Apr 21, 2011
Posted on Apr 21, 2011 in Downloads, Pesach | 0 comments
Here is a free download to help your family both remember to count the omer between Passover/Pesach and Pentecost/Shavuot, as well as make it fun. I’ve created a calendar sheet and cut-n-paste “stickers” (bring your own glue stick) to count the omer all the way to Shavuot.
Please download these, print them out and use them for your family. Be sure to post this link to your Facebook page and Tweet it to your friends so they will be able to enjoy it as well. Chag Sameach! Enjoy!
Download
Counting the Omer 2011 Calendar (PDF)
Omer stickers (PDF)
Apr 15, 2011
Posted on Apr 15, 2011 in Downloads | 4 comments
Better late than never. I have created some place mats / coloring sheet / activity sheet for Passover and thought I would share them with you. They are formatted to print front and back on 11×17 tabloid paper (the size of 2 sheets of paper side-by-side). It contains something for both older and younger children. It has a Word Search, a Maze, a Cryptogram and a whole page to color (the seder plate and flowers & butterflies to represent Springtime). I hope you enjoy! Be sure to spread the word, since we don’t have a lot of time. Be sure to Tweet this post or link to it on Facebook.
Chag Sameach! I pray you have a joyous Passover!
-darren
Downloads
Download Placemat Front
Download Placemat Back
Apr 8, 2010
Posted on Apr 8, 2010 in Book Reviews, J-BOM, Pesach | 0 comments
The JPS Commentary on the Haggadah
Joseph Tabory
The Jewish Publication Society, 2008
This, the second half of my review of The JPS Commentary on the Haggadah, unfortunately, I have run out of time to highlight all of the interesting information which Tabory puts forth in this succinct volume. We are well into April, and I need to focus my attentions on the April J-BOM review (Visions of the Fathers
by Rabbi Abraham Twerski – one of my favorite commentaries on Pirkei Avot). There is, however, one last thing I want to make sure I hit.
I have often been troubled over the last decade or so of celebrating the seder meal in regard to the seeming absence of the answers to the Four Questions in the Maggid. Tabory makes a connection between the mandate of R. Gamliel and the questions. Gamliel requires the “mention” (in context, the “discussion”) of three things at the seder meal: pesach (referring to the meat of the Pesach offering), matzah and maror. He states,
Examination of the best manuscripts of the Mishnah and early haggadot show that there were originally only three questions, which may be summarized as “Why do we eat only matzah? Why do we dip (referring to the dipping of the maror)? Why do we eat only roasted meat?” Thus it seems to be a reasonable assumption that R. Gamliel’s explanations of the significance of Pesach, matzah, and maror are the answers to the three questions, although distanced from them in the haggadah.
In essence, the original three questions were changed over the centuries to deal with the change of custom (particularly the absence of the pesach after the destruction of the Second Temple), but the answers continued as a type of curious provocation which were not explicit in their connections to the new questions. I feel this is a reasonable explanation which tends to put in a missing piece of the puzzle surrounding the haggadah.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has struggled to try and make some kind of connection between the Questions and the answers. In my Greek-oriented mind (which has to have a clear connection of all the dots), when I created my own haggadah, I attempted to make a clear connection of a question with its answer. Rather than maintaining the mystique and encouraging questioning, I have formulaically given both the problem and the solution. But this is what we are accustomed. Rather than chewing our own food, we have someone else chew it for us. Although this particular example is innocuous, the overarching snapshot is that this is a sad commentary on our culture and the spiritual state of the majority of believers.
There are also a few instances in which Tabory actually rejects interpretations of the text which have traditionally been thought to be written as anti-Christian polemic. It is interesting to hear his opinions on this, because he appears to be unbiased in his approach (he takes the opposition position a time or two as well). The two examples he gives (and defends as not being anit-Christian in origin) are: 1) the de-emphasis of Moses as the redeemer, and 2) the re-interpretation of the Afikomen as the “bread of distress/affliction.” In both cases, Tabory looks at the earliest historical sources (including Philo, an interesting source considering the topic) and refutes (or cast serious doubt on) the interpretation.
Lastly, the listing of the various differences between haggadot across cultural and linguistic lines is fascinating and much attention has been spent in tedious comparisons between them. Tabory does a masterful job at presenting these with fine granularity in the areas that are significant enough for examination. If you’re interested in this type of examination of one of the most central texts of Judaism, The JPS Commentary on the Haggadah is a welcome addition to your bookshelf.
Apr 8, 2010
Posted on Apr 8, 2010 in Nusach, Personal, Pesach | 2 comments
Long after Passover my youngest two children will still be singing the Seder Semanim, the song that lists the 15 different steps of the Passover seder (Kaddesh, Urchatz, etc.). For some reason they just love to sing that song! So… To capture their zeal and sweet voices, I recorded them singing their current favorite tune. Here is Boaz (age 5) and Einya (age 3) singing for you. I hope you enjoy it half as much as I do.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Mar 31, 2010
Posted on Mar 31, 2010 in Miscellaneous | 0 comments
Invariably our family misses some days Counting the Omer each year. This year we decided to challenge both our family and our community in not missing a single day of Counting the Omer. To aid us in keeping track of this for our family, I have created a wall chart and stickers to cut out and paste (or tape) on to each day as it is counted. I have posted it here for your use. There are two PDF files. The first is the chart and the second is the stickers.
Please let me know if you and your family get some use out of it.
Counting the Omer Chart 2010
Omer stickers
