Looking for a Passover program for your family? With hundreds (thousands?) of choices out there, how are you supposed to know which one is for you?
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There are many people who would never fathom going to a Passover program in a hotel. However, if for whatever reason you’ve decided to go away for Pesach, how do you know which program is for your family? There are so many factors that go into the decision, read on for my top tips.
What is a Passover Program?
Passover programs came to be as a way for people to ensure they had a kosher for Passover experience without all the labor that entails. Nowadays, the locations, amenities, culinary experiences, and type of programming available are endless. My husband says that exploring all the options is like going down a rabbit hole.
Almost all will include (or offer for an additional fee) the night before or even a Shabbos before or after depending on the day of the week that Passover begins or ends.
As of late, Passover programs come in several varieties. Her’s a look at the main five.
Classic Model
The Classic Model is what I like to call the “mostly-inclusive”. These programs include full room and board for the duration of Pesach. They also have a wide variety of speakers, entertainment, activities throughout and a day camp type program for kids. Increasingly they are including a wide variety of “restaurants” and “mini-markets” for food to go. Almost all include some sort of 24-hour tea room. (Of course a real misnomer since you’ll be hard pressed to find tea, it’s more of a full fledges nosh-fest–milkshakes, sushi, pastries, drinks, ice cream, confections, fresh fruit, etc.) The list goes on and on.
In theory you could never leave the hotel grounds and not want for anything. But, then there would be no difference whether you were in Dubai, Mexico, Israel, Thailand, Croatia, the Alps, Morocco, Brazil, South Africa, Spain, Georgia (the state or the country–wouldn’t make a difference), or anywhere else.
We were once at a program right outside of Washington, DC. One of the reasons we picked this program was to take advantage of the opportunities to tour around our nation’s capital with our kids. One day as we were waiting for the Uber in front of the hotel, a grandmother was getting out of a car with her grandson. I asked where they had just been, she said “the movies” and asked where we were headed. I said “the White House”. Her reaction was “oh, what an interesting idea”–it never dawned on her! And, I thought “how sad; what a waste of an opportunity”.
This is why I call these program “mostly-inclusive”. They don’t include any of the outings and tours to local destinations. If you want to leave the hotel and see the sights, you might have to plan it all yourself. The people running the program or the hotel concierge will have suggestions and even help you book reservations. And, you’ll definitely be able to take food with you for the day. The program brochure may even include a list of popular attractions and activities in the area. But you’re on your own to head out and about.
Some of these programs may offer some group outings for an additional fee.
This type of Passover program is a great option if there’s a destination you’ve always wanted to explore but didn’t want to deal with all “Jewish necessities”. The program will provide kosher food, minyanim, Shabbos, and everything else–even a Daf Yomi Shiur.
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All-Inclusive Model
The All-Inclusive Model includes everything the Classic Model includes but goes a step further. These Passover Programs include all outings and activities in the program fee. This can be anything from horseback/camel riding to an island cruise to ski rentals and lift tickets to full local Jewish History tours. The list is endless.
The advantage of this is that you’ll have everything planned and paid for ahead of time. You won’t find yourself out on your own in a foreign country. Nor will you have to take the time to come up with “what are we doing for chol hamoed”. You also know that the tour bus will be full of like-minded people, if that’s a concern for you. Often the Passover Program itself will have its own speakers as the guides and will arrange and set up meals during the outing. You don’t even have to bring your boxed lunch. This can also be helpful if you don’t really know what there is to do in the area and don’t have the time to figure it out.
The disadvantage of this is that you’ll have everything planned and paid for ahead of time. (Yes, I did just cut and paste and add “dis” to the sentence from the previous paragraph. But, it’s true: often an advantage for some people is a disadvantage for others.) Many people enjoy the planning or want the off-the-beaten-path things to do–especially if they’ve been to this destination in the past. You might want to arrange some sort of private tour activity for your family. Another consideration here, though, is that if you’ve essentially already paid for the pre-arranged tour you will not be joining. You won’t be refunded and you will most likely be shelling out for whatever you end up doing instead.
