Rabbi Siff will begin MECHIRAS CHOMETZ transactions on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10th, after Rosh Chodesh Nissan and continue until FRIDAY NOON, APRIL 19th at his home, 268 East Broadway, Apartment A501 (not at shul) at the following times: 6:00 to 6:50 PM (before Mincha) and 8:00 to 9:00 PM (after Maariv) and Sunday, April 14th from 10 to 12 noon and 8:00 to 9:00 PM

Although it is Halachically preferable to do the transaction in person, if you are unable to come at the above times you can make arrangements by calling Rabbi Siff at 212-228-7720 or 917-836-7704. Feel free to leave a message and he will call you back.

This year the actual sale to the non-Jew will take place at 10 AM on Sunday, April 21st for Israel and Monday, April 22nd for America. Authorization with Rabbi Siff for either sale must be completed by Sunday, April 21st to allow time to complete all documents properly.

Whenever davening is early remember to count Sefira and to recite the three chapters of Krias Shema at the proper time at night.

On Shabbos, April 20th Mincha will take place at 7:15 PM followed by the Shabbos Hagodol Drosho which will be given by Rabbi Chaim Packer.

We conducted our annual Maos Chitim appeal by email. The primary purpose of this appeal is to help people in our neighborhood who are in need of financial assistance as they prepare for Pesach. If anything remains in the fund after those needs are met they are used for helping those in need in our community. Therefore, the Maos Chitim Fund becomes a yearlong Tzedakah Fund. After Pesach it is called “The Rabbi’s Fund”.

If you haven’t already done so and would like to contribute, please send your check to Young Israel of Manhattan, c/o Erez, 413 Grand Street, Apt. F701, NY, NY 10002. You can also contribute via Zelle at yim225@aol.com. Please indicate that it is for Maos Chitim.

If you know of any person on the Lower East Side who needs help for Pesach, please inform the Rabbi, Rabbi Gary Ambrose, Rabbi Daniel Mezei, our Maos Chitim committee, or our office and we shall try to help.

If you leave before Bedikas Chometz night, search in the same manner as usual, but without reciting the brocho before the search. After you finish, recite the bitul (nullification) which always follows the search. You can then throw away your chometz or put it aside to sell. On Monday morning, wherever you are, burn a piece of chometz (kezias) and recite the nullification again, as if you were home, bearing in mind that the bitul applies to your home and to all the chometz that you may still possess, wherever it may be.

Every individual must eat matzah schmura at the Seder to properly fulfill the mitzvah of “Achilas Matzah”. Hand-baked matzah schmura is greatly preferable to use, since it is made specifically for the purpose of fulfilling the mitzvah. However, if one cannot eat or digest the hand schmura, then machine schmura may be used. The issue is not kashrus, but kavonah, intent to make the matzah specifically for that purpose.

First born males in each family, as well as the fathers of minor first born sons, must fast on the day before Passover unless they partake of a “Mitzvah Meal”. Concluding a tractate of the Talmud, a “Siyum” is usually regarded as cause of such a meal. We will conduct the Siyum, given by Rabbi Gary Ambrose, following morning services, which will commence at 8:00 AM on Monday, April 22nd at our (52 Cannon) East Broadway location.

For matters relating to Young Israel cemetery, please contact the chairman of the cemetery committee, Shmuel Karper at 718-253-1950 (home) or 646-942-0176 (cell).