OVERVIEW:

On the night before Passover, it is traditional to do a ritual called bedikat chametz – the search for chametz (bread or other leavened products), which must be removed from the house before the holiday begins. In families with children, parents hide 10 items of chametz around the house, and the children have to find the items in the dark (sometimes after being given clues). This program combines this scavenger hunt with a clothing donation appeal to community members, so that people can engage in spring cleaning of their own homes by bringing unneeded items to the Moishe House, which residents will send to donation.

MATERIALS:

• Finding/cleaning materials for each person/team:
  • Traditional: Candle, feather, wooden spoon, paper bag
  • Modern: Flashlight, broom, dustpan, plastic trash bag
• 10 ziploc bags with crumbs of chametz (bread or bready food)
• Optional: Printed clues with locations of where to find the chametz
• Location to place/arrange donated items

PROGRAM OUTLINE: (30-60 minutes)

• Before the program:
  • Alert people that they should bring clothing or other unwanted items to donate
  • Hide 10 Ziploc bags with chametz crumbs around the house – they should be difficult but not impossible to find
• After people arrive:
  • Direct the community members’ items designated for donation to your set gathering point.
  • Explain the concept of bedikat chametz and the need to identify all unaccounted for chametz crumbs before Passover begins.
  • Read the blessing for bedikat chametz (below).
  • Give people their searching items (and optional clues), and turn off the lights!
  • Once all the chametz bags have been gathered, turn back on the lights and dispose of the chametz
    • This is also a good opportunity to eat any chametz foods, especially desserts, that need to be disposed of anyway.

Before the search, recite:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל בִּיעוּר חָמֵץ

Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh haolam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu al biur chametz.

Praised are you Adonai our God, who rules the universe, instilling in us the holiness of mitzvot by commanding us to remove all chametz.

After the search, recite:

.כָּל חֲמִירָא וַחֲמִיעָא דְאִיכָּא בִרְשׁוּתִי, דְלָא חֲמִתֵּיהּ, וּדְלָא בִעַרְתֵּיהּ, וּדְלָא יְדַעְנָא לֵיהּ, לִבָּטֵל וְלֶהֱוֵי הֶפְקֵר כְּעַפְרָא דְאַרְעָא

Kol chamira v’chamia d’ika virshuti, d’la chamiteih udla viarteih udla y’dana leih, libateil v’lehevei hefkeir k’afra d’ara.

All chametz in my possession which I have not seen or removed, or of which I am unaware, is hereby nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.