Let's Discover the Holidays

Let’s Discover Fall Holidays

The Jewish
H o lidays

Look!

Which holidays

do you see

What makes Jewish holidays Jewish? people
How are they different from other celebrating?

holidays, like Thanksgiving? Many celebrate

important events in the history of the Jewish people.

Others teach us important values. They connect us to our

parents and grandparents, to their parents and grandparents,

and so on.

Creative Next to each of the Jewish holidays below,
Corner draw or paste a picture of something that
reminds you of that holiday.

KYiopmpur Sukkot

SimcThoarat h
Shabbat
HashaRnoashh Hanukkah

Tu BiShevat

Shavuot Purim

Ha’aYtzomma’ut Passover

Think Don’t forget Shabbat, which comes every
About It week. That’s fifty-two times every year!
Does this make it feel more or less
special to you than other holidays,
which come only once a year? Why?

On many holidays, we say the
Shehecheyanu blessing, as a way of
thanking God for helping us be here.

Praised are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the
world, who has given us life, sustained us, and
enabled us to reach this time.

Baruch Atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha‘olam,
shehecheyanu, v’kiy’manu, v’higi’anu laz’man hazeh.

ŜĘþ Ěþ ,ŅĜĕĐý ĉĘČù ĕĀ ĕø ,ĐŕĀ ľ ŜŅĤŁĀ
,ŅĜĚĀ ňøģü đø ,ŅĜĕĀ ēù Đþ ĺþ ,ęĘĀ ŖĞĐĀ
.ĐĒĈþ Đÿ ěĚÿ ĒĈø Ęÿ ŅĜĞĀ ĕłü Đü đø

Try This!

Make up a Shehecheyanu movement.
Think about how lucky you are that
you get to be here to celebrate the
holiday. Let the gratitude fill your body,
starting from your toes, up to your waist,
to the top of your head. Then shout
sheh-heh-cheh-yah-new! and explode
your feelings into your movement.

FAMILY Think
TIME About It

Create a new holiday tradition. First, Jewish holidays are celebrated on the
pick a holiday. Then, talk about how same day by people all over the world.
your family can best connect to that So, when you dip an apple into honey
holiday. For example, if your family likes to take
walks, then go for a nature walk on Tu BiShevat on Rosh Hashanah, there are
every year. Draw or describe your new also people dipping
tradition in the box above. apples in Israel,
Japan, Australia—
www.behrmanhouse.com everywhere!

Copyright ©2019. Behrman House Inc. Millburn, New Jersey. www.behrmanhouse.com. Author: Leslie Kimmelman. Editor: Ann Koffsky. Design: Elynn Cohen.
Editorial Consultant: Diane Zimmerman. Images: Valentina Belloni: p4 (house). Behrman House: p1 (kids w/menorah, shofar, sukkah, ark, candles). Shutterstock.com:
p1 Sergey Fatin (girls); p1 luck luckyfarm (sky); p2 Viktoria Bykova (easel); Alexander Limbach (cloud); p2,3BM DGArt3D; p3 jennylipets(decor); p3BR Ronnachai
Palas; p4 Rawpixel.com (kids). ISBN: 978-1-68115-003-1. Printed in the United States of America.

Let’s Discover Fall Holidays

Rosh Hashanah

What do you look forward to when the Look!
school year begins? Are you hoping to
make a new friend? Learn something How would
new and exciting? Rosh Hashanah
marks the beginning of a new year, too. ooinystoruLumdeenstcskrithb! ee the
boys
It’s the Jewish New Year. Haorewbwloowuildng?
you describe the

instruments the boys

are blowing?

I hope to How can we celebrate Rosh Hashanah?

We dip apples in honey to show our hopes for
a sweet new year.

Creative
Corner

Write your hopes
for the new year
around the rim of
the plate. What
foods could you
eat to show your
wishes? Draw them
onto the plate.

Mindfulness Moment

Hold a shofar in your hand. Run your
fingers along its outside. Is it bumpy or
smooth? Look at its shape and color.
Is it round or straight? Light or dark?

We eat round challah, to show that
the years go round and round.
We listen to the shofar at synagogue.

Then close your eyes and listen to the
sound of the shofar (in real life or a
recording). Is it loud or soft? Harsh or
soothing? How does the sound make
you feel in your body?

