Latifa Berry Kropf photographs by Tod Cohen Latifa Berry Kropf photographs by Tod Cohen Thank you For my parents, Zelda Sheeskin Berry, of blessed memory, and Seymour Berry L.B.K. Most of the photographs in this book were not taken until a month after Passover. The children loved having another opportunity to dip parsley in salt water, have charoset and matzah for snack, sing Dayenu and act out the Passover story. Many thanks to Congregation Beth Israel: the staff for their support and enthusiasm, the parents for sharing their wonderful children and, of course, the children, who always remind me of the joy in life. Thanks to Ellen Dietrick, whose behind-the-scenes encouragement and cre- ative solutions were to the making of this book what matzah is to Passover. For my precious children Gemma and Henry. I love you! T. C . Text copyright © 2004 by Latifa Berry Kropf Photos copyright © 2004 by Tod Cohen All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise-—without the prior written permission of Kar-Ben Publishing, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review. KAR-BEN PUBLISHING, INC. A division of Lerner Publishing Group 241 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S.A. 800-4KARBEN Website address: www.karben.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kropf, Latifa Berry. It's seder time! / by Latifa Berry Kropf ; photographs by Tod Cohen. p. cm. Summary: Photographs and easy-to-read text portray children in a Jewish preschool as they prepare for and participate in a Passover seder, then act out the Passover story. Includes directions for making Torah masks. eISBN: 1–58013–135–2 1. Seder—Juvenile literature. 2. Passover—Juvenile literature. [1. Seder. 2. Passover. 3. Holidays.] I. Cohen, Tod, ill. II. Title. BM695.P3K75 2004 296.4'5371—dc22 2003015260 Manufactured in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 – JR – 09 08 07 06 05 04 Spring is here! sunshine. It’s time to play in the It’s time to get ready for Passover. We’ve collected the cookies and crackers we do not eat on Passover. We’ll take them to the food bank. matzah!Let’s make We roll out the dough and punch holes with a fork so it won’t rise. charoset,We chop apples and nuts for which reminds us of the mortar the Israelite slaves used to make bricks in Egypt. Elly is filling Elijah’s cup with grape juice. Samantha will fill Miriam’s cup with water. with a special cloth. Sherry is covering the three matzah The seder plate has a bone, an egg, parsley, bitter herb, and charoset. [...]... thanked God for their freedom Our story is finished Now it’s time to eat Matzah and charoset make the best sandwich! Dina is happy because she found the afikomen! Caitlin opens the door to see if the prophet Elijah is coming We finish our seder with our favorite songs Happy Passover! Torah Masks Torah masks are great props to use at classroom seders and at home They encourage even the shiest child to... cut out large holes where the faces of the characters would be You’re ready to go Lights, camera, action! About the Passover Seder Passover is a week-long holiday, celebrated in the spring, when we remember the exodus of the Jews from Egyptian slavery It is ushered in with a seder, a festive meal of prayers, readings, songs, and the tasting of symbolic foods Here is a brief explanation of Passover... Jewish families engage in spring cleaning to remove all hametz Often packages of unopened hametz are donated to food banks The centerpiece of the table is a seder plate with the following symbolic foods: Bone—recalling the Passover sacrifice in Biblical times Egg—a symbol of spring and renewal Parsley—a symbol of spring It is eaten dipped in salt water which recalls the tears of the slaves Maror—a bitter... bread—on the seder table, covered by a decorative cloth The matzah recalls the haste in which the Israelites fled Egypt One matzah is broken into two pieces The larger piece, the afikomen, is hidden to spark the interest of children Later, it is ransomed and eaten for dessert An extra cup of wine is set aside for the Prophet Elijah Tradition says that Elijah will herald the messianic age During the seder. .. that followed the Israelites through the desert After the traditional blessings over candles and wine, the Passover story is told, introduced with the Four Questions asked by the youngest at the seder The seder continues with songs of praise and a festive meal ...To begin the seder, we light candles and sing a blessing over the grape juice We dip parsley in salt water and remember the tears of the Jewish slaves Michael breaks the middle matzah Cantor Alan will hide the bigger . Passover seder, then act out the Passover story. Includes directions for making Torah masks. eISBN: 1–58013–135–2 1. Seder Juvenile literature. 2. Passover—Juvenile literature. [1. Seder. 2 www.karben.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kropf, Latifa Berry. It's seder time! / by Latifa Berry Kropf ; photographs by Tod Cohen. p. cm. Summary: Photographs and easy-to-read. of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 – JR – 09 08 07 06 05 04 Spring is here! sunshine. It’s time to play in the It’s time to get ready for Passover. We’ve collected the cookies and crackers we do not