This Pesach, let’s extend our tradition beyond our homes and into the world around us. Masorti Olami is honored to partner with Repair the Sea - Tikkun HaYam to introduce Bedikat HaMayim, a new ritual rooted in the Mitzvah of Bal Tashchit, that will take place on Sunday, April 6, 2025.

As we clear our homes of Chametz, we will also clear our waterways of waste, safeguarding our planet as Jewish values teach us. This is more than a ritual—it’s a sacred act of renewal, connection, and responsibility.

The Sea once parted to save our ancestors. Now, let’s unite to protect it.

A Modern Twist on an Ancient Tradition

In the Jewish tradition, Bedikat Chametz takes place on the night before Passover. This practice involves searching the home for chametz (leavened products such as bread) with a candle, feather, wooden spoon, and a paper bag. It’s a meticulous search and removal of physical and spiritual clutter, preparing the household for the holiday’s themes of renewal and liberation. Ten pieces of bread are customarily hidden and then burned the next morning as part of the ritual.

Building upon this tradition, Bedikat HaMayim creates an opportunity for environmental action. Just as we search for and remove chametz from our homes before Pesach, Bedikat HaMayim is a “search for schmutz” along our local waterways. This waterfront cleanup encourages participants to remove trash and pollutants from beaches, rivers, and lakes in their communities. By doing so, we connect the timeless values of Passover to contemporary concerns for environmental sustainability.

.

How to Participate

1. Organize or Join a Cleanup: Gather people in your community from a synagogue, a group of friends, family, or even school and make a commitment to clean a local waterway on April 6, 2025. If you don’t live near the beach or a river or a lake, you can also clean a local park or wilderness trail (after all…our ancestors also wandered in the wilderness after they passed through the Sea.)

2. Infuse the Event with Ritual: Begin with a reflection or the short ritual below (that you can also find at the top of this page translated into different languages) to set the tone for the cleanup. Consider incorporating elements from Bedikat Chametz, like a few symbolic pieces of trash for children to find.  Maybe add prizes for whomever finds them. Like the Afikoman.

3. Share Your Experience: Document your cleanup and share it with your community, on social media and with Repair the Sea to inspire others to take action.

It's easy to join:

1. Go to repairthesea.org/bedikat-ha-mayim and register a team or as an individual. 
2. Fill out the required information fields.
3. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with further details.