Try This! Copyright ©2019. Behrman House Inc. Millburn, New Jersey. www.behrmanhouse.com. Author: Leslie Kimmelman. Editor: Ann Koffsky. Design: Elynn Cohen. Editorial Consultant: Diane Zimmerman.
Images: Valentina Belloni: p2 (girl), p4 (boy, house). Behrman House: p1 (Jacobs), p3 (girl). Shutterstock.com: p2-3 pashabo (leaf); tomertu (shofar); ArtMari (plate); Viktoria Bykova (easel); Semiletava
Today whenever someone does something kind Hanna (tree); grafnata (pom); S1001 (challah); p4 Tom Wang (jump); Liubou Yasiukovich (heart). ISBN: 978-1-68115-003-1. Printed in the United States of America.
for you, pass it on. If someone smiles at you, smile
back. If someone gives you a turn on the swing,
give someone else a turn.

Think about the kindnesses you shared all day. Describe
them below. Draw faces in the yellow circles that show
how you felt.

How I felt

A kindness ______________________
someone did for me

A kindness I did

for someone else ______________________

FAMILY
TIME

Gather ob ects (like a ticket
or a photo) that remind you
of the past year. Fill a
shoebox with them. How
does it feel to look at the
collection in your box?

Let’s Discover Fall Holidays

Yom Kippur

Think about a time when you hurt Look!
someone’s feelings or when you
did something you knew was How do you
wrong. On Yom Kippur we say
“I’m sorry” to God and to each think the people
other. We do our best to forgive.
in thLisopoicktur!e

arHe ofewelwinogu?ld

you describe the

instruments the boys
are blowing?

How can we celebrate Yom Kippur?

We listen to the shofar, whose sounds
can make us wake up and pay attention
(like an alarm clock).

Try This!

Stand in a big circle.
Take turns throwing a ball
to each other, while saying
something kind. Keep playing

until everyone has both
given and received
kind words.

Mindfulness Moment

Close your eyes. Take three slow, deep breaths.
Wrap your arms around yourself, and imagine
you are hugging someone whose feelings you
might have hurt.

Some adults fast for the day and don’t eat or drink
any food. Some kids choose to skip sweets and
treats.
We go to synagogue and say prayers with our
community.

Think
About It On Yom Kippur,

we try to face
our mistakes
and learn from
them. We hope we
can do better next time. This is
called t’shuvah, which means
“return” in Hebrew.

Send that person a silent message
such as “I’m sorry” or “Can you
forgive me?” Take three more
breaths, then open your eyes.
How would it feel to say that
to the person for real?

Think Everyone makes mistakes. Still, it isn’t
About It always easy to admit it! Think of a time
when you weren’t your best self—the self
you want to be.

Circle the face that best shows how you
feel about that memory.

Now think about how you might try to do things differently
next time. Circle the face that shows how that makes you feel.

FAMILY Sometimes, it’s difficult to ask Copyright ©2019. Behrman House Inc. Millburn, New Jersey. www.behrmanhouse.com. Author: Leslie Kimmelman. Editor: Ann Koffsky. Design: Elynn Cohen.
TIME for forgiveness or to forgive. As Editorial Consultant: Diane Zimmerman. Images: Valentina Belloni: p2 (girl, boy); p4 (house). Shutterstock.com: p1 Sergey Fatin; p2 Semiletava Hanna (tree);
a family, think of something you p3,4 Alexander Limbach (cloud); pashabo (leaf); supparsorn (ball); GBZero (girl in dress); Dipak Shelare (boy); Stas Ponomarencko (girl in green); MPH Photos
can do when you want to say (hug); p4 Castleski (emojis); raluca teodorescu (dad). ISBN: 978-1-68115-003-1. Printed in the United States of America.
you’re sorry but the words
won’t come.

For example, make up a
special hug or handshake, or
give each other a drawing of
a smiley face.

What will you do? ________

_______________________

Let’s Discover Fall Holidays

Sukkot

Imagine that you and your friends are Look!
going to build your own clubhouse.
What would you want that space to What do you
look like? On Sukkot, we build a small
house called a sukkah, which for seven think this sukkah
days is like a cozy clubhouse.
is made of?

How can we celebrate Sukkot?

We build a sukkah to remind us of our
ancestors who lived in huts—sukkot—after
they were freed from slavery in Egypt.

