CELEBRATING PESACH AT HOME
HOLIDAY ENHANCEMENT PACKET
Passover begins on the 15th day of Nisan and lasts seven days in Israel and eight days everywhere else. Outside of
Israel, the first two days and the last two days are considered festive days, where no work, except cooking is done.
The days in between are called hol ha’moed, literally “the weekday part of the festival”, when work is permitted.
The name, Passover/Pesach, comes from the 10th plague, when God “passed
over (pasah) the houses of the Israelites to slay the firstborn of Egypt” (Exodus
12:27). The festival is also referred to as Chag Hamatzot, the Festival of
Unleavened Bread; Chag HaAviv, the Festival of Spring; and Zeman Heruteinu,
the Season of our Freedom.
Along with Shavuot and Sukkot, Pesach is one of the three annual pilgrimage
festivals; in ancient times, Jews would travel to the Temple in Jerusalem to
participate in the pageantry of the holiday. Pesach celebrates the exodus from
Egyptian slavery and the beginning of our existence as a people. It is also
marks the spring barley harvest in Israel.
The Torah commands, “Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your
houses; for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut
off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a sojourner, or one that is
born in the land” (Exodus 12:19). Chametz, leavened food, is food made from
wheat, rye, barley, oats or spelt that has risen to create such products as breads,
cakes, cookies and cereal. Matzah is made from these same grains, but in a controlled environment to be sure that
no leavening takes place. Matzah is referred to both as as lehem oni, bread of affliction, and as lehem herut, the
bread of freedom. It reminds us both of what the slaves ate and of the haste with which our ancestors left Egypt.
Many Ashkenazic Jews do not eat rice, corn and beans—products known as kitniyot—because rabbinic authorities
worried that these could be ground into flour and made into breads that look like chametz. This year the Rabbinical
Assembly has ratified an opinion permitting the consumption of these foods, in the same manner as Sepharadic
Jews have always done.
You can read more about permitted and prohibited Passover foods, the processes for preparing the kitchen, and the
new approach to kitniyot in the Rabbinical Assembly Pesach Guide, available at www.bnaiisraelcong.org/pesach.
PESACH HOLIDAY ENHANCEMENT GUIDE | PAGE 1
GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAY
Passover Seder Workshops
Friday, March 31 with Rabbi Safra
Sunday, April 2 with Rabbi Schnitzer
9:30–10:30 a.m.
Join our rabbis for an exploration of the Passover seder. Discover new resources and share best practices to help
you design a meaningful seder for all your guests.
Shabbat Hagadol Dinner
Friday, April 7
6:15 p.m. Service, 7:00 p.m. Dinner
Take a much-needed break from cooking and cleaning on this Shabbat before Pesach. Participate in Shabbat
services and enjoy a lovely dinner with your friends and B’nai Israel family. Relax, enjoy good food and good
company as we celebrate Shabbat together.
$20/adult (ages 13 and older), $5/child (ages 2–12), Children under 2 are free of charge
There is no charge to attend the Friday service. Dinner reservations are required by Thursday, March 29. Please
note the earlier than usual deadline. Due to the complications of catering this event just before Passover, we are
unable to accept late registrations. Register online at www.bnaiisraelcong.org/ShabbatHagadol.
Questions? Contact Allia ([email protected], 301-816-5575). This event is co-sponsored by B’nai
Israel Sisterhood.
Seder with Residents of Brookdale Senior Living Facility
Monday April 3
Join the members of B’nai Israel’s Sisterhood as we assist the residents of the Brookdale Senior Living facility
(11215 Seven Locks Road, Potomac) with their model seder. If you are able to assist for all or part of the time,
contact Signe Wetrogan (301-384-2994, [email protected]).
Project Hope Delivery
Sunday, April 2
9:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Deliver packages provided by JSSA to senior residents in the Rockville and Leisure World Area. Meet in the
B’nai Israel parking lot at 9:30 a.m. to receive the packages and names and addresses of recipients. Contact Signe
Wetrogan (301-384-2994, [email protected]) for information and to volunteer.
PAGE 2 | PESACH HOLIDAY ENHANCEMENT GUIDE
PRE-PESACH RITUALS FOR THE HOME
Clean Out all the Chametz in Your House What a wonderful
excuse to do a thorough cleaning of your home! Clean the cabinets, cupboards,
drawers, refrigerators, stoves, ovens, dishwashers and microwaves; and don’t
forget all of the other rooms in the house as well. Many people also begin
Passover with a new toothbrush. For technical details about cleaning, check
out the annual Pesach Guide at www.bnaiisraelcong.org/pesach.
