Pesach

I was born into Ashkenaz family and generally keep Kosher AND LACTO-OVO VEGETARIAN for health & environmental reasons (except religious ones of course). So, for me, Rice and Lentiles are important parts of my diet (both for nutrients and for the tasting pleasure when eating). The second thing is that I understand that Jewish civilization --having been persecuted and living in the diaspora-- migrated and subsequently evolved in different parts of the world and thus adopted some differences in customs --and that eating rice and lentils (and corn for that matter) is one of these differences. It just so happens that I cannot claim any Jewish anscestry outside of Poland and Ukraine. So my question is --what if I disagree with Ashkenaz Pesach customs and I want to eat rice and lentiles and corn like the Sephardim? Is this Halachically permissible, pprohibiuted or discouraged but technically allowed? The other issue concerns my opinion on the Ashkenaz-Sephardim Divide. I don't like it. I don't believe in it. And i wish to deny/ignore it. I have --for many years-- firmly disagreed with /opposed this division of the Jewish People, and would like to see the day that Jews are united (and end to the diaspora and these inconvenient and possibly dangerous divisions) before a return to Israel and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. Am I supposed to embrace the Jewish "Geotype"? Or is it ok to reject such divisions amongst our people? Thank You Kindly, in advance for answering my question. Be Well and Shalom. My question again is threefold: Am I allowed to disassociate myself with any given Ashkenaz Minhagim? To what extent is this Halachically permissible? More specifically, am i allowed to reject the minhagim and eat rice, corn and lentils on Pesach --(even though i am NOT Sephardim and do not recognizxe such divisions as having any validity).

I always thought the word “chametz” was pronounced as CHA-MAYTZ, with a kamatz and a tzere and the accent on the second syllable. But I hear people pronouncing it as “choomitz,” with the OO pronounced as in “book” and the accent on the first syllable. How did that get to be?

I had a friend over for a Passover meal the other day. She doesn’t understand that anything other than actual bread can be chametz. She brought with her as a gift for me a box of wafers. Knowing her, she would be offended if I turned down this gift. I cannot explain it to her either because she knows very little about Judaism and has difficulty comprehending and is easily angered. The only option that remained was for me to accept her gift, then throw it away after she left. But I don’t know if I did the right thing. I don’t know if I could have given it to a gentile neighbor. I felt guilty about throwing away perfectly good food. She is coming for another visit next week after the holiday. I am trying to figure out which store sells the same wafers, then buy a box and serve it after Passover as if it’s the same one that she brought me.

I have some old plastic cookie trays from the packaging of cookies that I have saved and used as storage for art supplies. At one time, chametz had direct contact with them. Now they have been cleaned out and have no visible crumbs. When I started using them for this purpose, it didn’t occur to me that it could be a Pesach problem. Am I required to sell them as chametz or put them away for Pesach?

Our local kosher supermarkets sell ‘Passover bread.’ It is made from potato and/or tapioca starch and looks no different from any other common bread. It is certified for use on Passover and year round by a common reliable hechsher. Is this really permitted?

My wife is Sefardi and eats kitniyot on Pesach. Even though she is married to me, an Ashkenazi, she still insists on eating kitniyot. I don’t stand in her way as long as she doesn’t contaminate our Pesach dishes. She has dry kitniyot snacks in our home, and she eats cooked kitniyot over the homes of other Sefardim in our community. She has no relatives who live in town. For the first time ever, we are invited to spend the latter two days of the holiday with her parents. Not only do they eat kitniyot on Pesach, but they live in a mostly Sefardi community and lack an understanding of the scope of Ashkenazi dietary restrictions. At their meals, they will be eating a lot of kitniyot. Even their non-kitniyot foods are prepared on keilim used for kitniyot. And they will be making some dishes that might have kitniyot ingredients, such as oils, and it won’t be evident. They speak with heavy accents and it’s hard to understand when I ask them what is in their recipes. They are nice, kind, loving people, but difficult to communicate with. What do I do about this?

Hello! I want to, and am serious about, converting but am unable to currently, mainly due to living situations. What should I do for the Seder this Pesach? I'm not able to access any near me, so should I join a virtual one? Should I have one by myself? I understand if I should not celebrate, but if I can, I would like to.

Passover is coming. I know the fist two and last two days we are not to work etc. My question is during the intermediary days. Is it better to not work on those days at all? I am a recruiter by profession and work on the computer all day and phone. Also drive to the office and sometimes write. Should I not work at all during the intermediary (middle) days of Passover or should I request to work remote during the middle days so I can still work but I don't drive? Thank you.