Try This!

Shake your body like a
lulav! Think of ways to ump,
twist, and move that show

how God’s blessings are
everywhere. Share your new

moves with your friends.
Try out their moves, too.

We decorate our sukkah and invite family and
friends to oin us inside it.
We shake a lulav and etrog in all directions to
remind us that God’s protection is all around us.

etrog

Creative
Corner

Who would you
like to celebrate
Sukkot with? Write
their names in the
space in the sukkah.
Draw some foods
you like at the end
of each string.

FAMILY TIME

Make a Sukkot paper chain.

• Cut out strips of colored construction paper.
• Ask each person in your family to write or draw something

on a strip for which he or she is thankful.
• Tape the ends of each strip to form links, connecting them

into a chain.
• Hang your paper chain in your home or sukkah.

Copyright ©2019. Behrman House Inc. Millburn, New Jersey. www.behrmanhouse.com. Author: Leslie Kimmelman. Editor: Ann Koffsky. Design: Elynn Cohen. Editorial
Consultant: Diane Zimmerman. Images: Rafael Ben-Ari: p1. Valentina Belloni: p2 (boy), p4 (house). Ann D. Koffsky: p4 (sukkah). Behrman House: p1, p2,3 (girl/ Levine).
Shutterstock.com: p2 pashabo (leaf); p2MR Chayim Ehrenfeld; Gnatuyk Lesya (lulav art); David Cohen 156 (lulav); p3 Rhonda Roth (etrog); Africa Studio p2,3 (3 kids); p3
Jeka (girl blue); p4 Viktoria Bykova (easel); Ivonne Wierink (chain). ISBN: 978-1-68115-003-1. Printed in the United States of America.

Let’s Discover Fall Holidays

Simchat Torah

Imagine that you are having a party. Look!
What activities would you plan to
make it fun? Would there be music? How is a Simchat
Dancing? On Simchat Torah, we throw
a party to celebrate the Torah. The Torah celebration
Torah teaches us values, stories, and
commandments of our Jewish tradition. different from a

birthday party?

On Simchat Torah, what can we
do to celebrate the Torah?

Try This!

Make up your own
Torah dance. Join hands
with your friends and form a
circle. Circle around one way,
then switch directions. Can
you tell where the circle

starts and ends?

Mindfulness Moment

En oy a moment of simchah, happiness. Find a place
on the floor to lie down on your back, and get
comfortable. Close your eyes. Think of something that
fills you with happiness. Focus on what “happy” feels

We dance in a circle with the Torah.
We hear the last words of the Torah read aloud,
and then—right away—hear the very first words.

Think
About It

Think of a book you’ve read over and
over again, or a favorite movie. Why
do you keep choosing to read or watch
it? Why do you think we listen to the
Torah again and again?

like in your body: How do your feet
feel when you are happy? Each
finger? Your cheeks? Feel the
happiness in each part of your body.

Creative Simchat Torah reminds us that learning
continues our whole life long. Complete
Corner the sentences in the Torah below:

This year, I learned –––––––––––––––––––––––– Copyright ©2019. Behrman House Inc. Millburn, New Jersey. www.behrmanhouse.com. Author: Leslie Kimmelman. Editor: Ann Koffsky. Design: Elynn Cohen. Editorial Consultant:
Diane Zimmerman. Images: Valentina Belloni: p2-4 (boy, girl, house). Behrman House: p1-3 (Torah kids). Shutterstock.com: p2 greiss design (Torah); p3 Jeka (girl); Spiroview Inc
Right now, I am learning ––––––––––––––––––– (gold); pashabo (leaf); p4 omnimoney (Torah); Viktoria Bykova (easel); Nezabudkina (leaves). ISBN: 978-1-68115-003-1. Printed in the United States of America.

Next, I want to learn ––––––––––––––––––––––

FAMILY TIME

Draw a tree trunk on a large
piece of brown construction paper.
Cut lots of leaves from a piece of green
paper, and keep them in a basket nearby.
Each time you learn something new,
write it on a leaf. Tape the leaf onto the tree.
Invite friends and family to add leaves, too.

Let’s Discover Fall Holidays

The Story of Shabbat

In the beginning, there was nothing, ust swirling
space. Then God said, “Let there be light!”
and began creating the heavens and earth.

