Showing posts with label meaningful. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meaningful. Show all posts

Friday, March 27, 2015

The Down-Home Matzah Ball Blues

The goal of this blog is to help make this Shabbat "gadol" - truly great. Please print and share.

matzo_soup Serious question: how are you going to make next Friday night different from all other nights?

If you're leading a Seder, you might want to start with my 2-page Art of Leading an Amazing Seder and get a copy of the Art of Amazement Haggada.

(If you already have one and want to know what's trending in Haggadas, shoot me an email.)

When you look at my 2-pager, you'll see a list of 10 Tips and Tricks.

Tip #5:
  1. Prepare two gifts for each participant. One is a small inexpensive gift: a toy, silly glasses, etc. The second is a more meaningful gift: preferably a book. (See www.bestjewishkidsbooks.com for suggestions of both types.) Gifts are especially important for young children. Give the small ones at random times, such as when a child answers a question or reads a line from the Haggada. Tell them that you have a bigger gift for anyone who stays awake until the end of the Seder....
Tip #6:
  1. Other props to prepare, for the Ten Plagues — again, we've compiled a quick list for you here.

Now, here's a question to stump everyone at the Passover Seder. I asked this one a few years ago, maybe it's a good time to dust it off:

What did ancient people call Egypt?

Romans called it "Egypt" - from the native name for Memphis.

What did Egyptians call it?

Kemet - "Blackland".

But what's most interesting, and the main question this week for your table is:

What does the Torah call it and why?

Answer: We call it Mitzrayim: "land of boundaries" or "place of limitations"

Think about what it means to leave a place called mitzrayim.

Think about how important it is to re-enact that every year.


Look at these two short, entertaining vids. The first one nicely reminds us why we're doing this:
  The second one will get you pumped up to make it great:




Shabbat Shalom and Happy Pesach.

PS - For the JSL Passover Kit, including a printable PDF of the Art of Amazement Haggada, click here.
PPS - This blog will soon be busy leaving Mitzrayim… see you in 3 weeks.

Thursday, April 05, 2012

Running Out of Time

Dedicated to Steve Goldstein, a great friend of many who knew the true meaning of freedom. May his memory be a blessing.

Our new spring bulletin: Click here

Downloadable Haggada: Click here

Full 2012 Pesach Kit: Click here

The great Google-Exodus spoof (2.2 million views): Click here

(FYI, two people today contacted me asking if they know anyone looking for a place at a Seder. If you know of any such person, including yourself, there are families in every community who would like to host you - please contact me ASAP.)

I suppose you'd like a question for your table.... How is this Seder this year going to be different from all other Seders of past years?

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach - Happy Passover!