Ms. Sara at a Seder with Friends | Passover Seder for Kids and Families | Get Ready for Passover

[music] >> Sing it with Miss Sarah. [singing] >> [music] >> Shalom Haverim. I'm so happy that all of you are here with me today. Today, [music] we're celebrating Passover with a Seder. Seder means order. Tonight, [music] we follow a special order to tell the story of Passover. And guess [music] what? I've invited some special guests, my friends, to join our [music] Seder. So, help me wave hello to Jonah Platt, hey Courtney Platt, [music] hello Ari Ackerman, Hi everybody, it's Ari Ackerman. Ariel Stein, [music] Joni Leed, Hi. and Rabbi Daniel Sher. Rabbi Daniel will help lead our Seder. [music] Welcome, friends. Hi. Happy Passover. Now, you're invited [music] to join our Seder, too. Even if you're at home watching. Rabbi Daniel, will you help us [music] get started? Absolutely, Miss Sarah. And shalom Haverim. The word Seder simply means order, and that's the whole idea. Our time together has a shape to it. We move through the steps together, from telling the story of slavery all the way to singing and celebrating freedom. Every step has a purpose. The questions, the foods, the songs, none of it's random. It's all designed to do one thing, to make our ancient story feel like our [music] story happening right now at this table. >> [music] [singing] >> Okay, parents, it's time to pour your kids grape juice, grab some matzah, or just use your imagination to participate with Miss Sarah, myself, and all of our friends. On Seder, we drink four cups of grape juice. Why four? Because the story of going from slavery to freedom happens in four big steps. >> [music] >> And every time we take a sip, we're saying we remember and we're grateful. So, let's have those sips. Let's say the blessing together. Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, borei pri hagafen. And now, it's time to wash our hands. Hey, Jonah, can you tell us about this part? Sure thing, Rabbi. Before we even tell the Passover story, [music] we wash our hands. And here's something strange. We don't say a blessing. Which feels a little unfinished, right? That's intentional. [music] Tonight is supposed to feel different. The Seder is built to spark questions. But, there's another reason we wash our hands. [music] In ancient times, before eating foods dipped in liquid, like >> [music] >> our vegetables and salt water, people would wash their hands as a ritual act of preparation. [music] Not because they were dirty, but because they were about to do something mindful, something with intention. [music] We wash to signal that what we're about to do matters. So, if you're near a sink, go wash. If not, rub your hands together like you're about to do something really important. Thanks, Jonah. Now, [music] before we move on to Karpas, let's talk about our Seder plate. Everything on this plate helps us remember the story of Passover. The Seder [music] plate helps guide our Seder and our meal. Now, Joni, you wrote a special song about setting up the Seder plate. Will you sing it with us [music] now? Kids at home, now's a great time to color in your Seder plate if you have it printed out. I can't wait. I'm going [music and singing] to set my Seder plate. I can't wait. I'm going to set [music] my Seder plate. Shank bone, >> [singing and music] >> roasted egg, bitter herbs, apples, nuts, and honey, lettuce, parsley. [singing and music] We remember how it used to be, yeah. I [music] can't wait. I'm going to set [singing] my Seder plate. I can't wait. I'm going to set my Seder plate. Zeroa, beitzah, maror, [singing] and charoset, chazeret, [music] karpas. To connect us to the way [music] it was, yeah. [singing] I can't wait. I'm going to set my Seder plate. [music and singing] I can't wait. I'm [music] going to set my Seder [singing] plate. Ooh, every food [music and singing] on Pesach. Ooh, >> [music] >> every food. It helps us [singing] to tell our story. I can't >> [music] >> wait. I'm going to set my Seder plate. I can't wait. I'm going to [singing] set my Seder plate, [music] yeah. I can't wait. I'm going to set my Seder plate, [singing] yeah. I [music] can't wait. I'm going to set my Seder plate. >> [singing] >> What a fantastic song. >> [music] >> Now, let's move on to the Karpas. Ariel, do you think you could explain a little bit more about that? Sure. We begin with something green. Green reminds us of spring, of growth, of hope. But, we dip it into salt water to remind us of tears, because even hopeful stories can include pain. Let's say a blessing over the vegetables together. Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, borei pri ha'adamah. I love to sing at the Seder table. Let's sing a song about matzah. I have a piece of matzah. It's bread that didn't rise. We eat it to remember the journey of Israelites. Oh, matzah, matzah, matzah. On Passover, we eat. It's crispy and it's crunchy. It's my favorite Pesach treat. Yay! And now, we're at Yachatz, the breaking of the middle matzah. Here we have these three pieces of matzah. And now, we're going to do something kind of strange. We're going to take the middle one and break [music] it. It's not very neat, right? Matzah never breaks neatly. And that's kind of the point. [music] Matzah's called the bread of affliction, and it reminds us that slavery was hard, and that hard things happened for our freedom. And sometimes, hard things break things. But, watch what we do next. We don't throw it away. We take the bigger piece and we hide it. We call that piece the afikoman. The afikoman is the piece we'll eat at the very end of our Seder, which means we can't finish without finding it. Hey Hey, Ari, do you think you could hide the afikoman for us? Absolutely, Rabbi Daniel. We are going to hide the afikoman. This is one of my favorite parts. >> [music] >> I have my special afikoman cover, made by my daughter, with the matzah inside. Don't tell anybody where it is. All right, let's go. Rabbi Daniel said we can't finish the Seder without finding the afikoman. And here's why that matters. The Seder teaches us that even when something feels broken, and even when something is