The Seder gives every Temple Sinai member somebody to enjoy the holiday with.
Not everybody has a family to enjoy the holidays with, and Temple Sinai is trying to change that.
On Tuesday, April 11 at 6 p.m., Temple Sinai will hold its second annual Passover Seder, including a fully-catered Kosher buffet dinner and a family-friendly celebration of Passover. Last year, the synagogue saw about 130 people come out for the Seder and they’re hoping to match that this year.
“It’s really important to be together on this evening,” event organizer Rose Rose said. “We’re thrilled to be able to reach out to our community and the community that surrounds us.”
Passover is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the emancipation of Israelites from slavery in Egypt, according to Rose’s husband and Temple Sinai member Marty Rose.
“We tell the story every year so the children learn the story,” Rose said.
Marty added that Seder attendees also perform certain rituals such as removing drops of Passover wine from their glass in memory of the Egyptians who were killed when God parted the Red Sea to allow the Jews to escape.
“It’s for people that are not in the position to be able to cook and create that type of meal and that type of service at home for themselves,” Temple Sinai president Bob Kotzen said of the Seder.
Temple Sinai received a grant from the National Jewish Outreach Program as part of the Passover Across America program to help fund the Seder.
Marty explained that during Passover, Jews won’t eat any leavened foods, so everything must be made without yeast.
“Dessert could be a cake, but it has to be a special cake made without any kind of yeast,” Marty said.
Temple Sinai is home to approximately 140 families and is part synagogue, part nursery school for kids ages 2–4.
“It’s a relatively small, close-knit congregation that emphasizes the connection of people who belong there to each other,” Kotzen said. “Given the relatively small size, people tend to know each other to a great extent.”
When the Jewish population in Cinnaminson was concerned over Cinnaminson Township Public Schools not closing for Jewish holidays Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Kotzen says Temple Sinai served as a supportive organization Jewish families could come to for support.
“We have to be a lot of things to a lot of people,” Kotzen said. “It has to function almost as a Jewish community center as well as a synagogue.”
Temple Sinai Rabbai Boaz Marmon joined in 2015, and Kotzen says he’s bringing a fresh perspective to the synagogue.
Marmon is a singer, guitar player and served in the U.S. Army as an Iraqi interpreter for military intelligence.
For more information on the Seder or to inquire about reservations, contact Rose at (856) 912–1849 or [email protected]. Tickets are $36 for adults, $10 for children ages 6–15 and free for children under 5.
For more information on Temple Sinai, visit http://www.templesinainj.com.
