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A "Passover Celebration" is an entertaining family special hosted by Jeffrey Tambor (The Larry Sanders Show, Arrested Development). Featuring traditional music of the Haggadah from around the world and a host of celebrities, A "Passover Celebration" illuminates the traditions that set the Jewish holiday of Passover apart from all other nights of the year. This dynamic program presents a dramatic retelling of the Passover story by Rabbi Irwin Kula (Simple Wisdom With Irwin Kula), a delicious Passover matza Napoleon dessert from Chef Jeff Nathan (New Jewish Cuisine), a unique Seder creation from home design expert Teresa Strasser (While You Were Out) and a trip back in time to ancient Egypt with the award-winning children's series Alef...Bet...Blast Off! A "Passover Celebration" explores the musical traditions from around the world, inspired by the story of Exodus, as told in the Haggadah. The music is performed by three of America's leading cantors, The New York Concert Singers and St. Luke' s Chamber Ensemble under the direction of conductor Judith Clurman. The songs are performed in Hebrew, Yiddish and English, representing the Babylonian, Hasidic, Syrian, Tunisian, Italian, Ashkenazic and Bucharest traditions. After gaining wide experience in regional theater, Jeffrey Tambor broke into television and films playing officious, obsequious or uptight and fussy characters. He made his film debut in the Al Pacino courtroom vehicle, And Justice for All ( 1979) as an attorney suffering a mental collapse. Some of Tambor's more notable subsequent films include Mr. Mom (1983), City Slickers ( 1991), There's Something About Mary (1998), Muppets from Space (1999), Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999), Girl, Interrupted (1999), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) and Never Again (2001). However, Tambor is perhaps best known from his extensive television work. His most successful series to date has been HBO's The Larry Sanders Show (1992-98) playing Garry Shandling's side kick, Hank. Tambor currently stars as the patriarch of the dysfunctional Bluth family in the FOX comedy Arrested Development. Rabbi Irwin Kula is known as both a provocative religious leader and a respected spiritual iconoclast. He has inspired thousands of people across the country using Jewish wisdom in a way that speaks to modern life. In A "Passover Celebration" Rabbi Kula visits the shores of Ellis Island in New York and recalls the wonder and immediacy of the Exodus story. Speaking from the Ellis Island museum, Rabbi Kula points out the universality of the Exodus story and encourages viewers to celebrate the importance of Passover by finding new meaning in it. In his impressive body of writing, Rabbi Kula provides a broad vision of religious pluralism, honoring tradition through such contemporary channels as work, volunteerism and philanthropy as forms of spiritual practice. As host of the public television series Simple Wisdom With Irwin Kula, Kula uses Jewish wisdom to explore the broad issues of life that are relevant to everyone. He has appeared on PBS' Frontline: Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero and has been a repeat guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Jeffrey Nathan is the host of public television's New Jewish Cuisine (nominated for a James Beard Award for "Best National Cooking Show") and is the head chef and co-owner of the critically acclaimed Abigael's on Broadway, now the largest gourmet kosher restaurant in the country. In this segment, Chef Nathan demonstrates how to create a delicious dessert to end a Seder meal. He prepares a sumptuous matza Napoleon with chocolate mousse, topped off with toasted coconut and Macadamia nuts. Teresa Strasser, host of the popular home improvement series While You Were Out on The Learning Channel, as well as public television's Home Styles, creates a festive table for the Passover Seder. Teresa and her guest Risa Gruberger prepare a centerpiece made with matza, create a colorful homemade decoupage Seder plate and decorate Kiddush or Elijah cups, a fun project for children. Journalist, writer and performer are common titles for Teresa Strasser. As a journalist, Teresa's work has appeared in countless national magazines and newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, Daily Variety, the San Francisco Chronicle and Newsday. She is also the writer of a long-running syndicated column on single life for The Jewish Journal, and a regular contributor to US Weekly's popular feature, "The Fashion Police." The Parents' Choice Award-winning series Alef...Bet...Blast-Off! combines celebrity guests, a family of lovable puppets and a time-traveling mouse named Mitzvah for an educational and entertaining children's series celebrating Jewish heritage. A "Passover Celebration" features an episode in which the kids travel back in time to ancient Egypt and, through a series of unexpected twists and turns, are captured and enslaved by the Egyptian Pharaoh, played by Dom DeLuise. Mitzvah Mouse and Moses convey to the children a powerful lesson about the importance of freedom.
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CC - Closed Caption
HD - High Definition
16:9 - Anamorphic Widescreen
LTR - Letterbox
DVI - Descriptive Video Information for the visually impaired
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