For six days God worked, and on the seventh
day God rested. We call this day Shabbat.

Look!

What do you see?
What don’t you see?
What do you wonder?

The Torah tells us that God created:

Day 1: Day 2::

light and dark sky and water

Day 3: Day 4:

plants sun, moon, and stars

Day 5: Day 6:

fish and birds animals and people

Day 7:

God rested and called
this day Shabbat.

Creative The Torah teaches that everything and
Corner everyone is God’s creation.

For which of God’s creations are you
most grateful? Draw pictures of your
answers next to the days where they
most belong. (For example, if you’d like
to add your pet dog, add it to day six).

Try This! Copyright ©2019. Behrman House Inc. Millburn, New Jersey. www.behrmanhouse.com. Author: Leslie Kimmelman. Editor: Ann Koffsky. Design:
Elynn Cohen. Editorial Consultant: Diane Zimmerman. Images: Valentina Belloni: p1-3, p4 (boy, menorah, house). Shutterstock.com: p4 LighteniR
Form a circle. Have the first (flashlight); Castleski (emojis) Lisa F. Young (candles). ISBN: 978-1-68115-003-1. Printed in the United States of America.
person in the circle name an
animal. That person throws a ball
to a friend, who then says a thank
you about that animal, such as “Thank
you, God, for giving the elephant

a marvelous trunk.”

Keep throwing the ball around
the circle until everyone has
had a turn.

Just as God rested on Shabbat,

FAMILY we, too, take time to slow down
TIME and give our attention to God’s

creations. Ask each person in
your family to think of activities you can do together and write
them down on slips of paper.
You might play a board game
or go for a walk together, for
example. Place the strips into
a decorated “Shabbat ar.”
Then, on Shabbat, choose
a slip from the ar and try
it out.

Let’s Discover Fall Holidays

The Story of Hanukkah

Long ago, the Jewish people Look!
celebrated holidays at the
Holy Temple in Jerusalem. What about this

Inside the Temple, there was picture reminds
a golden menorah. Each
evening, it would be lit with you of your own
olive oil and burn brightly family?
through the night. The flames
of the menorah would comfort
the Jewish people and help
them feel connected to God.

But then, the Greek king Antiochus made war with the Jews.
He ordered that they dress like Greeks and act like Greeks.
He made it against the law to act Jewishly. He took over
the Temple and stopped the lighting of the menorah.

The Jews refused to listen. A small group stood together against
his mighty army. They were called the Maccabees.

It seemed impossible that they would win. The Greeks had
frightening soldiers and huge elephants that would trample

anyone who got in their way. All the Maccabees had was
each other. But, against all odds, they won. It was a miracle!

The Maccabees returned to their Temple, hoping to light the
menorah. They could find only one small ar of oil—enough
for the menorah to be lit for ust one day.

According to Jewish tradition, that small ar of oil burned
brightly in the menorah for eight days. It was another miracle!

On Hanukkah, we celebrate those miracles and the courage
of the Maccabees.

Try This!

Have everyone take
a flashlight. Turn out the lights.
Now one by one, have each
person turn on his or her flashlight.

How did it feel when the lights were all off?

How did it feel when all of
the lights were shining
together as one?

FAMILY Light the menorah as a family. Start with the Copyright ©2019. Behrman House Inc. Millburn, New Jersey. www.behrmanhouse.com. Author: Leslie Kimmelman. Editor: Ann Koffsky.
TIME helper candle, the shamash. Use it to light Design: Elynn Cohen. Editorial Consultant: Diane Zimmerman. Images: Valentina Belloni: p1-3, p4 (boy, menorah, house). Shutterstock.com:
one candle on the first night, two candles p4 LighteniR (flashlight); Castleski (emojis) Lisa F. Young (candles). ISBN: 978-1-68115-003-1. Printed in the United States of America.
on the second night, and so on.

On the eighth night, ask
everyone to look at the flames,
and imagine what the Jewish
people felt as they watched
the Temple’s Menorah burn
brightly for eight days.

Let’s Discover Fall Holidays

Celebrating
Hanukkah

What does your family like to do Look!
together? On Hanukkah, many families
come together to light the menorah. What is the
family doing?
Being together can remind us of how, What do you think
long ago, the Maccabees oined they are feeling?
together to defend the Jewish people.

