Welcome Back!
This afternoon we worked like slaves and began to unpack the story of Passover. We talked about the commandment to celebrate the holiday, and the importance of passing down this narrative from one generation to the next. We deconstructed the Haggadah and looked for the many ways numbers play an important role at the Seder. We found three forefathers, three matzot, and the four questions, four mothers, four cups of wine, and the ten plagues.
The ten plagues were a bit distressing, and we spent some time exploring them in great detail. Our students were a extremely troubled by the severity of the punishments afflicted on the Egyptians, and questioned the necessity of being so destructive. We also talked about what is fact and what is fiction, and the importance of learning from our past to make sure we don't make mistakes in the future. As our afternoon came to an end, we had a brief but interesting discussion about slavery. Students questioned how Jews had the audacity to have slaves in America, when we were slaves to Pharaoh. I guess this is a great question to get a Seder going, and I encourage you to broach this subject at your own holiday table.
Next week we continue our travels from slavery to freedom, and look forward to enriching your family Seder with well versed participants. See you Sunday!
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