Mechirat Chametz (Selling Chametz) Not only are we not
allowed to eat chametz on Pesach, but we are also not allowed to own it.
Furthermore, any chametz that we have before the holiday is not permitted to
be consumed afterwards. In order to protect businesses and households from
having to waste chametz products that were not finished before, the Rabbis developed a “legal fiction” of selling
our leavened products to non-Jews during the festival. At B’nai Israel, Cantor Wolpert acts as our agent in the
sale. To participate, simply fill out the form at www.bnaiisraelcong.org/pesach and drop it off at the synagogue.
It is customary to accompany the form with a few dollars for tzedakah.
Ma’ot Hittin (literally “Money for Wheat”) While tzedakah is always a mitzvah, there is a special
annual push to collect money to ensure that needy people are able to purchase the necessary supplies for the seder.
Today, that tradition is linked to mechirat chametz; when you drop off your form to sell the chametz, drop some
tzedakah money in the box as well.
Invite Guests During the seder, we say: “All who are in need (kol dikhfin), let them come eat.” Prepare your
guest list and invite, invite, invite! If you have extra room at your table, or if you are looking for a seder to attend,
we want to help make matches. Please contact Rabbi Safra’s office ([email protected], 301-816-5575)
to let us know.
Don’t Forget to Order Flowers for Your Passover Holiday B’nai Israel Sisterhood can help
you with that. Visit www.bnaiisraelcong.org/pesach to order. And, be sure to check out the Sisterhood Judaica
Shop for other Passover and seder enhancements.
B’dikat Chametz (Search for Chametz) On the night of Erev Pesach (this year, the evening of April
21), we perform a ritual search for any extra leaven still in the home. There is a serious purpose for the search,
but it is a wonderful activity with children. One member of the family hides 10 small pieces of chametz around
the house. Turn off the lights, light a candle, and recite the following blessing:
.‫שׁנּו ְּב ִמצְֹותָ יו ְו ִצּוָנּו עַל ּבִיעּור ָחמֵץ‬
ָ ּ ְ‫שׁר קִד‬
ֵ ‫ אֱֹלהֵינּו ֶמלְֶך הָעֹולָם ֲא‬‫ּבָרּוְך ַאתָ ּה ה‬
Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al bi-yur chametz.
Praised are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with the commandments
and commanded us about the removal of chametz.
Use the candle to light the way, a feather to sweep the chametz and a wooden spoon as a dustpan to catch
the chametz. Place the chametz, the feather and spoon in a paper bag. The next morning perform Bi’ur
Chametz by burning the bag and all of the contents. Inexpensive B’dikat Chametz kits are available for
purchase in the Sisterhood Judaica Shop.
PESACH HOLIDAY ENHANCEMENT GUIDE | PAGE 3
PREPARING FOR THE SEDER
As you prepare, keep in mind that there are five mitzvot associated with the seder:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Eating matzah (Exodus 12:18)
Telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 13:18)
Drinking four cups of wine (or grape juice for the kids!) (Talmud Pesachim 116b)
Eating maror (bitter herbs) (Talmud Pesachim 116b)
Reciting Hallel (Talmud Pesachim 117b)
Prepare the seder plate with the following items!
Zero’a
A roasted bone symbolizes God’s “outstretched arm” (zero’a netuyyah) that brought our ancestors out of Egypt and recalls the
paschal lamb that was offered in the Temple.
Beitzah
A roasted egg recalls the special festival offering that was also brought to the Temple. It is also a symbol of
mourning for the destruction of the Temple, as well as a symbol of life, birth, fertility and regeneration.
Karpas
Parsley (or any fresh vegetable) symbolizes the rebirth of spring and renewal of our hope for redemption.
Maror
Bitter herbs remind us of the bitterness slavery and the suffering of the Jews throughout history. Many seder
plates include an additional space (hazeret) for a second type of bitter herb. Romaine lettuce is commonly
used in this space.
Haroset
Some say this paste-like mixture of chopped fruits, nuts, wine and spices symbolizes the clay and straw
mixture the enslaved Israelites used to make bricks. In ancient times, apples were symbolic of fertility and
rebirth, so there is a freedom aspect to haroset as well. There are many different recipes available and used
around the world—some with many types of fruits beyond the usual apples, chopped nuts, cinnamon and red
wine. Check out our recipes on page 6.