How can we celebrate the
miracles of Hanukkah?

We light the menorah to remind us of the Temple’s
menorah that burned for eight days.

Try This!

Play dreidel. Sit in a circle. Ask
each player to put a piece of gelt
into the middle. Have each player
take a turn spinning the dreidel.

We play dreidel with chocolate coins called gelt.

We eat latkes and donuts. Both are fried in oil and
remind us of the oil that lit the Temple’s menorah.

Think According to tradition, when the Greeks

About It made it against the law to study Torah,

the Jewish people chose to learn it

anyway. Then, when the Greeks would

try to arrest them, the Jews would pull

out a dreidel and say, “We were just

playing dreidel!” Why do you think the Jewish
people chose to keep studying Torah?

If the dreidel falls on:

nun: Do nothing.
gimmel: Take all the gelt in the middle.
hay: Take half of the gelt.
shin: Put a piece of gelt in the middle.

Try This!

Ask everyone to line up at a starting line. Take turns
spinning the dreidel, and follow these rules:

When it falls on Everyone shouts: If it’s your turn, you:
this Hebrew letter:

nun nes: miracle! stay still
gimmel gadol: great! take two steps forward

hay hayah: happened! take one step forward

shin sham: there! take one step back

The first person to reach the finish line is the winner!

FAMILY Copyright ©2019. Behrman House Inc. Millburn, New Jersey. www.behrmanhouse.com. Author: Leslie
TIME Kimmelman. Editor: Ann Koffsky. Design: Elynn Cohen. Editorial Consultant: Diane Zimmerman. Images:
Valentina Belloni: p2-4 (boy, girl, house); Behrman House: p1 (Gutnick), p2 (girl/ Jacobs), p4 (pretzel).
Make a menorah out of foods. For the Shutterstock.com: p2 Lisa F. Young (latkes); bilha golan (menorah); Mega Pixel (dreidel); Amalia Lukash (gelt); p3
menorah and candles, you can use Alexander Limbach (cloud); pashabo (leaf). ISBN: 978-1-68115-003-1. Printed in the United States of America.
celery sticks or pretzel rods. For the
flames, try candy corn or carrot slices.
Assemble them on a flat graham
cracker or slice of bread, and use marshmallow
fluff or another spread to hold them in place.

Let’s Discover Spring Holidays

Tu BiShevat

Look!

Describe this tree.

Do you eat foods that come from trees? What does it look like?

Do you like to climb trees or play in their What do you think it
shade? On Tu BiShevat, we remind feels like?

ourselves how important trees and the

Earth are to us, our families, and the world.

What do we do on Tu BiShevat?

We think of ways to help take care of trees
and make the world a good place to live.

Try This!

Play reverse charades.
Have half of your

group act out a way to
help trees. Then have the
other half of the group guess

what that action is.

(Look at the
pictures for ideas)

Mindfulness Moment

Hold a piece of fruit in your hand. Close your eyes and take
three deep breaths—inhale slowly and exhale even more
slowly. Think about the tree that the fruit grew on. Think
about the sun and rain that helped it grow.

We eat fruit to help us think about the
wonderful things we get from trees.
We plant new trees to help make the
Earth green, healthy, and beautiful.

These fruits are
from Israel.

Smell the fruit’s sweet scent. Now take a bite. Chew it
slowly. How does it feel in your mouth? What does it
taste like? How does thinking about your food so carefully
change your experience of eating it?

Animals A Nest Flowers Birds Have a tree treasure hunt. How
many of the items shown on this
__________________ __________________ __________________ We also found trees with: Fill in the tree
with words that FATIMMIELY page can you and your family find?
describe the trees
you saw on your On our tree treasure hunt,
treasure hunt. we found a tree with:

www.behrmanhouse.com Leaves Pine cones

Copyright ©2019. Behrman House Inc. Millburn, New Jersey. www.behrmanhouse.com. Author: Leslie Kimmelman. Editor: Ann Koffsky. Design: Elynn Cohen.
Editorial Consultant: Diane Zimmerman. Images: Valentina Belloni: p2 (girl, boy), p4 (house). Shutterstock.com: p1 wavebreakmedia cv; p2R wavebreakmedia; p2,3
pashabo (leaves); p3 Iakov Filimonov (planting); paulaphoto (plants); D_M (pom); baibaz (date); Tim UR (fig); p4 humbak (cone); bmnarak (tree); Fotofermer (leaf);
ANCH (flower); Narupon Nimpaiboon (bird); IrinaK (sqrl); Coprid (nest); SoRad (feet). ISBN: 978-1-68115-004-8. Printed in the United States of America.

