Feeding families this Passover

CLIFTON PARK, NY (News10) – Tonight marks the first night of Passover, the Jewish holiday lasting eight days. Clifton Park Chabad is making sure all are able to enjoy a Passover seder meal, whether or not they can afford it.

“It’s called the food of faith and the food of health,” explained Rabbin Yossi Rubin of Clifton Park Chabad, while holding a large piece of matzah from Israel.

Those celebrating the Jewish tradition of Passover eat certain foods for the next eight days — they can only have unleavened bread or matzah. Other popular foods include gefilte fish, matzah ball soup, and kugel.

Rabbi Rubin said the foods have historical and religious significance. 

“The Jews in Egypt had matzo when they left Egypt, and it reminds us on humility, because the bread rises but the matzah shows humility and this was a new beginning for the Jewish people,” Rubin explained.

But these foods can also be expensive. That’s why Rubin and members of his temple decided to help those in the community by packing meals to distribute to those in need.

“We provide food for the community to have Passover and be able to celebrate wherever they are, the best they can,” Rubin stated. 

Seventeen-year-old Kara Tedrick helped prepare and give out the meals with her friend Esther, Rabbi Rubin’s daughter. 

“The experience was really fun,” Tedrick said with a big smile. “I got to spend time with my friends handing them out to people like seniors who live alone, by themselves, in like hotels and stuff. Visiting them and checking up on how they are.” 

“They were, like, really happy to see us and like giving us hugs and telling how appreciative they were and telling us to come back again,” Esther Rubin shared.

They also gave the meals to those in nursing homes, in rehab and others who are housebound without family nearby. 

“Nobody misses out, even if they’re alone,” Esther Rubin added.

The Chabad has distributed more than 175 meals, teaming up with the Shalom Food Pantry in Albany, to provide three to five days’ worth of groceries to nearly 600 individuals here in the Capital Region so everyone can partake in the holiday.