no earlier than 8:09 p.m.
- Thursday, April 9 – havdala no earlier than 8:10p.m.
- Eat hametz no earlier than 9:10 p.m.
*On the second night of the holiday or on a Friday night that immediately follows a day of the holiday, ‘light’ candles by transferring an existing flame to a new wick. Many leave a long-burning yahrzeit candle lit throughout the holiday for this purpose.