Let’s Discover Spring Holidays

The Story of Purim

Long ago, there lived a king Look!
named Ahasuerus and a queen
named Esther. Esther was Jewish, How do you think
but she chose to hide that from
the king. these people feel

One day, the king’s advisor, Haman, when they have
demanded that everyone bow to
him. Most people quickly agreed. to bow to
But a Jewish man named Mordecai Haman?
refused.

“How dare he!” raged Haman.
He was so angry that he decided
to punish Mordecai and kill all
the Jewish people.

Mordecai was Queen Esther’s uncle. He told her, “You must
speak to King Ahasuerus! Tell him you are Jewish. Ask him to
stop Haman!”

Esther was frightened. It was against the law to visit the king
without an invitation. She could even be killed! But she
made a plan. She asked the Jewish people to pray. Then she
bravely went to the king. Fortunately, the king was not angry.
He was happy to see Esther.

Esther invited the king and Haman to join her for a feast.
At the feast, Esther told the king that she was Jewish and
that there was a man who wanted to kill her and all her
people.

“Who would do such a thing?” asked King Ahasuerus.
“Haman!” answered Esther. The furious king punished
Haman and declared that the Jewish people would no
longer have to bow to anyone but God.

The Jewish people were overjoyed! They made a new
holiday, called Purim, to celebrate Esther’s courage and
to thank God.

Even though God began with these things on
these days, the Torah teaches that everything
and everyone is God’s Creation. For which
of God’s Creations are you most grateful?
Draw or paste pictures of your answers into
the spaces above, next to the days where they
most belong. (For example, if you’d like to
add your pet dog, add it to day six!)

Try This!

Long ago on Purim, everything was turned
upside down: good people who had been in
danger became powerful, and cruel people became
weak. Celebrate this topsy-turviness by having an
upside-down day. Wear your clothes backward. Eat
dessert first at lunchtime. Say the alphabet from Z to A.
How else can you have a topsy-turvy celebration?

FAMILY TIME

Hang the chart below in your home. Each time a family Copyright ©2019. Behrman House Inc. Millburn, New Jersey. www.behrmanhouse.com. Author: Leslie Kimmelman.
member is brave and tries something new—like riding a Editor: Ann Koffsky. Design: Elynn Cohen. Editorial Consultants: Diane Zimmerman, Rabbi PJ Schwartz. Images: Valentina
bike or sleeping without a nightlight—put a sticker or color Belloni: p1-3, p4T, 4M. Shutterstock.com: p4B Ann Muse. ISBN: 978-1-68115-004-8. Printed in the United States of America.
in a star on the chart.

Name Our Acts of Bravery

Let’s Discover Spring Holidays

Celebrating Purim

Do you like to dress up in costumes? Look!
Make loud noises? Those are things
we don’t usually do at synagogue. What sounds
do you think you
But on Purim, go right ahead! would hear If you

were in this
room?

How can we celebrate Purim?

We read the story of Esther from a scroll
called a megillah.

We shake noisemakers called graggers
to drown out Haman’s name.

We wear costumes and act silly.

Think Masks can make us
About It look silly, and they
can also hide our
faces. What do you
think is silly about the
Purim story? What
in the Purim story is
hidden?

Mindfulness Moment

Create a pose that shows what bravery feels like
in your body. Try tilting your head up and standing
straight and tall. Or try making strong muscles in
your arms.

We snack on hamantashen—three-
cornered cookies shaped like
Haman’s hat.
We share mishlo’ach manot—gifts
of food—with friends and we give
to those in need.

Where in your
body do you
feel your bravery?
Try out your friends’
bravery poses too.

Share the happiness of Purim by Use your gragger to drown out Haman’s Creative
making mishlo’ach manot and name during the megillah reading at Corner
sharing them with your neighbors. synagogue.
FAMILY Find a container with a lid. On the
Get some lunch bags, and TIME top of the lid, draw a picture
decorate them with markers, of Esther. On the bottom of
stickers, or crayons. What foods the container, draw a picture
will you put inside? Write “Happy of Haman. Fill the container
Purim” on each bag. Deliver them with dried beans or pasta, or
to people in your neighborhood. anything else that makes lots
of noise when you shake it.