The word seder means order. The Haggadah arranges our retelling of the story in
15 steps:
1
(‫ )קָדֵ ּׁש‬Kaddesh
2
(‫)ּורחַץ‬
ְ Ur’hatz
Recite the Kiddush and drink the first of four cups of wine. Don’t forget to recline to the left while drinking
your wine and eating your matzah. Most people aren’t allowed to slouch at the table the rest of the year, but
on Passover reclining is a sign of freedom!
Washing of your hands without reciting a blessing (this time).
PAGE 4 | PESACH HOLIDAY ENHANCEMENT GUIDE
3
(‫ )ּכ ְַרּפַס‬Karpas
4
(‫ )יַחַץ‬Yahatz
Break the middle matzah and hide the bigger half as the afikoman. The broken matzah represents “poor
man’s bread” (lehem oni). Some say it also recalls the parting of the Red Sea. One idea is for each child to
have his or her own afikoman bag; children can search each other’s bags without giving clues. Don’t forget
to give a small gift to all who find their afikoman bags!
5
(‫ ) ָמ ִגּיד‬Maggid
6
(‫)ר ְחצָה‬
ָ Rohtzah
7
8
9
(‫ )מוציא מצה‬Motzi and Matzah
Eat a green vegetable dipped in salt-water, which represents the tears of our ancestors in Egypt. Some
people follow the Polish custom of dipping a potato as well. Perhaps everyone could share their favorite
thing about spring!
Tell the story of Passover. Alongside the reading of the haggadah, perhaps you and your guests can come
up with a list of movies with a slavery or freedom theme; or present a skit or puppet show telling the story
of the Exodus; maybe even dress in costume! This is a great way to bring the central words of the haggadah
to life: “B’khol dor va-dor hayav adam lir’ot et atzmo k’ilu hu yatzah mi-Mitzrayim, In every generation,
one must regard oneself as having personally experienced the Exodus from Egypt.” Who will ask the four
questions this year?
Wash the hands a second time, but this time recite a blessing (as you would before eating bread).
There are two blessings before eating matzah. The first is the ha-motzi, because matzah is just another type
of bread; the second is for the specific commandment of eating matzah at the seder.
(‫ )מָרֹור‬Maror
Dip the bitter herb in haroset. Recite a blessing acknowledging that it is a mitzvah to eat maror on Pesach.
‫)ּכֹור‬
ֵ
Korech
10 (‫ְך‬Make
a sandwich of matzah and maror to recall the practice of the great sage Hillel. The modern Hebrew
word for sandwich (‫ )ּכ ִָריְך‬comes from this tradition.
ֵ ‫ )ׁשּו ְלחָן‬Shulhan Orekh
11 (‫ְך‬The‫עֹור‬
table is ready…it’s time to eat the meal! Some people begin the meal with a hard-boiled egg dipped in
saltwater.
‫ )צ‬Tzafun
12 (‫ָפּון‬
The word tzafun means “hidden.” It’s time to find the afikoman! The word afikoman is actually a Greek
word, meaning either “a food eaten for pleasure” or “dessert following the meal.” The afikoman should be
the very last thing you eat, including whatever sweets you serve at the end of the meal.
‫ )ּב ֵָר‬Barech
13 (‫ְך‬Recite
the Grace after Meals, followed by the third cup of wine.
‫ ) ָה ֵל‬Hallel
14 (‫ּל‬Psalms
113-118 are recited, together with some additional prayers.
Elijah. Afterwards we drink the fourth cup of wine.
Before Hallel, we open the door for
‫ )נ‬Nirtzah
15 (‫ָה‬The‫ ְִרצ‬seder
is complete. We sing “Le-shanah ha-ba-ah bi-Yerushalayim, Next year in Jerusalem!” In addition to the songs of the haggadah, check out some of our fun songs on page 11.
PESACH HOLIDAY ENHANCEMENT GUIDE | PAGE 5
PESACH HAROSET RECIPES
MOROCCAN HAROSET BALLS www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/moroccan-charoset-balls/
INGREDIENTS
PREPARATION
In the jar of a blender, add the walnuts, apple, dates,
raisins, prune, juice, cinnamon, and sugar. Blend to desired
consistency. Some prefer their Moroccan charoset more
textured and nutty; others prefer to puree more and achieve a
smoother consistency.