You may just choose to stay at the hotel and enjoy the peace and quiet while everyone else is on the day trip. If you do so, double check that there will be food available since the assumption may be that everyone is joining on the trip–including the chef!
Private Villa Program Model
There are several Passover Programs that will rent out a number of private villas within a resort. Guests will stay in a private home that accommodates their family but have access to all the resort facilities and amenities. The Pesach program will provide all meals delivered to your private villa, maid service, as well as some or all of what is included in the Classic or All-Inclusive Models.
Some of these programs are located on resorts that have hotels and conference facilities on the property as well. This allows for the option of having some or all of your meals in a communal setting as well as staying in a hotel accommodation.
Passover 2021, we availed ourselves of this model (no longer lockdown, but not exactly post-COVID either). We stayed in a vacation home on the resort and my mother was able to stay in her own hotel room. We had all the Shabbos and Yom Tov night meals delivered to the house and ate the other meals in the communal dining room. This allowed us to put our younger kids to bed at night, but also allowed for some socializing after being home for a year.
Room and Board Only Model
The Room and Board Only Model seems to be the least common. This model exists in both hotels and villas.
There are a number of year-round kosher hotels throughout the world. Some of these hotels have minyanim on-site as well, or are located in areas with a plethora of shuls. They continue to function as such for Pesach after kashering their kitchen(s). The only difference is that they are probably going to be more expensive this time of year than any random Tuesday.
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The private villa option is when, as above, a Passover Program operator takes over several villas on the same property. Meals are prepared and delivered to each individual home and each family basically does its own thing. The program will probably arrange an on-site minyan if the resort is not located within walking distance of a shul.
DIY Model
I’m not sure if I would really call the DIY Model an actual Passover Program. As with the Room and Board Only model, this exists in both hotels and villas.
The reason I wouldn’t call this a Pesach Program is because you are essentially arranging everything separately.
You book your own hotel and then make reservations for your meals at a central location. The central location is often the local Chabad Shul in a very touristy destinations (think: Hawaii). They don’t provide anything except meals and (hopefully) minyanim.
You could also book a vacation rental instead of a hotel room and then still eat at the central location. However, if you go the villa/house route, you have a couple more options since you have a full kitchen and dining room. You can arrange meals through a caterer or local take-out, if such an option exists in your destination.
The most customized option is to rent a house–or several near each other for extended family–and hire a private chef. There are companies that provide this service. They’ll kasher the kitchen and do all the menu planning, shopping, and cooking. They will also arrange any shipping that needs to be done if you want to be somewhere that kosher for Passover ingredients can’t be easily sourced. If you go this route, be sure to hire a company with experience.
All the options in the DIY Model can be done in your own home as well. You might just want to add a cleaning service to your PPP (Personal Pesach Program) as well. Then, you can play tourist in your own town.
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Budget
The price range for Passover programs varies widely. There are programs that can cost less than $1500 per person (even in 5-star hotels) or as much as $15,000 or more. These prices are for adults based on double-occupancy. Single occupancy is obviously going to be more and children or the 3rd or 4th in a room will generally be less.
But, don’t just look at the quoted price to determine what the program will cost you. There are a number of factors–some obvious some less so–that will add to the bottom line. A few of these may occasionally be included. And, if the price is quoted in a foreign currency, be sure to determine what exchange rate is being used and if there is a foreign transaction fee.
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- taxes
- tips/gratuities (even if included, it’s always a good idea to tip extra)
- resort fees
- Wi-Fi
- airfare, or other travel expenses
- transfer to/from the airport
- rental car or other local transportation
- parking
- local hotel shuttle
- spa, services as well as access
- resort facilities (golf course, tennis court, water park, etc.)
- outings and activities (and of course souvenirs)
- babysitting–even programs with day camps often don’t include, or charge extra, for kids under 3 or 4
- luggage storage
- special diet requests (ex: allergies, birthday cake)
- premium wines and drinks
- private seder room
- travel insurance
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This card has no foreign transaction fee and has travel credits and benefits that it practically pays you to get it!
This is by no means an exhaustive list. I just wanted to point out some of the areas that you should be aware of when planning your budget.
