St. Joseph Manor Celebrates Passover

^{L to R: Anita Bader, SJM Resident Harmony Square, Rabbi Ariel Tarash, SJM Chaplain, and Jennifer Louie, Recreational Therapist, SJM Harmony Square}

In celebration of Passover, the staff at St. Joseph Manor provided a traditional meal and program for residents of the Jewish faith.

Rabbi Ariel Tarash, MA, MSW, MAHL, who serves as the Jewish chaplain at St. Joseph Manor and rabbi for Holy Redeemer Hospice, worked with Cura Hospitality to provide nearly 200 residents and staff with a traditional Passover lunch on March 29th. The menu included Matzah ball soup, roasted chicken quarters, carrot tzimmes with raisins, and fresh-cut fruit for dessert.

“Food brings back so many memories for our residents, and the smells and tastes of food can connect them to those memories,” says Rabbi Ariel. “For the St. Joseph Manor residents of Jewish faith, this means a lot to them that we are observing and celebrating Passover.”

To help ensure the safety of residents and staff, the Passover meals were hand-delivered to each resident’s room while Rabbi Ariel led a virtual celebration via Zoom featuring popular holiday songs and a retelling of the Passover story.

The Passover celebration at St. Joseph Manor represents just one of the many ways we embrace opportunities to celebrate beloved traditions that inspire joy and kinship as we honor the rich diversity of our patients, families, and staff.