The following blog first appeared Friday, March 30, as an email update from Keith Krivitzky, CEO, the Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

How many times have you said: Next Year in Jerusalem? Well, tonight you’re going to get another chance at the end of the Passover seder to say this iconic Jewish affirmation.

I have a simple question do you think you’ll mean it this year?

I don’t ask because I want to give you a guilt trip, though I do mean to provoke…a bit. Since next year will soon be this year, and the longer we go without visiting our family in the ancestral homestead…the easier it is to drift apart.

All I am going to say is that this is a great year to consider planning a visit. Not only will it soon be Israel’s 70th birthday/anniversary, but our Jewish Federation is also offering an amazing trip in October at an unbeatable price one which will be great for first time visitors as well as for those who have been multiple times before. Check out the latest itinerary through the link below, which is brought to you in conjunction with our partners at Makor Israel Journeys and IGT.

We have some more info sessions scheduled, but I want to encourage you to think about making next year in Jerusalem a reality. Check out the 411 at www.jewishheartnj.org/mission2018!  

With that, some reads for Passover:

• A last minute guide to the holiday: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/checklist-setting-the-seder-table  
• News of the day in Israel: https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-gaza-israel-fears-rallies-will-break-out-of-strip-even-if-protesters-dont/  
• Another perspective: http://njjewishnews.com/article/37620/the-trump-administration-just-doesnt-get-gaza#.Wr4ftk2G-P8  
• Any other mega donors want to step up???: http://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/mega-funders-increasingly-setting-the-communal-agenda/
• Really cool review and commentary: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/26/why-jewish-history-is-so-hard-to-write  
• Yes!: http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/259149/its-almost-passover-time-to-revisit-the-holidays-greatest-foods
• Such a great podcast: http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/258050/unorthodox-episode-130-passover-advice-mimouna-adam-mansbach-haggadah  

And special video daily doubles for Pesach:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oLaHhOgPss&sns=em 
• https://youtu.be/KKV07h85lHY  

Best for a Shabbat Shalom and a Chag Sameach have a great holiday weekend. Taking a break from the update next week…so you’ll have to celebrate the rest of the holiday without me. But back in 2 weeks. ;-)

Keith