spiritualit Preparing For Passover Hillel students enjoy pre- holiday activities at schoo p arents, grandparents, educa- tors and many guests celebrated Passover early this year at Hillel Day School in Farmington Hills. The excitement began in the Early Childhood Center where 2-year-olds made charoset and created Elijah's Cups; 3-year-olds created their own Haggadot, stomped grape juice and held their own seder; and 4-year-olds cre- ated matzah covers and mixed salt water in the science lab. Families and loved ones enjoyed the annual model seders in the elementary division. The kindergartners rejoiced in singing the Four Questions; first- graders marveled at telling the story of the Exodus while displaying their beauti- ful handmade Kiddush cups and candle- sticks created with local artist Gail Kaplan; second-graders danced their way through the Red Sea; and fourth-graders read from the Haggadot without missing a beat. Third-grade families played Passover trivia games on the Smart Boards, cre- ated decoupage vases and sang holiday songs with their parents and other loved ones. Residents from Meer Apartments in West Bloomfield were visited by fifth- graders. It all was part of students prepar- ing for Passover. ❑ Maya Aisner, All Feldman, Ethan Grey and Jacob Goodman place baby Moses in the basket. Michael, Adena and Betsy Wolf Isabel and Ira Zaltz Kevin, Skylar, Zachary and Eden Elbinger Making Matzah Annual JCC program allows children to learn about Passover firsthand. n March 25, families flooded into the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield to participate in the Barbara and Douglas Bloom Matzah Factory. In a pre-Passover community tradition, children learned how to make matzah for the holiday under the instruction of Rabbi Shneur Silberberg of the Bais Chabad Torah Center of West Bloomfield. For this matzah, the children used special flour called kemach shel matzah shamura 0 (flour watched from the moment of har- vest to the moment of packing to make sure it has not come into contact with any moisture). And they had to make their matzah in a timely fashion because there must be no more than 18 minutes from the time the water is mixed with the flour until the time the matzah has been com- pletely baked in the oven. The children were able to take the mat- zah they made home with them. The event draws up to 1,500 people annually. ❑ Mathew Berkovich, 5, is shown the proper way to make matzah by Roman Ashley Morton, 7, of West Bloomfield Berkovich of Commerce Township. fountain. 46 April 5 . 2012 dips her matzah into a chocolate Rabbi Shneur Silberberg asks children questions about Passover.