Keep in mind as well that many programs offer discounts. These can be for returning customers, early-bird, paid by date, or for larger groups. I have even seen where a “larger group” is defined as booking 3 or more rooms; it doesn’t have to be a party of 50 in its own dining room.
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Location
Another thing to consider is the location of the Passover program. There are programs literally on the four corners of the Earth–ironically even including Egypt. (Please contact me if you don’t see the irony.) Right now there are only programs on six continents. Stayed tuned for Pesach in Antarctica, I’m sure the penguins in their black and white–and matching sweaters for the kids–will make for a pretty yeshivish crowd 😉.
There are several aspects to the location consideration. For example, you may want/need to get away but not too far away. Or, there may be a destination you’ve always wanted to go to and there’s a program there that checks all your boxes. For some people the weather may be a factor. For others the activities are the prime consideration: some want the beach and some want to ski. Some families may pick a Passover program in a location that is rich in cultural and historical experiences. Others might want to be able to visit family without imposing.
Sometimes you are in a situation where you are able to travel for several days before and/or after Pesach and you may look for a program that will allow for a separate mini trip nearby. For example, join a Passover program in Spain after spending a week in Morocco beforehand. Or spend a week shopping in Boro Park before heading to a program in Connecticut.
Another thing to keep in mind with the location is where the company running the program is based and where their target demographic is located. Some programs run by Israeli or European based companies are already nearly sold out by Chanukah while American and Mexican based companies aren’t even running ads yet, for example.
When traveling abroad, be sure to keep visa and passport requirements in mind. Some visas or renewals could take months.
Everything Else
Once you’ve figured out your budget and destination, how do you know if a particular Passover program is for you?
A pretty straightforward way of doing so is word of mouth. If you have a lot of friends who enjoyed a program and think you will too, there’s a good chance it’ll be a good fit.
Another way that people choose a program is based on who the operator is. I know people who go every year to the Passover program run by a specific company regardless of where the program is being run. They know the type of crowd it attracts, they know the hechsher, they know the type of program to expect, and they know the price point to anticipate.
If you’re joining with your extended family, you probably don’t have much say.
But, what if none of the above scenarios apply to your situation? First, you have to determine what criteria are important to you. Do you want a bigger program or a smaller program? How old are your kids? Do you have a preference regarding family or separate swimming? Do you eat gebrochts or kitniyos? What about cholov yisroel or bishul akum? Do you want to bring your dog? What language do you speak? Do you mind if the hotel is open to other guests? Would you use a Shabbos elevator or do you want a room on a low floor?
These are just a few things to consider. Some of these things may be irrelevant to you or you have no preference one way or another. If that’s the case, you don’t need to ask. But if you do have a preference, you should find out.
Once I find a Passover program that I’m interested in considering, I’ll see what I can determine from their website or other marketing material. I know I can email/call them directly, but I don’t like to do that right away. They’re busy. And, I kind of feel it’s like going into a store when I have no intention of buying anything. Also, anyone who will respond to my email is in the business of trying to sell me something. I’d rather not have to say no and then get in a whole back and forth with them trying to convince me that it’s really the right Passover program for us.
There’s a lot you can learn from what’s on (or even not on) a program’s website. Often who the speakers and entertainers are can be indicative of what type of crowd they’re trying to attract. You can see pictures from prior years’ programs. The kashrus standards will be enumerated as will some of the hotel and program amenities. Since your computer may translate everything into your native tongue, you might not be able to determine the primary language of the program. (It may also lose something in translation, so beware of strange phrasing.) There was one program I looked into that told me its primary language is English, even though all of its embedded video testimonials were in Hebrew!
Another thing that is often not on the site is the pricing structure. Although you might be able to guess a ballpark based on the luxuriousness and premium quality of some of the programming and amenities, you will likely be very wrong. Some are much more expensive than you think simply because of the reputation of the operator or the difficulty in shipping kosher food to a particular destination. Others are less expensive because really nice hotels are much cheaper in certain locations as are labor costs.
So what can you do? This is when I send an email to the Passover program. I include things that will be a determining factor for me. However, I try not to ask in a way that indicates what the answer is that I am looking for. Remember: these are salespeople, so they may say what they think you want to hear–unless it is totally off.