1 cup walnuts (almonds can be substituted)
1 green apple, peeled and cubed
½ cup pitted dates
½ cup raisins
½ cup pitted prunes
2 teaspoons grape juice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon sugar
Roll into balls and serve individually.
7 FRUIT HAROSET FROM SURINAM www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/7-fruit-charoset-from-surinam/
INGREDIENTS
PREPARATION
3 cups unsweetened coconut
2 cups walnuts or almonds, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1 ½ cups raisins
1 ½ cups dried apples
1 ½ cups prunes or plums
1/2 cup cherry jam
1 cup sweet red wine
1 tablespoon cinnamon
In a large bowl, cover the dried fruit with water. Soak
overnight in the refrigerator to soften. The next day, finely
dice all the fruit.
In a large saucepan over low heat, add the ground coconut.
Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Add the nuts and sugar.
Keep stirring to prevent the coconut from sticking to the pan. When the wine and coconut mixture is well combined
(neither too wet or too dry), add the fruits, continuing to stir
until ingredients have come together. Stir in the cherry jam.
Remove from heat. Add cinnamon and mix thoroughly. Keep
refrigerated until serving.
SYRIAN HAROSET www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/syrian-haroset/
INGREDIENTS
PREPARATION
3 pounds of large pitted dates
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sweet wine
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 to 2 tablespoons of matzah meal,
as needed to bind
Place the dates in a saucepan. Add water to cover. Bring to a
boil, then lower heat and simmer until the dates are soft.
Pass the dates through a strainer or use a food processor.
Add remaining ingredients.
PAGE 6 | PESACH HOLIDAY ENHANCEMENT GUIDE
SPECIAL IDEAS FOR YOUR SEDER
Have a chart of the order of the seder. Give one or two people/children the job of keeping track of where you
are and announcing the beginning of the next part.
In addition to placing Elijah’s cup on the table, include a cup, to honor Miriam. This cup is filled with
water, recalling Miriam’s role in providing water for the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness.
Consider holding the beginning part of your seder in the
living room and not at the dining room table. This would create
the opportunity for much more interaction and participation for the
children as well as adults. Place your seder plate on a coffee table.
Then, move to the dining room for the next part of the meal.
Perhaps some fun “homework” could be given to those
coming to the seder. Create a play or a skit, a song, news report or
some type of game show related to some aspect of the seder!
Provide a variety of haggadot to read from and share
information. You could even compare translations!
Prepare in advance for the Ten Plagues, always one of the
most exciting parts of the story. Draw pictures or gather representationss of each plague – frogs, ping-pong
balls, foam balls or marshmallows for hail, plastic animals, snakes and spiders, dark sunglasses for darkness.
You might enjoy the Afghani tradition of seder participants gently whipping each other with
scallions as a symbol of the Egyptian slave drivers’ whips. Some Sephardim use the scallions to gently
beat the leader during the singing of Dayenu as a reminder of the plagues.
Ask questions: What are the 10 problems that we face today? What was Passover like when older
relatives were young? Discuss your family’s history or ask participants to tell about the most interesting Passover
they ever celebrated. If there is someone from another country at your seder, ask how Passover is celebrated there.
If you were a movie star in the movie Exodus, what character would you play? What actor or actress would you
want to play each role in the story? Moses? Pharaoh?
Sing Had Gadya all in one breath! Perhaps you could even try singing Had Gadya with sound effects.
Begin the Counting of the Omer. There is a commandment in the Torah: “And from the day after the Shabbat
(Pesach), the day on which you bring the omer (a measure of barley) of wave offering, you shall count seven full
weeks” (Leviticus 23:15). Beginning the second night of Pesach, we count each day, to day 49, seven weeks later,
until we reach the holiday of Shavuot.
PESACH HOLIDAY ENHANCEMENT GUIDE | PAGE 7
SYNAGOGUE RITUALS
The ritual march to Pesach begins more than two months before the holiday with a series of special Shabbatot. On
each of these weeks, a special Haftarah is chanted to reflect the theme of the week; and for the first four, a special
Maftir is read from a second Torah Scroll.
• SHABBAT SHEKALIM (this year on March 5) recalls the donation of a half-shekel that was made
•
•
•
•
by every Jew for the purpose of Temple upkeep. We can imagine that the months before Passover were
a time to make repairs so that everything would be perfect when the festival arrived.
