Passover Unbound: Do
Passover Seders historically have a detailed structure with precise rituals and readings. But many Seders today blend some of those traditional practices with newer ideas to add meaning and joy to the holiday. Try out these ideas in your Seder, and let us know how they go!
Debate!
There's not really much of an activity that goes with the tale of the four children historically. But what if we added one?! What if, instead of merely reading about the questions by the Wise, Wicked, and Simple child (and the questions not asked by the Child who does not know how to ask), you debate which one of these individuals' questions best channels the spirit of Passover. One might think that the Wise child is the easiest to support, but many contemporary commentators believe the wicked child actually might not have been so wicked after all (one of our listeners contributed his thoughts on this, which you can read here)!
Watch the video below, brought to you by BimBam, to introduce the four characters, and then assign your Seder participants to defend one of the characters as asking the most insightful question. This includes the child who doesn't know how to ask, because sometimes silence can actually be quite profound!
You could also split your Seder into teams to debate a few other questions, including:
- Is Pharaoh "Guilty" or "Not Guilty?" After all, God hardens Pharaoh's heart in the story. Could he really be responsible for his refusal to let the Israelites leave when God's hardening clearly caused him to do so?
- Which food on the Seder plate is most important? If you could only retain one of the foods as a Passover symbol, which would you keep?
Find a digital Afikomen!
Check out our multi-part, fully-digital Afikoman hunt. The afikoman hunt is a beloved part of the seder that involves searching for hidden matzah. Some might think that you can’t pull it off in Zoom-Seders, but we can.
Play With Your Food
Sometimes the liturgy of the Seder can be a bit lengthy. Give yourself a fun break, and play with your food! Think beyond a simple Hillel sandwich of Matzah, Maror (bitter herb), Charoset (a sweet, often apple-based, dish). Who at your Seder can make the most impressive sculpture using these symbolic foods? Extra points if you incorporate an egg, shank bone, parsley, or wine into your sculpture!
Photo-Montage
Spice up your Seder by taking group photos representing each of the 15 steps of the Seder (Kadesh - wine, Urchatz, hand-washing, etc). Follow the example of these experts below, demonstrating the Yachatz section, when the Middle Matzah is broken. Heck, if you have friends or family celebrating their own Seder elsewhere, your Seder and their Seder could Snapchat the photos back and forth as you go!
Image Credit: BreakingIsraelNews.com
LearnHebrewPod
LearnHebrewPod has provided a wide variety of resources and ideas that can spice up your Seder, ranging from role-playing, to origami, to Jello center-pieces. Explore all the options by clicking here! To get a taste of their ideas, check out the video below, which they've featured on their site, about how you can make origami frogs to incorporate into the 10-plagues portion of the evening!