Falls Church Synagogue Welcomes Families for Passover Service, Breakfast

More than 65 people attended the Family Friendly Firs Day of Passover Service at the Tuesday morning in Falls Church.

Cantor Michael Shochet said Passover is probably the largest home celebrated holidays amongst Jewish people. For the last three years, he said people have been coming to the synagogue for the morning service and the breakfast.

“It’s not necessarily a holiday people flock to the synagogue for,” Shochet said after the breakfast and service. “The breakfast is what we use to attract people in for service.”

An eight-day festival and celebration, Passover, which started Monday, commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. The breakfast at the Temple Rodef Shalom, challenged young people in attendance to draw pictures of things that compared to the 10 Plagues. Shochet said the younger children didn’t understand the task as much, but the older children did.

The catered Matzah-Brei – scrambled eggs, Matzah and fruit – was served in a large community room at the synagogue. Program Director Anita Thornton said the synagogue will host a Seder Tuesday night and expect more than 100 people. She said the Seder is open to the community.

“For some of the people in the community, this will be their only Seder for Passover,” Thornton said. “We try to make sure everyone has a Seder.”