DMV Passover Guide 2023 / 5783

Updated 4:08 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11th

What sets Passover apart? We’ve been asking this question to colleagues and friends recently and noticed — perhaps unsurprisingly — that we get very few repeat answers. One person said the first thing they thought of was liberation. Ritual, said another. Seder. Bitter tears, a bowl of salt water. A reminder of diaspora. Chocolate-covered matzah. Jewish resilience. Singing with family. A long meal. The four questions. Modern lessons in ancient Jewish wisdom. Spring cleaning.

Perhaps you have your own detail that pops up immediately. It’s the haggadah your family followed when you were growing up. It’s a particular verse from Exodus that unlocked something for you as you came to Judaism as an adult. It’s a story of redemption, of freedom. It’s a story of why stories are so important to pass down, generation to generation, in the first place.

Passover can be any and all of these things. At GatherDC, as we’ve planned our own experiences this year, we’ve never seen the multitude of meanings as a downside. Rather, the beauty of Passover is that everyone can have a seat at the table. As we reflect on and share the story of why we recognize and celebrate Passover, we hope that you and yours can find a Passover experience that feels most significant to you.

…and that’s where this guide comes in! Whether you’re looking for community-organized Seders or the resources to host your own, morning services or evening take-out, chances for community service or the best vegan Passover options you can find, GatherDC’s 2023 / 5783 DMV Passover Guide has got everything you need to make this Passover meaningful, memorable, and true to you.

Chag Sameach – wishing you a happy and healthy Passover, 

The GatherDC Team

PS: Did we miss something? Make sure it gets into the guide by submitting your event, deadline, Seder, gathering, or anything else to our events calendar!

Pre-Passover Events

Sunday, March 12th

• 11:00 a.m. – Master Chef: Fresh and Flavorful for Passover with Noted Jewish Chef Susan Barocas and Veteran Food Writer Bonnie Benwick with Hill Center

Sunday, March 19th

• 3:30 p.m. – Pesach Prep Paint Party at All Fired UP with Kesher Israel
  • RSVP here!

Sunday, March 26th

• 10:00 a.m. – Pre-Passover Hike + Learn: Spring Renewal with The Den Collective
  • Sign up by March 24th!

Monday, March 27th

• 5:00 p.m. – First Night Satellite Seder Registration Closes with EntryPointDC
• 7:00 p.m. – Group Text: Feel Free with Sixth & I
  • Register by 5:00 p.m. on March 27th to join!

Tuesday, March 28th

• Congregational and 2239 Seder Registration Closes

Wednesday, March 29th

• 6:00 p.m. – Freedom Seder with Washington Hebrew Congregation
  • Register at the link above!
• 7:30 p.m. – Pesach Pop-Up: Midrash and Makers with Adas Israel
• 7:30 p.m. – Passover Deep Dive: Jewish Law, Practice, and Custom
  • Sign up by March 27th!

Thursday, March 30th

• 8:00 a.m. – Annual Second Night Community Sustainability Seder Registration Closes

Saturday, April 1st

• 7:00 p.m. – Havdalah & Sing for Freedom with Adas Israel

Sunday, April 2nd

• 1:00 p.m. – Good Deeds Week Service Project with Next Gen
  • Must RSVP!
• 6:00 p.m. – 15th Annual Rainbow Seder with GLOE
  • Early bird registration ends March 21st
  • Register by Friday, March 24th!
• 7:30 p.m. – Cooking with Our Clergy: A Demonstration of Their Recipes from the WoTRS Passover Cookbook with Rodef 2100
  • Zoom event
  • Check out the cookbook!

Monday, April 3rd

• 7:15 p.m. – Passover Text Study: Collective Memory with The Den Collective
  • Sign up by April 2nd!

Seder Hosting and Matching

• Passover 2023 with OneTable
  • RSVP by Wednesday, March 29th to be matched with a host!
• 2023 / 5783 Home Hosted Seder with New Synagogue Project
  • Submit the linked form to be matched with a host!

First Night Seders

Wednesday, April 5th

• 6:00 p.m. – Congregational and 2239 Seder: Free to Be Jew and Me with Washington Hebrew Congregation and 2239
  • Registration closes March 28th!
• 6:30 p.m. – 10th Annual Community Passover Seder with Equinox Restaurant
  • Space is limited, reserve a table here!
• 7:00 p.m. – First Night Satellite Seder with EntryPointDC
  • Registration closes March 27th at 5:00 p.m.!
• 7:30 p.m. – Community Passover Seder with Adas Israel Congregation
• 8:00 p.m. – Passover Seder 2023 with American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad)

