A few weeks before the first night of PassoverPassover is a major Jewish holiday that commemorates the Jewish people's liberation from slavery and Exodus from Egypt. Its Hebrew name is Pesakh. Its name derives from the tenth plague, in which God "passed over" the homes of the Jewish firstborn, slaying only the Egyptian firstborn. Passover is celebrated for a week, and many diaspora Jews celebrate for eight days. The holiday begins at home at a seder meal and ritual the first (and sometimes second) night. Jews tell the story of the Exodus using a text called the haggadah, and eat specific food (matzah, maror, haroset, etc)..
My children and I sit down with pencils,
Fabric-safe pens and new, freshly washed pillow cases,
We excitedly talk about what we will paint.
Maybe a ceremonial object like a sederLit. Order. The festive meal conducted on Passover night, in a specific order with specific rituals to symbolize aspects of the Exodus from Egypt. It is conducted following the haggadah, a book for this purpose. Additionally, there an ancient tradition to have a seder on Rosh Hashanah, which has been practiced in particular by Sephardi communities. This seder involves the blessing and eating of simanim, or symbolic foods. The mystics of Sefat also created a seder for Tu B'shvat, the new year of the trees. plate,
Maybe a healing painting based on Miriam’s well,
Maybe the four questions written in English and Hebrew
Plus the languages of our European ancestors.
Maybe a scene from the Passover story,
Complete with dialogue, original songs
and quizzes, of course.
The Passover pillowcases accompany us throughout our seder.
Softening a rugged, frightening path.
They help us navigate, clarify, question, emphasize and
Provide beauty, hope, and growth.
Seder participants select a decorated pillowcase
that is meaningful to them,
Each pillow is put into a pillowcase
As we say
One Response
What a marvelous idea. What a meaningful prayer.