Vaad Recommendations for Purchasing Chametz After Pesach 2025

It is forbidden to eat or derive benefit from overt chometz that a Jew owned during Pesach. Overt chometz includes items such as cereal, cookies, crackers, pretzels, grains, and flour. Products that contain vinegar, such as mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard, may be purchased, as it is likely that the vinegar is not chometz.

The following is a partial list of local stores and their status regarding the purchase of chometz after Pesach:

  • Vaad-supervised stores are acceptable for the purchase of chometz. The Vaad encourages the community to patronize local kosher establishments whenever possible.

  • Dunkin Donuts on Raritan Avenue, under Vaad supervision, is acceptable for purchasing chometz. However, baked items should not be purchased before 9:35 PM on Sunday, April 20th (so as not to benefit from melacha performed on Yom Tov). In general, one should wait one hour after Shabbos or Yom Tov throughout the year before purchasing baked goods from Dunkin Donuts.

  • Super Fresh in Highland Park is acceptable.  The ownership and supplier of chometz (other than the Heimishe brands) are not Jewish.  The Heimishe supplier sells its chometz for Pesach.

  • The following supermarkets and their suppliers are non-Jewish-owned, and chometz may be purchased there immediately after Pesach:

    • Acme (Acme in E. Brunswick has closed),

    • Aldi

    • BJ’s

    • Costco

    • CVS

    • Duane Read

    • H Mart

    • Rite Aid

    • Sam’s Club

    • Super Fresh

    • Target  (non-frozen chometz items. C&S supplies frozen food items to Target)

    • Trader Joe’s

    • Walgreen’s

    • Walmart (in-store purchases; online purchases are discussed in 5),

    • Wegman’s

    • Whole Foods.

  • ShopRite: Purchasing chometz from ShopRite before Lag B’Omer, Friday May 16th, is problematic. ShopRite operates as a franchise, with each store individually owned. While most locations are owned by non-Jews, some have Jewish ownership. Purchasing chometz from a Jewish-owned ShopRite is clearly prohibited after Pesach.

  • Online retailers such as Amazon.com and Walmart.com may sell products from their own inventory or third-party suppliers. Chometz from their own inventory is acceptable. However, chometz from third-party suppliers may originate from Jewish-owned companies. Therefore, customers must make a reasonable effort to determine whether the supplier is Jewish.

  • Non-chometz items (e.g., fruits, vegetables, eggs, cooking oil, etc.) may be purchased from any Jewish- or non-Jewish-owned store.

  • Alcoholic beverages (excluding wine) may not be purchased from a Jewish-owned store until after Shavuos, unless the chometz was properly sold. This is because alcoholic beverages may be chometz, and inventory turnover in liquor stores tends to be slower than in supermarkets.

    Locally, one may purchase alcoholic beverages from Rite Aid in Highland Park, a non-Jewish-owned corporation.

Counting the Omer Cheat Sheets

If you would like a chart to help you remember to count Sefirat HaOmer, you can download it from https://shalmon.com/sefira (pick your nusach) and print it out to keep in your siddur or on your fridge. If you go to this page you will also see the current day’s count, with the beracha.

Sefira Sheet

You can also get a Sefirat HaOmer app from Rusty Brick for your smartphone.:

iPhone/iPad
Android Phones

Pesach Schedule

Thursday, April 10 — Ta'anit Becherot

Ashkanazim First Born need to fast. Sephardim aren't required to fast.

Etz Ahaim will offer a Siyum after Shacharit, and it is highly recommended for everyone to attend. Everyone is welcome to participate. For those fasting, you can come to the siyum and you can end your fast.

  • Shacharit: 6:30am
  • Mincha/Arvit: 7:00pm
  • Bedikat Chametz: 7:56pm — Nulify Chametz After the Search

Friday, April 11

If you're planning on eating chametz on Shabbat, you should nulify your chametz after you finish your meal when you destroy your chametz on Shabbat.

If you're not planning on eating chametz on Shabbat, you should nulify your chametz after burning it.

  • Shacharit: 6:30am
  • Burn Chametz: by 11:50am
  • Mincha/Kabbala Shabbat: 7:00pm
  • Candle Lighting: 7:13pm

Saturday, April 12 Erev Pesach — Parashat Tzav/Shabbat HaGadol B

  • No Youth Groups
  • Latest Shema is at 8:58am
  • Shacharit: 6:30am
    • No Kiddush at the Synagogue
  • No Chametz: After 10:10am
  • No Navi Class
  • Mincha: 1:15pm
  • Seuda Shlishit: Should be eaten at home after Mincha and before 2:30pm if you're having matzah.
  • Arvit: 7:40pm
  • Candle Lighting: After 8:18pm
  • Afikoman: Eat before 12:57am

Sunday, April 13 — Pesach I

  • Youth Groups for ages 3 to 8 in the Upper Classrooms: 9:30am to End of Shacharit
  • Recite Shema: by 8:58am
  • Shachrit: 8:45am
    • No Kiddush at Synagogue
  • Class: History of the Matzah Machine: 6:40pm
  • Mincha: 7:20pm
  • Arvit: 7:40pm
  • Candle Lighting: After 8:18pm
  • Afikoman: Eat before 12:57am

Monday, April 14 — Pesach II

  • Youth Groups for ages 3 to 8 in the Upper Classrooms: 9:30am to End of Shacharit
  • Recite Shema: by 8:58am
  • Shachrit: 8:45am
    • No Kiddush at Synagogue
  • Class: Agada: 6:40pm
  • Mincha: 7:20pm
  • Arvit: 7:40pm
  • Yom Tov Ends: 8:10pm

Tuesday, April 15 — Pesach III (Ch"M)

  • Shaḥarit: 6:30am
    • After Services: Coffee and Halacha
  • Pre-Minḥa Class 6:40pm
  • Minḥa/Arvit: 7:00pm
    • Talmud — Daf HaYomi: After Minḥa/Arvit

Wednesday, April 16 — Pesach IV (Ch"M)

  • Shaḥarit: 6:30am
    • After Services: Coffee and Halacha
  • Pre-Minḥa Class 6:40pm
  • Minḥa/Arvit: 7:00pm
    • Talmud — Daf HaYomi: After Minḥa/Arvit

Thursday, April 17 — Pesach V (Ch"M)

  • Shaḥarit: 6:30am
    • After Services: Coffee and Halacha
  • Insights on the Parasha: 6:40pm
  • Minḥa/Arvit: 7:00pm
    • Talmud — Daf HaYomi: After Minḥa/Arvit

Next Friday, April 18 — Pesach VI (Ch"M)

  • Shaḥarit: 6:30am
    • After Services: Coffee and Halacha
  • Daf Yomi: 6:00pm
  • Minḥa: 7:00pm
  • Candle Lighting: 7:22pm