Second Night Seders

Thursday, April 6th

• 6:00 p.m. – Annual Second Night Community Sustainability Seder with EDCJCC
  • Registration closes March 30th!
• 6:00 p.m. – Community Potluck Seder through the Den Collective
  • Held outdoors!
• 6:00 p.m. – Second Seder with Temple Sinai
• 6:30 p.m. – Jewish Veg Zeder
  • Held over Zoom
  • Early bird registration closes March 6th!
• 7:00 p.m. – DC Passover Seder with Abrahamic House
  • Request a seat through OneTable!
• 8:45 p.m. – Passover Seder 2023 with American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad)

More Passover Events

Wednesday, April 5th 

• 7:00 a.m. – Siyyum Bechorim with Tifereth Israel
• 8:30 a.m. – Deadline to Sell Chametz with Tifereth Israel 
• 9:30 a.m. – Biur Hametz (Burning of the Hametz) with Adas Israel

Thursday, April 6th

• 9:00 a.m. – Pesach Day 1 Services with Tifereth Israel 
• 9:15 a.m. – Pesach 1st Day Services with DC Minyan
• 10:00 a.m. – Community Passover 1st Morning Festival Service with Temple Sinai
• 10:30 a.m. – Passover Festival Service with Washington Hebrew Congregation

Friday, April 7th

• 9:00 a.m. – Pesach Day 1 Services with Tifereth Israel 
• 6:00 p.m. – Queerspace Seder with New Synagogue Project
  • Hosted outdoors!

Saturday, April 8th

• 9:00 a.m. – Chol Hamoed Pesach Shabbat with Tifereth Israel
  • Followed by Light Kiddush!

Tuesday, April 11th

• 6:30 p.m. – Celebrate Passover with Jews of Color and their Families with EDCJCC
  • Free, but please register in advance!
• 7:00 p.m. – Not Your Average Passover Seder with Rodef 2100

Wednesday, April 12th

• 9:00 a.m. – Pesach Day 7 Services with Tifereth Israel 
• 9:15 a.m. – Pesach 7th Day Services with DC Minyan
• 10:00 a.m. – Community Passover 7th Morning Festival Service with Temple Sinai
• 10:15 a.m. – Passover Service with Yiskor at Temple Micah
• 10:30 a.m. – Yizkor Service with Washington Hebrew Congregation

Thursday, April 13th

• 9:00 a.m. – Pesach Day 8 Services with Tifereth Israel 
  • Yizkor Service at 11:00 a.m. (estimated time)
• 9:15 a.m. – Pesach 8th Day Services with DC Minyan
• 11:00 a.m. – Yizkor at Adas Israel
• 6:00 p.m. – Mimouna Celebration with Moishe House Columbia Heights
• 7:00 p.m. – Post-Passover Chametz Party with Sixth and I
• 9:30 p.m. – Mimouna at Magen David Sephardic Congregation

Sunday, April 16th

• 8:00 p.m. – Mimouna at the Smithsonian: SHIN-DC’s 9th Annual Festival of Good Neighbors with SHIN-DC
  • No charge, but please register at the link above!

Local Passover Noshing

Ways to Give Back

• American Jewish World Service
  • “Inspired by the Jewish commitment to justice, American Jewish World Service (AJWS) works to realize human rights and end poverty in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.”
• Capital Area Food Bank
  • “The Capital Area Food Bank is the anchor of the hunger relief infrastructure in our region, providing more than 45 million meals to people in communities across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.”
• Capitol Kosher Pantry’s Passover Food Drive
  • ​​​”The Capital Kosher Pantry…is the region’s only kosher food pantry…We help hundreds of Jewish community members throughout Greater Washington put proper food on their tables with dignity.”
• Federation of Greater Washington Ukraine Emergency Fund
  • “Federation and our partners on the ground in Ukraine continue the crucial work of supporting Ukraine’s 200,000+ Jews — as millions of Ukrainians flee or are internally displaced by the ongoing war. 100% of your gift to Federation’s Ukraine Emergency Fund will support Ukraine’s Jewish community.”
• Hebrew Free Loan Association of Greater Washington
  • “The Hebrew Free Loan Association of Greater Washington, guided by Jewish values, provides individuals and families with interest-free loans to help them overcome financial challenges or to embrace professional and personal opportunities with dignity.”
  • See more information on Passover micro-loans here.
• HIAS
  • “Drawing on our Jewish values and history, HIAS provides vital services to refugees and asylum seekers around the world and advocates for their fundamental rights so they can rebuild their lives.”
• Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger
  • “Inspired by Jewish values and ideals, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is a national organization fighting to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel.”
• World Central Kitchen
  • “WCK is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.”
• Yad Yehuda of Greater Washington
  • “[Our mission] is to serve as the Greater Washington Jewish community’s safety net, while seeking to address a variety of community strengthening needs.”

Passover Recipes

Passover Resources and Reading