LET KITAH DALET GO!!

Just as our ancestors were freed from slavery, we too see freedom in our midst as we prepare for our much anticipated Passover holiday.The students in Kitah Dalet have been busy examining parts of the Haggadah, and looking deep into the commandment in the Torah to teach the story of Passover from one generation to the next.  Students had the opportunity work in small groups, or chevruta, researching the reason behind the Four Questions, or as we learned, one question with four parts, and we have been chanting these phrases together all month.  

The Seder arouses questions, presents new tastes, and is certainly interactive.  The songs, questions, smells, and tastes serve as a ploy to involve the children, and it is for this reason that we tell the story of our flight from slavery to freedom through the senses.  We explored the meaning behind the items on the Seder Plate, and  talked about the different ways we are reminded that we were once slaves and now we are free.  Each item on the Seder plate has a double meaning, one as a reminder of our past, and the other a reminder of our hope and future.   

In our Torah Core Class, we talked about GOD being fair and just, and feeling pain when punishing the Egyptians with the plagues.  We again talked about having free will, and the ability to make our own choices.  We used this core foundation when talking about the plagues and the Egyptians.  The Egyptians had choices to make, and they chose to follow a bad leader, and thus they suffered the consequences. We again reminded our students that we have control over the choices we make, and we have the obligation to do the right thing. To complete our Ten Plague discussion, we talked about spilling our wine and reviewed the the Ten Plagues.  Please ask your children to share some insights about how to spill their wine at the Seder.  

Finally, we talked about the commandment to "Let All Who Are Hungry Come and Eat," and the value of Tzedakkah on Passover.    We talked about the being GOD'S partner, just as Moses and Elijah were, and working to help make the world a better place.  The Haggadah is rich with life lessons, and our students have a foundation to share their thoughts and ideas at your family Seder.  Many of our students brought home enrichment packets to share at your Seder, as well as a Bag of Plagues. We encourage you to push them to share their knowledge, as they are really quite capable.  From our home to yours, we wish you a wonderful Passover Holiday, and look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, April 14, 2015.