We were recently honored by a visit from Mrs. Esther Wachsman, mother of Nachshon Wachsman, hy"d.  Mrs. Wachsman spoke movingly of her son's 1994 kidnapping and eventual execution by terrorists dressed up as chasidim, who tricked him into hitchhiking with them by placing a siddur and tanach on the dashboard and playing chassidic music .  She spoke of how the day before her son's murder, both Peres and Arafat were informed that they would be recieving the Nobel Peace Prize, and how her son ironically became a "victim of peace."  She told the students about the international effort to save his life, and about how that Thursday night, 100,000 Jews of all religious affiliations converged on the kotel to pray for him.  Secular schools asked the Misrad HaChinuch (Board of Education) for books of tehillim, so that their students could pray for his wellbeing and safe return.  Women who had never lit shabbat candles in their lives purchased shabbat candles in reponse to Mrs. Wachsman's request that an extra candle be lit in the merit of his safe return. 

          Eighth Graders was up on the roof this week, but it wasn't to play basketball.  It was to measure the height of the basketball stand using a hypsometer.  A hypsometer is a device that measures the angle of elevation that your eye makes with the top of an object. 

 

            Beginning March 30, 2010, Jewish families planet-wide will celebrate the eight-day festival of Passover. They'll gather round their tables and take part in a Seder meal, a fifteen step, family oriented, tradition and ritual packed feast.

            Families will recount their ancestors' liberation from bondage in Egypt as they read through a Haggadah. And for eight full days, since the Jewish people are forbidden to eat bread and it's related products, they will be eating  matazh- flat, unleavened bread that is not enriched with oil, honey or other substances. And this matzah will take many forms; matazh pizza, cake and muffins made from matzah, and yes even matzah lasagna.

           But Passover is about a bit more than Matzah. According to Rabbi Benjamin Yablok, the Associate principal at Manhattan Day School, a pre-K to 8th grade Modern Orthodox yeshiva on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Passover is an ideal opportunity to create family rituals which are not only nourishing to the spirit for a lifetime but potentially can be passed down for generations.  Of course, the Seder itself is such a ritual that has endured for 35 centuries.

Get your kids in on the preparations
         Passover is so memorable, in part, because we invest so much of ourselves in it, and therefore Rabbi Yablok believes every capable member of the family can and should participate in the cleaning of rooms and closets, which all must be ridden of nay trace of bread and/or bread products also known as chametz.

         Every school age child can be an active participant, even if the trip to the store takes a little longer. Those fortunate enough to live near a matzah-baking facility, may be able to schedule a visit and learn what goes into the process (and why it can cost anywhere from $1 to $25 a pound).  Closer to the holiday, scrubbing surfaces, exchanging dishes, and sealing off areas bring  home how special this time of year is. A visit to a Judaica store to select a new Haggadah for each participant adds another dimension.
Pre-seder rituals
          A powerful statement at the Seder is "Kol Dichfin Yaisai Veyachol" All who need may come and eat - but of course by that time, the guests are already there!  This is a reminder that none of us (especially our kids) should sit at a Seder without having made efforts to provide for those in need. Pre--passover is a wonderful time for  families can discuss to whom they would like to contribute their Ma'ot Chitim, their Passover Tzedakah (charity). 

          Discussions about who might be invited to the Seder can involve everyone.  Donations of food and supplies can be made at drop-off points or in person days before the holiday begins.  (Donating extra Chametz (bread products) items helps non-Jewish needy while donating Passover items help Jews in need.)
The Seder night
          On Passover itself, families continue traditions and add their own.  The parental blessing of the children that begins the Seder is by no means a childish event.  The privilege of giving, and of receiving, this blessing is a cherished experience.  Every possible means for engaging children, from asking 'The Four Questions' (Ma Nishtana), to helping at the table , to hiding/searching for the Afikoman, to leading songs, should be employed. 

         Who will pour the wine, who helps with the hand-washing and towels, who opens the door for Elijah, etc. Appropriate games that can be shared by the whole family together should be set aside in advance.  And attendance at synagogue, in festive clothing, to hear the special prayers and their tunes, should be enjoyed by all.
Activities for the intermediate days of Passover
         During Chol Hamoed, the intermediate days of the holiday, families plan activities together.  First perhaps, to a toy store to redeem the Afikomen pledges of Seder night.  Visits to parks and amusement areas as a family are memorable especially when taking along home-made Passover snacks. 

         Museum trips can even turn attention to the ancient world of Egypt.   During these weekdays, family groups are seen out together relaxing and enjoying each others company in a way that is not always possible at other times of the year.  Sharing the responsibility, the activity, the fun, and even the chores, builds bonds, relationships, and memories for a lifetime.

Why can you only have ten matzos on Passover?

What is the best date in the English calendar for leaving Egypt?

One for the parents... Where do they send someone who keeps leaven on Passover?

Email your answers to Ms. Wolf and get your name in the Messenger!

1. (a) Since the Torah in Parashat Tzav provides additional laws concerning the same korbanot described in Parashat Vayikra, why did the Torah not state all the laws for each korban together in Vayikra? (b) Why does the Torah say at the beginning of Tzav: "command Aharon and his sons", but in Vayikra, only Aharon's sons, but not Aharon himself, are mentioned (1:7-8,2:22,3:5)? (c) What 7 miracles concerned the mizbei-ach's Heavenly fire? (d) Why did the kohanim have to light a fire separate from the Heavenly fire (2 reasons)?  (Vayikra 6:2,5)