NEWTON, Mass. — All Jewish holidays have moments that are tailor-made for children. We enlist our children’s help as we decorate a sukkah or booth, light Chanukah candles and dress in costume for Purim merriment. The Rosh Hashanah apple and honey are sensory reminders that we should have a sweet year, and Shabbat or the Sabbath is a weekly opportunity to reinforce family warmth and togetherness. We joke that most Jewish holidays are centered on food, but we cannot deny that the festive meal shared with family is the rallying point of most Jewish holiday celebrations.
For no holiday is this more true than for Passover. A holiday celebrating freedom, it is all about food (what you must eat, what you can eat and what you can’t eat) and so much of the seder is for the children. The Four Questions are traditionally recited by the youngest child present. We talk about the four different types of children to whom we recount the story of our exodus from slavery in Egypt. We hide the afikomen (ceremonial piece of matzah) so that children will remain awake and alert throughout the evening. Children are frequently invited to open the door to welcome Elijah and they watch eagerly to judge whether the wine glass reserved for the prophet has been sipped.
More so than many holidays, Passover is one long, teachable moment. There are so many lessons to be learned. The theme of freedom is prominent and invites us to talk with our children about slavery and freedom. It’s a holiday of traditions and heritage, with a seder service that stretches back throughout the centuries and family customs that repeat through the generations. Every meal for eight days is marked by tight restrictions, a constant reminder of our relationship to God and the story of our ancestors.