This was originally published last year also the week prior our Passover activities. I have revised it slightly…
Regardless of whether the thought of not having a “model seder” to attend this year makes you happy or sad, let’s revisit the “model seder” and why we have changed up our Passover programming here at MJGDS.
What, exactly, is a “model seder” supposed to accomplish? Do we need to do one in each grade? And if not, are there other Passover experiences we can offer families that might be nice to experience as well?
At the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School, we had been pretty consistently offering pretty consistent-feeling model seders year after year for quite a while. Are they rehearsals for the main event? Are they just-in-case some families have no other Passover experience?
I admit that year before last I hit a bit of a “model seder” wall. I had my own two children’s to attend. And I had to make meaningful appearances at every other one in both the Preschool and the Day School. By the time we got to Passover itself, I really wasn’t in the mood for two more! I mean I love charoset, gefilte fish, and matzah as much as the next person…
We do believe in the “model seder”. The seder itself is amongst the most powerful pedagogies ever developed. Celebrating a holiday through reenactment is experiential education at its finest. We like it so much we have created them for Tu B’Shevat, Yom Ha’Atzmaut and holidays! And we do in the Jewish day school feel a certain pressure to provide Jewish experiences of holidays to ensure all our families have opportunities to participate. Hence, our monthly “All-School Kabbalat Shabbat” services and this year’s Purim celebration (we felt we needed to acknowledge Purim in school even though it fell on a weekend this year). Basically, outside of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we celebrate the entire Jewish calendar in school – whether they fall during school or not. So we were not going to get rid of Passover. But maybe we could provide a differentiated educational experience?
So the Jewish Studies Faculty and I met after that Passover to reflect and to plan, and we were pleased last year deliver a K-8 differentiated Passover experience for MJGDS students and families:
- Kitah Gan: First “Model” Seder
- Kitah Alef: First Hebrew “Model” Seder
- Kitah Bet: Hebrew Passover Play
- Kitah Gimmel: Historical Reenactment “Model” Seder
- Kitot Daley & Hay: A Passover Experience
- Kitot Vav – Chet: Lead Seder at Mt. Carmel in partnership with JFCS
Feedback from students, parents, and teachers last year was extremely positive and so next week we will try it again!
Each grade (or grade grouping) has its particular theme or experience (or both). Every student will have learned appropriate Passover material and each family will have a chance to have an appropriate Passover family experience. Hopefully, the differentiated experience will continue to give our students something new to look forward to each year…and give our parents and families (particularly those with multiple children) something different to experience with each child.
Looking forward to all the pre-Passover excitement coming soon!
