 Passover is a special Jewish holiday based on freedom. I am the "rabbi" at work and run my own Sabbath services with my own twist every Friday afternoon. I always tell them to focus on what they have rather than complain about what they don't. Residents of all faiths are more than welcome to join me for the hour. It's is probably the thing that takes more work than any other activity, yet it seems to be the one weekly activity that is more worthwhile than any others. It has become a tradition and something that everyone looks forward to. Tradition is very important in the Jewish religion, especially when it comes to celebrating holidays.
Seder, means "order" and there are a number of rituals that need to take place before the meal is served on the first two nights of Passover. A Seder can take up to 3 hours but the most important message that needs to be emphasized is how lucky we are to be free. I follow the order of the Seder but I do it in a way that is much shorter, simple enough for anyone to understand, yet gets the message of freedom across.
Everything done during the hour is symbolic. We retell the story of the Exodus and follow certain rituals to actually feel as if we were slaves and by the end of the meal, we feel as if we ourselves have been freed. It is very important that every generation do this so that we do not forget. We taste parsley dipped in salt water to remember the tears we shed. We eat matzo because when the slaves were finally freed from Pharaoh, they didn't have time for the bread to rise. We eat bitter herbs to remind us of the bitterness of slavery. We eat a mixture of nuts, wine and apples called charoset, which is symbolic of the clay the slaves used to build. Every single part of the Seder is symbolic.
Even if you do not have Seder, you can play what I call "Passover Bingo". I play this game on many theme days if I am teaching something. I hand out a blank bingo grid page with pencils and write "Happy Passover" in the middle box. This leaves the residents 24 boxes to fill in. I tell them the story of Passover in a very informal way as they write down certain words in the story in one of the blank boxes. It is an awesome story.
Jewish people were slaved in Egypt and the children were being killed. One mother put her baby in a basket in the river. Pharaoh was the mean king (every story need a mean king). His daughter found the baby and named him Moses. When he grew up, he didn't like the way his family was treating the Jews so he left to be a shepherd. God spoke to him through a burning bush to persuade Pharaoh to free the Jews. Even after 9 plagues, from filling the land with blood and boils and locusts, Pharaoh refused. When he was finally threatened with the slaying of the first born, he let the people go. How blessed we were that God did so much for us.
We sing a special song called "Dayenu" (rhymes with my day new) that would trigger memories in any Jewish resident. I can just about guarantee that by just mentioning that word around a Jewish resident, you will find him or her singing the catchy chorus! So, as I tell this story of miracles, I write the new words on the board. As I come to each word, they fill it into anyone of the boxes on their paper. Between the 10 plagues and the other related words, I easily have a list of words for them to fill their bingo card. I then randomly call out some of the words until someone has bingo and wins a prize!
During the Passover season, I'd like to recommend one special cooking activity even if you don't have a Seder or you don't do anything else related to Passover. Make matzo brie! Matzo brie is a version of what you could call a matzo omelet or matzo scrambled egg. There are many slight variations of Matzo brie recipes. You basically have to wet matzo to make it soft and then use it in a scrambled egg or omelet.
During this activity, everybody gets their own egg and a little bowl to scramble it in and I have some ingredients they may want to use on the table. This includes milk, cinnamon, chopped apples, onions and salt. I have my electric skillet at a table near an outlet. Always be sure never to leave a skillet unattended. My assistant or the residents bring me their mix and I fry it and put it on a plate. Matzo brie has this special texture and makes for a real incredible edible! You can also make this as a demonstration rather than a "make your own" session. Play some "Fiddler on the Roof" music while everyone eats their matzo brie and you can have a fun "Taste of Passover". If the kitchen will supply you with eggs, it’s basically a free activity as well! So, remember the Exodus and rejoice in our freedom.
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GINGER'S CREATIVE COSTUMES AND ACTIVITIES