Area Seniors Enjoy Hands-On Matzah Activity at Workshop Sponsored by Jewish Community Housing Corporation

Participants Learned Steps of Matzah Preparation from Grinding Wheat to Ritual Baking at Portable Bakery Set Up at JCC MetroWest

WEST ORANGE, N.J., April 4, 2014 -- Passover preparations came early for seniors from the JCC MetroWest Senior Enrichment Program, who recently enjoyed a matzah baking workshop sponsored by the Jewish Community Housing Corporation of Metropolitan New Jersey (JCHC). The program was led by Rabbi Yisroel Rosenblum of The Living Legacy, an organization devoted to linking Jewish learning to Jewish practice and family celebrations. Rosenblum, who brought an entire portable matzah bakery to the JCC MetroWest in West Orange, talked about the history of matzah baking and demonstrated how to produce the flour needed to bake the unleavened bread.

The step-by-step demonstration was done with a hand-driven wheat mill to grind the flour, which was then mixed with water to make dough. Participants enjoyed getting their hands dirty as they rolled out their dough which was baked right there according to religious standards. The finished matzah was then packaged for everyone to take home. The matzah baking activity is one of many programs sponsored by the JCHC throughout the year for the residents at its senior living communities in West Orange, South Orange and Whippany as well as older adults from throughout the MetroWest area. For information about the JCHC, visit http://jchcorp.org or call (973) 731-2020.

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About the Jewish Community Housing Corporation of Metropolitan New Jersey Founded in 1983, the Jewish Community Housing Corporation of Metropolitan New Jersey (JCHC) owns and manages more than 470 apartments in four buildings for older adults in Morris and Essex counties in northern New Jersey. The non-profit organization offers seniors a range of options in terms of services, amenities, location, and cost, all within a traditional Jewish environment. The JCHC provides housing, programs, and services for the independent elderly as well as those who need assisted living. For more information, go to www.jchcorp.org.