Copyright ©2019. Behrman House Inc. Millburn, New Jersey. www.behrmanhouse.com. Author: Leslie Kimmelman. Editor: Ann Koffsky. Design: Elynn Cohen.
Editorial Consultants: Diane Zimmerman, Rabbi PJ Schwartz. Printed in the United States of America. Images: Valentina Belloni: p4TR, 4BL. Behrman House: p1.
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Let’s Discover Spring Holidays

The Story of Passover

Long ago, the Israelites were Look!
slaves in Egypt. Pharaoh, the
king, made them work day after Why do you think
day. But Pharaoh still worried
that the Israelites might become Miriam chose
powerful, so he ordered that
every Israelite baby boy be to watch over
killed. Moses?

One mother defied the king
and hid her son. Her daughter,
Miriam, watched over him. An
Egyptian princess rescued the
baby and named him “Moses.”

When Moses grew up, God sent him to Pharaoh to demand
freedom for the Israelites. “Let my people go!” Moses said.
But Pharaoh refused. God sent terrible plagues: blood, frogs,
lice, wild animals, cattle disease, boils, hail, locusts, and
darkness. Still Pharaoh refused.

Finally, God sent the most terrible plague—every firstborn
Egyptian was killed. Pharaoh gave in. “Go!” he told the
slaves.

The Israelites rushed to escape. They didn’t even wait
for their dough to rise and become bread. Instead, they
carried the dough with them, and the hot sun baked it
into flat matzah.

But then Pharaoh changed his mind. He sent his army
after the Israelites and chased them all the way to the Sea
of Reeds. God performed one more miracle and parted
the waters. The Israelites crossed safely. Amazed and
grateful, Moses and Miriam led the Israelites in songs
praising God. They were finally free!

Mindfulness Moment Copyright ©2019. Behrman House Inc. Millburn, New Jersey. www.behrmanhouse.com. Author: Leslie Kimmelman. Editor: Ann Koffsky.
Design: Elynn Cohen.Editorial Consultants: Diane Zimmerman, Rabbi PJ Schwartz. Images: Valentina Belloni: p1-3, p4 (girl, house).
Find a quiet spot to sit. Close your eyes and Shutterstock.com: p4B diignat; p4M VicW. ISBN: 978-1-68115-004-8. Printed in the United States of America.
breathe slowly in and out. Smell the fresh air.
Listen. What do you hear? What do you smell?
Think about the freedom you have for this
moment to just sit, without anyone asking you
to do anything.

FAMILY TIME

Try baking your own matzah at home.

You will need:
3¼ cups flour
1 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. Put the flour in a bowl and slowly add the water, mixing

with a spoon and your hands until you have a big ball
of dough (add more flour or water, a little at a time, if needed).

3. Place the dough on a flat surface

and knead until it’s firm.

4. With a rolling pin, roll out half

the dough at a time until it is
very thin.

5. Prick it all over with a fork.
6. Bake 10 to 15 minutes on an

ungreased cookie sheet until
lightly golden.

Let’s Discover Spring Holidays

Celebrating Passover

Parsley The egg
and lettuce and shank bone
remind us that remind us of how
Passover is in the ancient Jewish
the spring. people celebrated
Passover in the
The
bitter herb Temple.
and the lettuce
remind us of Look!
the bitterness
of slavery. What do each
of the foods on the
Charoset seder plate make
reminds us of the
clay the slaves you think of?

used to make
bricks.

How can we celebrate Passover?

We hold a seder to remind us that our
ancestors were slaves and that we
should have compassion for people
who suffer today.

At the Passover seder, children say
the mah nishtanah, the Four Questions,
starting with “Why is this night different
from all other nights?“

1. Why do we eat matzah and not regular bread?
2. Why do we eat bitter herbs?
3. Why do we dip our food twice?
4. Why do we recline instead of sitting up straight?

Mindfulness Moment

En oy the feeling of freedom by sitting any way you like.
Try leaning sideways in your seat or stretching out your
legs and your toes as far as you can. How does freedom
feel in your body? Where do you feel it?