Cover Story

TRADITIONS

from page 7

Hairy backs are cute (on bears)

of asking the kids questions about the
yards and yards of fabric over the living
seder, gleaned from Hadassah or B'nai
room."
B'rith magazines. This prompts a dis-
With a group of 25 reclining on the
cussion that goes around the table so
floor, she found it a good idea "not to
everyone can participate.
have the kids contained." With the
This is how a seder should be, "a
meal being the only part of the evening
wonderful trend," says Rabbi Bergstein.
taking place at the table, she says,
"With so many differ-
"everyone focused
ent Haggadot, each
on the seder -and
leader of a seder should
the telling of the
prepare some topic of
story, and was less
positive discussion."
fixated about being
At his own family's
served dinner."
seders, each of the chil-
At Avadenka's
dren would ask the
seder, each year is a
Four Questions and
different learning
discuss what they were
experience. Once
studying. "I was
her son Eli Sussman
thrilled, and had tears
and friend Dena
in my eyes, listening to
Roth wrote the
another generation," he
whole story of
says.
Passover and per-
Rabbi Bergstein
formed it in rap.
describes the Haggada
Another time, the
as a source of "not just
same two sneaked
a story and not just a
away from the
history, but the life of
table, went outside
the Jew re-enacted. The Fred Shuback sits at the head of
and rang the door-
story of the Exodus is a the table.
bell. They were
paradigm for all subse-
dressed as Moses
quent generations, including our own."
and Aaron, prepared to tell the story.
Some families purchase toys and
. Her husband, Marc Sussman, in
visual aids to bring to the seder table in
advance of one seder, presented each
hopes of keeping younger children
young guest with the name of a plague
entertained or teaching the older ones.
to research. During the seder, they
These items include children's
shared information on their topic; some
Haggadot, matza-patterned beanbags,
even wrote advertisements and made
Passover place mats and individual plas-
signs.
tic seder plates.
In the West Bloomfield home of
Aware of "the new trends in adding
Sharona Shapiro, David Lerner and
visual techniques to the seder table,"
their four children, last year's use of the
Rabbi Bergstein says he approves, to an
Children's Bag of Plagues proved a suc-
extent, but notes: "Showing a video at
cessful learning experience. The sack is
the seder or listening to music is against
filled with replicas symbolizing each
Halacha [Jewish law]."
plague.
He proposes "preparing new material
"Using the 10 plagues, with plastic
to impart and shed light. The more
frogs and a little drop of food coloring,
things, the better, as long as it's interac-
each showed something symbolic for a
tive and does not degenerate into a
young child to understand a little on
show or a glorified meal."
their own level," Shapiro says. "Getting
Issues relating to the Jewish people,
them into the telling of the story keeps
the relationship with Israel and the
them interested, gives them something
future of the Jews "are stimulation
extra to do."
enough for any discussion," he adds.
Guests of the family are encouraged
"We are not magicians or entertainers.
to bring pillows for leaning to the left
We don't need multimedia if it replaces
during the seder. "Sometimes the whole
our own involvement."
room is packed with pillows," Shapiro
Many families have established tradi-
adds.
tions that help them explore the true
Her husband wears a kittel (white
meaning of Passover. What better way
robe) at the seders, something she says
to experience what was felt during the
many Conservative and Reform Jews
Exodus from Egypt than to hold a seder
don't know they can incorporate, too. It
in a tent.
helps transform the evening for him."
One year, Lynne Avadenka and her
Instead of the typical green vegetable
family from Huntington Woods held a
dipped into salt water, Shapiro creates
seder "acting like we were from Persia,
kabobs made of cut spring vegetables,
moving the furniture out and placing
like peppers, squash or little red cab-

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wishes you a wonderful
Passover season
and
Thanks you for your
continuos support.

ove

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