CeleBraTe

Starting A Tradition

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The googly eyes have it when it comes to fun kippot for the holic ay.

Sharon Monello Borstein
Special to The AppleTree

* You are sup-
; posed to recline
during the seder,
at part of Pesach do
so let the children
your children remember
use fabric paint or
from year to year? The
permanent markers
matzoh? The hunt for the afikomen?
on plain, white pil-
Singing the four questions? My son
1 low cases for use
Sam, who is 6, looks forward to all
at the seder table.
these.
Just stick a piece
In our family, we've devised some
of cardboard into
new traditions, too; they make
the pillowcase
Pesach more involving and memo-
before starting to
rable for children:
decorate, to pre-
* Make your own family Hag-
: vent bleed
gadah or book of supplements. This
through. My par-
may be as simple or elaborate as
ents decorated
1 you wish, and you can add to it
their pillowcases
every year. You can desktop publish
with frogs and
your Haggadah, but an easier
added googly
method is to collect the items you
eyes from the
wish to include and carefully glue
fabric store
them to bond paper (a glue stick
1 (this was a
works well for this). Then photocopy
big hit!).
1 and staple to form a booklet.
* Design-
* Include meaningful readings or
ing kippot for
1 poems on the theme of freedom. Add
use at the seder
fun family songs (we sing "Don't Sit
is fun. Purchase
on the Afikomen" to the tune of
plain satin kippot (light
"Glory, Glory Hallelujah"), or put in
colored are best), then design
the words to Pesach songs that your
using fabric paints and glue-on deco-
child has learned at Hebrew school.
rations. Draw the picture in a dark
* Consider cartoons or short news-
color on a piece of paper. Then, on
: paper clippings to use as discussion
a sunny day, tape the design up to a
generators and a way to recognize
window. Hold the kippah over it,
the ways freedom is lacking in
and trace the design with a pencil.
today% world. Last year, we attended
Take the kippah to a table and go
a seder that included a conversation
over the pencil marks with fabric
about ecology and how the earth is
paint. Glue on any additional deco-
"enslaved" by us. It was interesting,
rations. Let it dry, and you'll have a
1 topical and educational.
real conversation piece for seder din-
Sharon Borstein, is a former
ner. Sam's kippah is four frogs (one
Detroiter now living in Illinois. In
on each panel of the kippah) with
addition to being a creative mom,
glued on googly eyes. You might try
she designs original ketubot. You
Pesach symbols like pyramids, or
can contact her at borstein@ix.net
spring flowers with glued-on button
com.com .
centers.

* We talk
in water. The water will look red, and
about the Ten
the children (at least the little ones)
Plagues, and
will be amazed.
dip wine from
* Every year, my family talks about
our glass to
how Jews all over the world are cele-
remember them.
brating Pesach at the same time. It
You can make them
reminds us that we are really one
really come alive with visu-
community. Trying a holiday food
al aids. Visit your local toy or craft
from another land can help bring the
store and look for items to pass
reality home. Here is a recipe to try:
around as illustrations of the plagues:
rubber frogs and bugs, plastic cows
North-African Charoset
and skeletons, tiny styrofoam balls for
2 ounces pine nuts (1 /3 cup)
hail, red crepe paper for blood.
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled,
Once you get started, you'll be
cored and grated
amazed at what you'll find.
1 /4 1 /2 cup sugar
* If you like magic, try a trick my
1 /2 cup ground almonds
parents taught me: The night before
1 /2 cup ground walnuts
the seder, when the children are not
Grated rind of 1 lemon
looking, put one drop of red food
' Juice of 1 lemon
coloring in the bottom of a stemmed
1/4 tsp. each cinnamon and ginger
goblet. Let the food coloring dry. At
(or more to taste)
the seder, when the discussion turns
to the plague of water becoming
Mix all ingredients together in a large
blood, bring out the goblet and pour
bowl. Serves 6 to 8. 0

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