Click here for many useful resources to enrich your Passover celebrations, including an exciting FROG-TELLER, our famous HAGGADAH HELPERS, plus articles below. 

Passover started it all!  A nation enslaved is delivered to freedom and responsibility, and the world can believe in redemption.  Jews can read into the Exodus the beginnings of a national history, where Abraham's legacy of doing what is just and right becomes a standard for living.  Universally, the Passover story has become a tale of hope and warning to Pharaohs across time.       

The seder is an opportunity for family and friends to retell the traditional story of the Israelites leaving Egypt, and add on tales of their own.  It is a time to remember old traditions and to start new ones.  The haggadah is one script, but we are encouraged by that tradition "kol hamarbeh, harei zeh meshubach," the more we join in and add to the retelling, the merrier and enriched we will be.

This year the traditional Passover themes should be great platforms for having engaging, meaningful conversations between generations.  Here are some new ways to frame Passover: 

As the Festival of Freedom:  Remember how the Exodus story inspired many leaders in the Civil Rights Movement in America of the 50's and 60's.  Observe how the thirst for freedom (from oppressive leaders, from hunger, from intellectual isolation) has erupted in the Middle East and Africa. 

As the Festival of Spring:

With green vegetables on our tables we express our hope for a spring season in which our earth and our spirits are renewed. We once prayed for a good harvest -- we now pray for a healthy economy.  Earth Day (April 22nd) is a great time for family activities (www.earthday.org) and a time to reflect on humanity's impact on the earth and all of creation.  The many plagues of natural disasters (earthquakes and tsunamis, violent storms and solar flares) may elicit anxiety, but also provide opportunities to care for others around the globe.

Spring planning means we are more aware of water resources.  May seder tables add a Cup of Miriam to commemorare her relationship with the gift of water.  On Passover we pray for dew and ask that it becomes a source of blessing and not tragedy.  

Within the seder ritual is a tradition to spill one’s full cup of wine at the mention of the 10 Plagues.  A story has God upset at the angels, saying “my creations drown in the sea and you go on singing songs of praise?!”  On Passover night, we should renew our sensitivity to human suffering by interrupting our songs to recall the victims of the sea.

As the Festival of Matzot:  Restricting our diet to the "bread of affliction" makes us more conscious of what we usually eat and what most of the world has on its plate.  Invite those in need of hospitality and joy to your homes, and think of ways to bring meals to others who have limited access to food.  As you break the middle matzah in half, pause to consider those who like the ancient Israelites know not where their next meal will come from.  Collect food and money to help local food pantries and shelters.

As a Festival of Questions:  The famous four begin by exclaiming "How different this night is from all other nights!"  Keep a journal of "differences" over the holiday; list differences in people, their lives, their ideas, how they learn, the variety of strengths and skills they could add to friendships.  Create a home Jeopardy game, exploring your family members and history, seeking answers in the form of questions.  Take a field trip to a museum or historical site, and prepare a list of questions to which you would like to find answers.

The downloads and links below provide more information and stimulation for having a memorable Passover.  You can even assign your Passover guests to check them out in preparation for the seder, and report back around the table.

Articles and Activities

  The Frog-Teller Game - Guaranteed to help each generation (Dor) jump into a meaningful dialogue
Partnership Haggadah Helper - Cards for your Seder
Curl Up and Read - Spring 2011
Resources to Accompany "All Other Nights" by Dara Horn 
Healthy Passover Recipes
What is Kitniot? 
Passover Activities for the whole family
Passover Activities for Young Children 
Nut Free Charoset Recipies
Passover as the Holiday of Spring: Judaism and Ecology Resources
 

 Links

Varied Passover resources for kids  Passover Resources and Information 
Google Exodus - What if Moses had Facebook?
Passover Rhapsody - The Exodus story set to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." 
Poem for Miriam’s Well 
The Jewish Magazine
JAFI –Links to Pesach
My Jewish Learning – Passover
Agency for Jewish Learning List of Online Resources
Babaganewz Pesach Programs
Judaism 101 –Passover
Passover Overview
Interactive Seder Plate
Torah.Org
Four Children Count the Omer
Model for Omer Study
  

And More...

*The Partnership website showcases programs written for different environments to be used to teach or celebrate Pesach/Passover.  These programs were written by educators throughout the community, and are posted as examples that can be adapted into different learning environments. These programs were not written, edited or rated by the Partnership staff unless our names are listed as the authors.  They are being passed along as submitted by the author.