SHABBAT ZACHOR (this year on March 19) is the name for the Sabbath before Purim. It
literally means Shabbat of Remembrance, as it recalls how Amalek—the ancestor of Haman—attacked
the Israelites in the wilderness.
SHABBAT PARAH (this year on April 2) recalls the ritual of the Red Heifer, which cleansed our
ancient ancestors of particular impurities. In Temple times, the Pesach offering, which had to be eaten
in a state of ritual purity, was the mainstay of the festival.
SHABBAT HAHODESH (this year on April 9) is the Shabbat before the Hebrew month of
Nisan, the month when Passover is celebrated. HaHodesh is short for “HaHodesh hazeh la-khem rosh
hodashim, This month—the month of your freedom—shall be for you the first of the months” (Exodus
12:1).
SHABBAT HAGADOL (this year on April 16) is the Shabbat before Pesach. It means the Great
Sabbath, either referring to the words of that day’s Haftarah that Elijah the Prophet will announce the
arrival of the Messiah on the “great and awesome day” (Malachi 4:23), or to a tradition that rabbis
would give extra long sermons on that Shabbat in order to help their communities prepare for Passover.
SIYYUM BEKHORIM/THE FAST OF THE FIRSTBORN The morning before the Passover seder,
14 Nisan, holds special significance. Traditionally, first born Jews are supposed to fast, recalling that they would
have been stricken by the Tenth Plague had God not passed over their houses. Instead of fasting, though, it is
customary to have a siyyum, a celebratory meal marking the completion of a passage of study. The meal becomes
the last chance to eat chametz before the holiday, as the Passover food prohibitions begin soon afterwards at 10:00
a.m. The annual siyyum is a big event at B’nai Israel, taking place this year on Friday, April 22, at the conclusion
of the morning minyan.
HALLEL Psalms 113–118, is recited each morning of Pesach. While the full Hallel is recited on the first two
days, we recite a slightly abbreviated version known as Hatzi Hallel (Half Hallel) on the other days. This may be
to dampen our celebration ever so slightly to acknowledge that even our Egyptian tormentors who perished were
also children of God.
TEFILLAT TAL the Prayer for Dew, is recited on the first day of
Passover. We ask God to bless the Land of Israel as the rainy season
has ended and the dry summer will soon begin.
SONG OF SONGS (Shir ha’Shirim) is read on the
Intermediary Shabbat of Pesach. Its themes of springtime renewal
and God’s love for the Jewish people resonate with the larger themes
of Passover.
PAGE 8 | PESACH HOLIDAY ENHANCEMENT GUIDE
PESACH SERVICE TIMES
& CANDLELIGHTING
Monday, April 10*
7:22 p.m. – Candlelighting
Tuesday, April 11*
9:00 a.m. – First Day of Pesach
11:00 a.m. – Youth Services
12:30 p.m. – Mincha
8:06 p.m. – Candlelighting
CHAG PESACH
SAMEACH
FROM YOUR
B’NAI ISRAEL FAMILY
Wednesday, April 12
9:00 a.m. – Second Day of Pesach
11:00 a.m. – Youth Service
12:00 p.m. Pesach Pizza Party
7:30 p.m. – Mincha and Ma’ariv
Sunday, April 16
7:28 p.m. – Candlelighting
7:15 p.m. – Mincha and Ma’ariv
Monday, April 17
9:00 a.m. – Seventh Day of Pesach
11:00 a.m. – Youth Service
8:12 p.m. – Candlelighting
7:45 p.m. – Mincha and Ma’ariv
Tuesday, April 18
9:00 a.m. – Eighth Day of Pesach with Yizkor Prayers
10:30 a.m. – Youth Service (K–7) with our neighbors at
the Charles E. Smith Life Communities
Meet at B’nai Israel at 10:30 a.m. and walk with our
staff.
11:00 a.m. – Torah for Tots
7:45 p.m. – Mincha and Ma’ariv
8:13 p.m. – Pesach Ends
FREE LARGE PRINT
HAGGADAHS
for the Visually Impaired
and Reading Disabled
The JBI Library can help
you or a loved one fully enjoy
the Passover seder!
To order by phone,
you must call the JBI Library
(800-999-6476)
before April 3.
You may also download the file
for free or order online
(www.jbilibrary.org).