Let’s take swimming as an example. If I am looking for a program that has only separate swimming, I could ask:
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- Is all the swimming separate?
- Is there separate swimming?
- Is there any mixed swimming?
- Is the swimming mixed or separate?
- Is there an option for both family and separate swimming?
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A program that has an hour or two of separate swimming but the rest is mixed, would answer the first two very differently. So, if I just asked “is there separate swimming”, they would honestly answer “yes”. But, would this be the program someone looking for exclusively separate swimming is looking for? On the other hand, if most of the swimming is separate and there’s an hour or two of family swim in an indoor pool, then what? Is that going to bother me? Is it indicative of a crowd that I am or am not looking for? Maybe. Maybe not. I need to know for myself.
The last version is the most vague and open if this is a real issue for you. Because remember: you want them to give you as much information as possible without being guided to the answer you want to hear. You’re going to be investing a lot of money and time in their Passover program. And, as much as you may be happy going almost anywhere with almost anyone for a day or two here and there, this is having your children spend 10-12 days in this environment for Yom Tov.
I’m going to use the swimming issue for another example. Sometimes you’ll get a response that “it’s too cold to swim anyway”. If your real issue is the actual swimming, then ok. But for some people this is more of an indication as to the crowd that will be there and the actual swimming is irrelevant. This is very individual and some people may not care at all and others may care immensely. On the other hand, if you’re specifically looking for a mixed swimming crowd, you should also ask in a vague manner.
I’ve even had programs respond to me when I ask about the crowd that they don’t know and ask what my preference would be. Or when they tell me the day camp is mixed, and I respond that it won’t work for my daughter they’ve offered to change it. So, I would have to know for myself if the real issue is the actual mixed program or if it is just a litmus test. If it’s the former and they change it, great. If it’s the latter and they change it, so what?
Certain questions don’t require the open ended-ness. For example, if you want a private seder room, then ask. If you don’t eat gebrochts, ask.
So here is a sample list of questions to email a program you are interested in. I don’t ask all of these and you probably won’t either. Some because I don’t really care. Some because the answers are generally on their websites. And some because I want to have what to follow-up with if the initial answers are satisfactory or are they’d be completely irrelevant if they aren’t. For example, if they tell me that the program is mostly in French does it really matter if there’s a Daf Yomi Shiur?
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- Where are your guests mostly from? Europe? Israel? US? South America? Etc?
- Are they mostly modern orthodox? Chareidi? Non-religious? Etc? Younger? Older? Sephardi? Ashkenazi?
- What language is the program mostly in?
- Mixed/separate swimming?
- Are the kids’ groups mixed/separate?
- What is available for a toddler/baby? (even include a specific age you have a concern about)
- Is there after-hours or private babysitting available?
- What is available for teens?
- Is a private seder an option?
- What about the Shabbos before/after Pesach?
- Are you taking over the whole hotel?
- Are there connecting rooms as an option?
- How big is the program?
- How long have you been running Passover programs? In general and at this location?
- Who are the speakers/rabbis?
- Is there a Daf Yomi Shiur?
- Are there entertainers? Or who are the entertainers?
- What is the hashgacha? Is it non-gebrochts? Non-kitniyos? Shmura matza?
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Always start with some sort of pleasantries and that you saw their ad and have a few questions as you consider your options, etc. And end with a thank you of some sort.
I’m going to reiterate, your list of questions will look different. You should first determine what it is you are looking for. What are you not willing to compromise on and what is just nice to have. Also, don’t ask everything at once; it can be intimidating and overwhelming. This might get responses that are trying to turn you away. Pick a few that can act as an initial filter for you.
Once you’ve narrowed it down to a few contenders, you should speak to someone directly. This will give you a feel for the program and the people running it. The conversation will, hopefully, confirm for you what you had already found out. And, should you decide to join, you won’t just be an anonymous guest.
When all is said and done, remember that Pesach is a time to be enjoyed with family regardless of location. Passover programs abound and if you choose to go to one, doing your due diligence will ensure that it is an enriching experience.
Have you been to a Passover program? Where? Would you go again? Let me know.
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