Suggestions for Family Celebration

In preparing the home for Passover, parents can involve children in whatever degree of housecleaning is comfortable by making it fun. In order for each family to participate as fully as possible in the Seder rituals, many wonderful musical compilations have been recorded. Playing Pesach music in the car or while you are cleaning at home helps to familiarize the whole family with traditional and contemporary music for this festival. Additional preparation activities involving children include:

• Creating individualized pillows for each guest.

• Making a Seder plate.

• Reading stories of Elijah the Prophet and Miriam, Moshe’s sister.

• Decorate a wine cup for each to be used during the Seder.

• Choosing and arranging flowers for the seder table.

• Arranging the charoset in the shape of a pyramid or bricks.

• Asking children to prepare a presentation related to a part of the seder.

During the Seder, we use the Hagaddah to guide us through the rituals and ceremonies observed. Hagaddah literally means, “the telling.” The Hagaddah is a masterpiece of pedagogy containing many different learning techniques. It employs the Socratic method of questions and answers, storytelling, show and tell, song, play, food, suspense, and pathos. The Rabbis composed the Hagaddah. Some of its parts quote the Torah; others were written some two thousand years ago, and still other parts date to the Middle Ages. Here are some suggestions to enliven the Hagaddah and your family’s Seder:

• Add a fifth question to the Four Questions. What else do you want to know about? Some families include a fifth question for those children whose voices were silenced before their time.

• Rewrite one or more sections of the Hagaddah to reflect your family’s values and interests.

• Use props during the reading of the Ten Plagues:

Blood – red food coloring or kosher for Passover catsup

Frogs – plastic toy frogs

Lice – tiny plastic bugs, or rub on Calamine lotion

Wild Beasts – plastic toy animals

Boils – round Band-Aids or small, round, red office supply labels

Hail – ping pong balls, marshmallows, or cotton balls

Locusts – plastic toy grasshoppers

Darkness – everyone put on sunglasses

• Read the story of the Exodus creatively. Have children act out the story. There are many wonderful retellings of the story for children of all ages.

• Dress up, or invite a child to dress up, as Eliyahu HaNavi, Elijah the Prophet. Ask another child to open the door. How would Elijah greet your seder guests? What wisdom might he impart?

• Add contemporary verses to traditional songs, such as Dayenu or Chad Gadya to address current concerns.

• Invite your guests to prepare a short drash or talk, on a Pesach theme.

Wishing you all a Chag Kasher V’Sameach, a very happy and healthy Passover holiday from PJA.

Sweet Spaghetti Squash Kugel with Apples and Raisins

Makes 9 servings carascravings.com

Passover comes with amazing food traditions that have been around since the beginning of time. This is a sweet kugel that is light enough to enjoy with any meal or on its own as a breakfast or snack. Gluten-free and refined sugar-free.

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked spaghetti squash

3 eggs

1/2 cup coconut sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1/3 cup raisins

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray an 8x8” baking dish with cooking spray, or lightly grease with melted coconut oil. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut sugar, and cinnamon. Add spaghetti squash and toss to coat. Mix in apples and raisins. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and set. Cool before slicing.

Calendar

Passover Starts:

Wednesday, April 5 - 15 Nissan Light candles at sundown

Passover Ends:

Thursday, April 13 - 22 Nissan Holiday ends at sundown