JBI International
Established in 1931 as the
Jewish Braille Institute of America
110 East 30th Street
New York, NY 10016
*There will be no evening services at B’nai Israel on Monday, April 10, and Tuesday, April 11. Copies of
the evening service along with CDs of the chanting are available from the office to enable individuals
to conduct the Ma’ariv service in their homes.
PESACH HOLIDAY ENHANCEMENT GUIDE | PAGE 9
INTERESTING PESACH TRADITIONS AND
FACTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
• The Jews of Cochin, India, a community that is more than 2,000 years old, begin preparing for Pesach
immediately after Hanukah! They believe that during preparation, if the Jewish woman makes even a slight
mistake, the lives of her husband and children would be at stake.
• In Gora Kalwaria, Poland, Hasidic Jews reenacted the crossing of the Red Sea by pouring water on their
living room floors and saying the names of the towns they would pass while making the crossing.
• While making haroset, the Jews of Gibralter would actually mix the dust of bricks into their dish.
• The Jews of Hungary would decorate their seder tables with gold and
silver jewelry to remember the items the Egyptians gave the Israelites as
they were leaving Egypt.
• The largest seder in the world takes place in Kathmandu, Nepal!
• If you are a first-born son in a Sephardic family, you might be asked
to eat an egg at the end of the seder in gratitude for being passed over
during the last plague.
• Some people place olives on their seder plate to symbolize peace in the
Middle East.
• In Casablanca, some Jews set a large, decorated chair near the seder table to wait for Elijah.
• In Israel, much of the country celebrates Passover…Kosher for Passover signs are
everywhere!
• The first American edition of the haggadah was published in 1837 by Solomon Henry
Jackson, an English-born American Jew.
• Did you know that President Lincoln was assassinated during Passover? Many bimahs
were draped with black and some congregations chanted Yom Kippur hymns in his honor.
• The world’s biggest matzah ball was made in 2010 in Tucson, Arizona and weighed 488 pounds!
• In 2008, competitive eating champion Joey Chestnut set a record by consuming 78 matzah balls
in 8 minutes!
• More than 1.5 million jars of Manishchewitz Gefilte Fish are sold throughout
the world each year.
• Manischewitz even made it to the moon! “Man, oh, Manischewitz,” was
shouted by Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan in 1973 while he took his moonwalk.
• Mimouna is a special celebration held at the end of Passover by Jews of North
African descent. There is singing and dancing, and dairy foods are traditionally
served.
PAGE 10 | PESACH HOLIDAY ENHANCEMENT GUIDE
FUN PESACH SONGS
http://www.uscj.org/JewishLivingandLearning/ShabbatandHolidayInformation/Holidays/JewishHolidays/
Passover/ModernSongsforYourSeder.aspx
There’s No Seder Like our Seder (sing to the tune of “There’s No Business Like Show Business”)
There’s no seder like our seder,
There’s no seder I know.
Everything about it is halachic
Nothing that the Torah won’t allow.
Listen how we read the whole Haggadah
It’s all in Hebrew
‘Cause we know how.
There’s no Seder like our seder,
We tell a tale that is swell:
Moses took the people out into the heat
They baked the matzah
While on their feet
Now isn’t that a story
That just can’t be beat?
Let’s go on with the show!
Take Us Out of Egypt (sing to the tune of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”)
Take us out of Egypt
Free us from slavery
Bake us some matzah in a haste
Don’t worry ‘bout flavor—
Give no thought to taste.
Oh it’s rush, rush, rush, to the Red Sea
If we don’t cross it’s a shame
For it’s ten plagues,
Down and you’re out
At the Pesach history game.
Pharaoh’s Lament (sing to the tune of “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider”)
My river and my sun gods
have always helped me rule.
Down came the plagues
And folks think I’m a fool.
Up come the slaves’ God
And tells me what to do.
I’m a roughy-toughy Pharaoh.
Why won’t my gods come through?
Remember to take plenty of pictures for your holiday photo album,
noting special events, years and guests! It will become a wonderful family keepsake!
And don’t forget to share them on B’nai Israel’s Facebook page.
www.facebook.com/bnaiisraelcong
PESACH HOLIDAY ENHANCEMENT GUIDE | PAGE 11
PESACH CRAFT – SEDER PLACE CARDS
Kids love to be involved with Seder preparations. Now they can create and color these fun placecards
and place them at the Seder table to show guests where they’ll be sitting. All you do is cut and color.
http://30minuteseder.com/kidstuff.html
PAGE 12 | PESACH HOLIDAY ENHANCEMENT GUIDE