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Engaging Children and Adults

The Passover seder is meant to be engaging. The most traditional seder features storytelling, singing, foods as teaching tools, questions and answers, and an emotional journey.

Children have a special role in the seder. It's traditional for the youngest child to recite the Four Questions in the haggadah. Passover traditions have a strong sense of play. In many families the adults hide the afikoman for the children to find, or the children steal the afikoman and hide it from the adults. Many Passover customs exist solely for the purpose of making the children ask more questions.

Today, we can enhance our seders with puppets and plays, toy plagues to throw at each other, poetry and songs of freedom. People use the format of the seder to celebrate themes of freedom and justice, and the connection of the Jewish historical experience with those of other people. There are Black-Jewish seders that share the history of slavery. There are Israeli-Palestinian seders that share the pain of occupation and violence. And there are rainbow seders for all kinds of inclusive learning and community.

If your family is leading a seder, you can make it meaningful to all who come to the table: children and adults, Jewish and non-Jewish relatives and friends. We have provided a list of haggadahs and other Passover resources to help you create an engaging seder that addresses the universal themes of liberation and family origins of Passover.

The Guide to Passover for Interfaith Families is also available in PDF and Word formats.

"Dessert" in Greek, it refers to the matzah that is hidden at the beginning of the Passover seder and which, customarily, children look for and ransom back to the adults before the conclusion. The spring holiday commemorating the Exodus of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. The Hebrew name is "Pesach." Hebrew for "telling," the text that outlines the order of the Passover seder. There are many, many versions of this book, which dates back almost 2,000 years. Because we are commanded to expand upon the story, the Haggadah contains ancient interpretations, as well as stage directions and explanations, for the Passover meal. Hebrew for "order," refers to the traditional course of events, or service, surrounding the Passover and Tu Bishvat meals.
InterfaithFamily

InterfaithFamily is the premier resource supporting interfaith couples exploring Jewish life and inclusive Jewish communities. We offer educational content; connections to welcoming organizations, professionals and programs; resources and trainings for organizations, clergy and other program providers; and our new InterfaithFamily/Your Community initiative providing coordinated comprehensive offerings in local communities.

If you have suggestions, please contact network@interfaithfamily.com.

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