As Pesach approaches each spring, SAR Academy has hosted a hands-on pop-up Shmurah Matzah Factory for students during regular school hours, as well as parent-child sessions in the off-hours. On March 23 and March 31 this year, families were invited to bake their own shmura matzah. Rabbi Zev Senter of Heichal HaTorah runs the operation, assisted by many Heichal student volunteers.
After a quick video tutorial on the process, participants scrub up, and don aprons and gloves. The 18-minute timer is set. Designated Heichal students quickly mixed the pre-measured flour and water. Participants roll out the dough, practicing the “roll-and-turn” maneuver, never flipping the dough over. Once the dough is paper-thin, Heichal runners transfer it to the “radeling” table and then to wood poles for placement in the 1,000-degree oven. Participants shout, “Dough!” to receive another piece to roll out to make the next matzah. Every one to two minutes, the staff and participants chant loudly, “LeShem Matzahs Mitzvah!” If anything falls off the table, it is considered chametz. This year, wooden rolling pins, which need to be sanded clean of any flour remnants after each use, were replaced with metal rods, speeding up the turnover process.
Rabbi Senter explained: “About eight years ago, SAR had the idea: purchasing a matzah oven and finding someone to run a program for their kids to make matzahs during the school day for Pesach. They contacted my father, Rabbi Daniel Senter, from the KOF-K, asking if he knew anyone who would do it. He immediately grabbed [the opportunity] and ran the program himself. Two years later, I got involved to expand the program.”
Rabbi Zev Senter, who also runs Camp Bnei Aliyah, saw this as a good fundraiser for the camp. He attributes the success of the program to the Heichal volunteers. “They’re trained in matzah baking. Many jobs happen simultaneously.” Each session needs 10 workers minimum, besides the people rolling the matzah dough. “Behind the scenes, we pack every container of flour, every container of water, rip the paper and clean the rolling pins,” he added.
“For a high school boy, who I think, at times, feels the schedule is a little repetitive, it’s hard to find meaning,” Rabbi Senter reflected. “I think they thrive knowing they’re needed. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to pull this off.” This year, Senter had 30 Heichal volunteers. “The families are always blown away by the Heichal boys’ efficiency, menschlichkeit and how well-trained they are,” he said.
“We all eat matzah,” Rabbi Senter said. “Very few people get a chance to see a matzah bakery and roll their own matzah for Pesach. I think it … really enhances the mitzvah. It’s a real opportunity, a hands-on experience, at a mitzvah that we all know. It enhances people’s Pesach and brings a new element of excitement to the Seder.”
Rabbi Senter, who learned how to make matzah from his father, explained the meticulous process. “We measure our flour and water to the gram because if it’s too dry, you can’t roll it thin enough. If it’s a little too wet, it’s sticky, and you can’t get any matzah in the oven. A whole other element, called ‘eisek’ (continual manipulation) is a halacha. We all know the 18 minutes to make matzah. Ideally, we try during that 18 minutes to make sure that the dough is constantly worked on, never sitting idle.”
In these days leading up to Pesach, SAR Academy students partake in the matzah baking experience. SAR Principal Rabbi Binyamin Krauss explained: “This memorable opportunity will enable each child to see firsthand how matzah is made, reinforcing all they’ve been learning about Pesach in a tangible way. The most important part of this experience is not simply the finished product, but the process itself—rolling the dough, watching the careful timing, and understanding the halachic details that go into this beautiful mitzvah.”
SAR parent Danny Riemer attended this event for the third year with his son Jacob, “I think Pesach is the holiday where a specific part of the mitzvah is parents teaching their kids. I think there’s no better way to teach your kids than doing something hands-on in an exciting, experiential way. And Jacob loves it. There’s great energy. I find that it is an important part of our preparation for Pesach, sharing this experience together.”
Rabbi Senter concluded: “I get to do two amazing things at once. I get to offer people this experience and help them make their own matzahs, which is l’shma. Anything that needs to be made for the sake of a mitzvah, I appreciate that opportunity. Then, it’s a fundraiser to help boys who can’t afford camp have an uplifting, growth-filled summer.”
For more information about matzah baking or Camp Bnei Aliyah, contact Rabbi Senter at [email protected].
