Bal Tashchit and Beyond: Tips for a Sustainable Passover

Charlotte Jewish News April 2022

By Rochelle Carney

This year, Passover will be celebrated from April 15 to April 23. On Passover, Jews may not own or consume chametz, (food containing grain that has risen, including breads, pastas, and cakes.). Prior to the holiday, homes are thoroughly cleaned, kitchens are kashered (the process of making year-round items kosher for Passover), and any remaining chametz is burned or sold. Turning over your kitchen, cleaning your home, and hosting seders can be a big undertaking and can create a significant amount of waste. Here are some tips to celebrate Passover in an environmentally friendly way. Don’t Waste Your Chametz If you are planning to kasher your kitchen and completely remove any food not labeled kosher for Passover, you may end up throwing away a lot of perfectly good food. In the week leading up to the first seder, be mindful of what is open in your fridge and make a conscious effort to use it up. If you do have leftover chametz, you can lock it up in a separate cabinet and then open it back up when the holiday is over. You can also sell it online at www.chabad.org. Any sealed food can be donated to the Jewish

Family Services Food Pantry. It is having a collection day two days before Passover on April 13 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Purchase Passover Dishes Some families choose to use disposable plates, cups, and utensils for the eight-day holiday instead of kashering their kitchenware. This has the potential to generate an enormous amount of waste. Consider investing in a set of Passover dishes and silverware that you won’t need to kasher each year. This is more cost effective and sustainable than purchasing disposable products year after year. If you do choose to use disposable products for all or a portion of the holiday, select products containing recycled or biodegradable (plant-based) content.

Use Eco-friendly Cleaning Methods — Not Just for Passover!

Switching to green cleaning products is good for the health and well-being of your family, and it also prevents unnecessary chemicals from being released into the environment. You can make your cleaning routine more environmentally friendly by making a few simple changes. Stop using paper towels — instead use cellulose dishcloths or reusable “unpaper” towels. Microfiber cloths or even using socks on your hands is a great paperless way to dust. Use up your old cleaners and then make the switch to natural, non-toxic cleaning products, or make your own using the recipes below:

Shalom Green Multi-Purpose Cleaning Concentrate - 3 oz. white vinegar - 2 Tablespoons dish soap - 12 drops essential oil (we recommend equal parts lemon and tea tree) Combine all ingredients in a small glass bottle. When ready to use, mix 2 oz. of concentrate with 8 oz. of water in a glass spray bottle. - window Cleaner - white vinegar - water

Combine equal parts vinegar and water in a glass spray bottle. Spray windows and wipe with a clean microfiber cloth, reusable kitchen towel, or even newspaper. A Sustainable Seder Serving plant-based dishes instead of meat or dairy lowers your carbon footprint. When planning your seder, add more vegetarian or vegan dishes to the menu. A traditional seder plate includes a roasted lamb shank bone, charoset (an apple and nut mixture), hardboiled egg, karpas (a green vegetable), maror (horseradish) and chazeret (a bitter lettuce). Support local farmers markets when you shop for apples for charoset, green vegetables, and free-range eggs.

During the Passover Seder, we retell the story of the ancient Hebrews’ enslavement in Egypt and how they were freed. As the seder ends, it is tradition that we open the door and pour a cup of wine to welcome the prophet Elijah into our home. Source kosher organic wine ahead of the big day. Hazon.org has a list of several wineries that ship. Locally, Vintner Wine Market in the Arboretum has a large kosher selection, and if you mention Hadassah, even if you’re not a member, Vintner will give 10% of the profits to Hadassah.

After the seder, send your guests home with leftovers in upcycled takeout containers. Or try to use leftovers to create new dishes rather than throwing them out. Make a frittata with left over vegetables or stuff chicken breast with charoset for an upscale meal.

Finally, anything that cannot be eaten can be composted. If you are hesitant to try composting on your own, explore services offered by Crown Town Compost, a food waste diversion service. Crown Town will collect your compost at your residence, or you can drop off your compost at one of four community drop-off points. https://www.crowntowncompost.com/ Take Time to Unplug The first and last two days of Passover are considered Yom Tov. On these days, the Torah prohibits working. If you are able, take a day off from work and stay close to home rather than commuting. Challenge yourself to spend the day free from your phone, television, and other electronics. Use the time instead to connect with family, spend time outdoors, or read a book.

Jewish tradition teaches the importance of caring for the environment, for we must act as partners in preserving creation. If you are interested in supporting Shalom Green or have ideas for educational programming, please contact us at info@shalomgreen- CLT.org. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ShalomGreen_CLT, and visit our website at www.shalomgreenclt.org.