SC Hillel

05/05/2026

‘Remnants’ tells the story of the 23 Jews who fled Brazil and established Shearith Israel in New York

04/24/2026

"He’s full of self-deprecation and derisive humor just like him on stage, but Kahan also brings with him a kind radical openness, which is what makes his music so healing, so important to its listeners. And just like his music, his openness in this documentary makes one feel so seen, feel a sense of healing — even if it isn’t necessary healing to him."

In one of the many moving scenes in Netflix’s “Noah Kahan: Out of Body,” singer Noah Kahan sits with his dad, Josh, on the porch of his Nashville home. They each strum a guitar as they play the first song they ever played together (when Noah was just 9!): the 1970 hit “Father & Son” […]

04/13/2026

Yom Hashoah Ve-Hagevurah (“Day of (Remembrance of the Holocaust and the Heroism”) begins at sundown, on the 27th of the Hebrew month of Nisan. The date was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Yom HaShoah reminds us of the horrors that Jews and other persecuted groups faced: forced labor, starvation, humiliation, and torture, which often resulted in death. It was a systematic effort to wipe out an entire population from the face of the earth.

(Shoah, which means “catastrophe” or “utter destruction” in Hebrew, refers to the atrocities that were committed against the Jewish people during World War II. This is a memorial day for those who died in the Shoah. The Shoah is also known as the Holocaust, from a Greek word meaning "sacrifice by fire.")

It is a reminder, not only of sacred lives lidt, but also of heroism in the face of inhumanity.

04/08/2026

Scenes from tonight's Chocolate Seder.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p’ree ha-gafen u’vorei ha-chalav ha-shokolad.
Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine and Creator of chocolate milk.

04/03/2026

A definitive guide to every Pesach TV episode you can stream right now.

Editor's note: This article was updated on April 18, 2024 to include even more Passover TV. Enjoy. Dear reader, I know what you're thinking: the Passover holiday doesn't always have the glitz and glam of Hanukkah or a bar/bat mitzvah. But that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy when Pesach and sed

04/02/2026

"From India’s animal blood on doorposts to Ethiopia’s all-chickpea pre-Seder diets, the Jewish diaspora has developed distinctive traditions that endure."

From India’s animal blood on doorposts to Ethiopia’s all-chickpea pre-Seder diets, the Jewish diaspora has developed distinctive traditions that endure.

04/01/2026

"Bread that rises is not just food. It is a metaphor. Contrast that with matzah: flat, simple and unadorned. The bread of the poor."

(RNS) — Why Jews have traditionally gone against the grain.

03/31/2026

With Passover falling on April Fools' Day this year, here are some hilarious ways to keep your seder guests on their toes.

This year, Passover seder night falls on the most annoying holiday of them all — April Fools’ Day. We don’t know the origins of this incredibly irritating and surprisingly ancient holiday in which people (and now, corporations like Google and Baskin-Robbins) famously prank each other, though i...

03/24/2026

Passover this year begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 1. As part of our marking of the holiday, Spiritual Life and SC Hillel invite you to attend a Chocolate Seder!

What makes this Seder for Passover different from all other Seders? The chocolate!
Join us for a retelling of the Exodus story that's a little more relaxed (and sweet!)

Guests are more than welcome, so please invite a friend (preferably one who enjoys chocolate). Just be sure to RSVP and share the link with your guest. Bit.ly/CocoSeder26

If you have any questions, please contact or

(If you have additional questions regarding Passover, or need access to matzah, please reach out, as well.)

03/02/2026

Chag Purim Sameach!
Purim celebrates the salvation of the Jewish people from Haman's plot "to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day."
Haman served as prime minister to Persian emperor Achashveirosh.

While the sage Mordechai rallied the Jews to prayer and repentance, his cousin, Queen Esther, arranged Haman's undoing at a party. She convinced the emperor to hang Haman and reverse his decree, empowering the Jews to defend themselves against those who sought to destroy them.

On Purim, the four main commandments (mitzvot) are:

Megillat Esther, hearing and/or reading the Megillah; 
mishloach manot, sending food gifts to friends and neighbors; 
matanot la’evyonim, giving charity; 
and seudat Purim, partaking in a shared festive meal (seudah). 

The holiday is often compared to Mardi Gras or Halloween, with full-fledged carnivals, games for children, and comedic and musical performances called Purim shpiels, complete with costumes (related to the story of Esther or not!)

02/03/2026

"These days, rage simmers in most of us. We can no more curb this part of our humanity than Statler and Waldorf can curb the Muppets’ inevitable bent toward disorder. But we can treat it with good humor. That’s the greatest good of Muppetland. There, our worst instincts are recognized, but stripped of violence, so we can laugh at them."

A one-off "Muppet Show" special, guest-starring Sabrina Carpenter, contains deep spiritual lessons. A full reboot should follow.