Disclaimer :: This article contains affiliate links. Dallas Moms may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. Thanks for supporting our small business!
Passover is an important celebration in the Jewish culture and is celebrated with a Seder, or ritual meal. This meal can be long, as we follow along in a Haggadah and go through the story of Passover.
I want to share books that can help teach our children about Passover, why it is important, and help make the holiday fun!
The Story of Passover
Passover celebrates when God “passed over” the Israelites during the tenth plague. Moses was helping to free the Israelites from the evil king Pharaoh. In the process, God sent down 10 plagues and helped the Israelites through them. Then Moses led his people to freedom.
To help learn more about the whole story of Passover, here are some helpful reads. These can be read any time of year, but might be a good idea in preparation for the holiday.
- Is It Passover Yet? by Chris Barash ::This book looks at getting ready for Passover and everything that is needed.
- The Story of Passover by David A. Adler :: A great book to read to understand the story of Passover in a fun-to-read format. The illustrations are great, too.
Also, check out:
- Explaining the Passover Story
- Family Friendly Passover Activities
- Getting Kids Involved at Passover
- Passover Basics
- Passover Recipes
- Passover Words to Know
- The Passover Story for Kids
What Is Matzah?
Getting ready for Passover is a big task! When getting ready for Passover, we clean the house and make sure there is no chametz or leavened bread in the house. We only eat matzah (or unleavened bread) for Passover. We do this because the Jews did not have time to let the bread rise as they were escaping.
Cleaning the house and labeling foods for Passover is a lot of work, but as a mom, I try to get my children involved and make it fun. We talk about what matzah is, why we eat it, and think of what we can make with it. We also eat some of the foods we won’t be eating during Passover, either to finish them off or to enjoy them before we put them away for a week.
These are great options for your kiddos . . . all about matzah!
- Matzah Craze by Jaime Kiffel-Alcheh :: In this book, a student brings matzah in her lunch and helps her friends understand why she eat matzah all week.
- Meet the Matzah by Adam Silberberg :: This book is a hilarious story of the Matzah family.
- The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah by Leslie Kimmelman :: Little Red Hen is trying to make matzah for Passover, but none of her friends will help.
<< SIGN UP :: Get Dallas Moms News and Events in Your Inbox >>
The Seder Plate
On one night of Passover, most of the time on the first night, we have a big Seder meal where we read the Haggadah that tells the story of Passover. We have a special Seder plate at the table. We talk about the six foods on the plate and what they represent. It is the large round plate with six indentations. The Seder plate holds these things with deep symbolism:
- A roasted egg, which is a sign of new life.
- Bitter herbs to remind us of the ancient Jews’ hard lives.
- Parsley to represent spring (which we dip in salt water, depicting Jewish people’s tears).
- Charoset, a sweet mixture of apples and honey that represents the mortar used by the slaves.
- A shank bone to remind us of the slaughtered lambs.
- Lettuce or horseradish to symbolize the slaves’ bitter lives.
The oldest family member usually leads the Seder and refers to each object while telling the story. This helps Jews to visualize the past and look forward to a better future.
This is a great craft idea to help kids understand more about the Seder plate: Passover Seder Plate Craft. This book is one of my favorites:
- Pippa’s Passover Plate by Vivian Kirkfield :: A lovely little book that talks about what’s on the Passover plate.
Another great option from PJ Library is: What happens at a Seder?
Haggadah
The Haggadah is the book that we use at the Seder. PJ Library has put together some shortened versions just for families:
- The Before Bedtime Seder :: This one even has videos to help you along during the Seder with a family who has kids who need to go to bed.
- The Fifteen Minute Haggadah :: A great resource for a quick family Seder.
You can also find more Passover books from PJ Library.
The Four Questions
During the Seder, children get to ask the four questions that are significant to Passover. They then will get to go and hunt for the afikoman, which is a hidden piece of matzah. It is really fun and as children get older, asking the four questions feels important and has more significance. Teaching the four questions can be found here, but also check out these resources:
- The Best Four Questions by Rachelle Burk :: A funny book where we learn what the four questions are.
- Who Will Ask the Four Questions by Naomi Ben-Gur :: One sibling practices the four questions, but the younger sibling thinks she might finally be ready to ask the questions.
<< JOIN TODAY :: Dallas Moms Community Groups >>
Dayenu
There are also songs sung on Passover, one that is the most recognizable is called “Dayenu.” Here is a link to hear it being sung, but there are also great books:
- Dayenu — a favorite Passover Song by Miriam Latimer :: A young girl learns the Dayenu on Passover.
I hope these books and resources help you and your family learn a little bit about Passover!