hidden, it's still important. It's still a part of the story. The middle matzah is often compared to what's broken in the world. We hide it because not everything is fixed right away, but we promise to come back for it. Parents, if you're watching at home, now's a great time to go hide your afikoman. Okay, everyone, it's time for the moment all our kids love. The only time when interrupting the grown-ups is actually the point. >> [music] >> It's time to ask the four questions. First, we ask, why do we eat only matzah? Then we ask, why do we eat bitter herbs? Then we ask, [music] why do we dip twice? And finally, we ask, why do we recline? Now that we've asked, we get to answer. [music] Let's sing Ma Nishtana. >> [music] >> Ma nishtana halaila hazeh mikol [singing] haleilot? >> [music] >> Mikol haleilot, [singing] shebechol haleilot, anu ochlin chametz [music and singing] u'matzah. Chametz u'matzah. [singing] Halaila hazeh, halaila hazeh, >> [music] >> kuloh >> [singing] >> matzah. Halaila hazeh, halaila hazeh, [singing and music] kuloh matzah. Shebechol [music] haleilot, anu [singing] ochlin maror u'merorim. Maror u'merorim. [singing] Halaila [music] hazeh, halaila hazeh, maror >> [singing] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing and music] [music and singing] [music] >> Now, it's time to tell the Passover story. This part of our seder is called Maggid. Courtney, can you help start the Maggid for us? Many, many years ago, the Jewish people [music] lived in Egypt. They lived under the rule of a mean King Pharaoh. Pharaoh felt threatened by the Jewish people, for they were smart and strong. He forgot that they were also kind and good. So, he decided to make them his slaves. [music] He made them build cities, carrying heavy bricks, and working out in the hot sun. They didn't get to choose their own [music] lives. They weren't even allowed to leave. Pharaoh was cruel and unforgiving. The Jewish people yearned for their [music] freedom. The Jewish people cried out to God for help. God heard their cries and sent a man named Moses to be [music] their leader. Moses would lead the Jewish people to freedom. First, Moses tried talking to the Pharaoh. "Please," he said, "let my people go." But, Pharaoh refused. [music] He said, "No, no, no." Oh, listen. >> [singing] >> Oh, listen. Oh, listen, King [music] Pharaoh. Oh, listen. [singing] Oh, listen. Please, let my people go. >> [music] >> They work so hard each day. They want to go [singing] away. King Pharaoh, King Pharaoh, what do you say? [singing] >> [music] >> No, no, [singing] no. I will not let them go. No, [singing and music] no, no. I will not let them go. Oh, listen. >> [music and singing] >> Oh, listen. Oh, listen, King Pharaoh. Oh, listen. [music and singing] Oh, listen. Please, let my people go. They work [music] so hard each day. They want to go [singing] away. King Pharaoh, [music] King Pharaoh, what do you say? [singing] >> [music] >> No, no, [singing] no. I will not let them go. No, no, [singing] no. I will not let them go. Wow. Pharaoh sure was a mean king. Jonnie, do you think you could help us with the next part of the story? Pharaoh had his chance to set things right and let Moses' people go free, but he refused. And that's when [music] God sent the plagues down upon Pharaoh, and it wasn't pretty. The water turned to [music] blood. Ugh. There were frogs jumping everywhere. There was locusts all over the place, eating all of the crops. There was nothing to eat. There was hail crashing down from the sky, and the darkness. [music] It was so dark, you couldn't even see your own hand in front of you. Finally, Pharaoh had enough. He said, "I can't take this anymore." And he told the Jewish people to leave. One morning, when Pharaoh woke in his [music] bed, there were frogs on his pillow and frogs on his head. Frogs on his nose, frogs on his toes. Frogs here, frogs there. Frogs were jumping [singing] everywhere. >> [music] [music] >> One morning, when Pharaoh [singing] woke [music] in his bed, there were frogs on his pillow and frogs on his head. Frogs on his nose, frogs on his toes. Frogs [singing] here, frogs there. Frogs were jumping everywhere. [singing] >> [music] [music] >> One morning, when Pharaoh woke [singing and music] in his bed, there were frogs on his pillow and frogs on his head. Frogs on his nose, frogs on his toes. Frogs here, frogs there. Frogs were jumping everywhere. >> [music] >> Frogs were [singing] jumping everywhere. Let's make 10 [music] plagues puppets for Passover. For those of you watching at home, head to the description of this video to print these out and make your own Passover puppets [music] at home. You'll only need a few materials for this project. The 10 plagues printable, scissors, popsicle sticks, [music] and glue or tape. Begin by printing out the 10 plagues puppet printable. Next, cut out the puppet icons. [music] As you cut them out, discuss each of the plagues. Blood, frogs, lice, flies, [music] livestock disease, oils, hail, locust, darkness, and the death of the firstborn. >> [music] >> Using tape or glue, attach the icons to a popsicle stick. Repeat these steps 10 times [music] until you've gone through each of the plagues. Now that we've finished making our 10 plagues Passover puppets, [music] bring them to your family seder and hold up each one as you hear their name in the Passover story. [music] I love a good craft. Thanks, Arielle. Jonah, would you mind telling us the final part of the story for our seder? You know it. Now, even though Pharaoh had told the Jewish people to leave, he also been untrustworthy in the past. What if he changed his mind? The Jewish people had to move [music] quickly. They packed up only the essentials for their travels. They didn't even wait for their bread to rise. There was no time. That's why we eat matzah tonight. Following Moses, the Jewish people fled Egypt. They ran until they reached the sea. And then, Pharaoh actually did change his [music] mind. He sent his army to bring his slaves back. The Jewish people were stuck. A giant sea in front of them and an angry army of soldiers behind them. Then, the sea split. There were walls of water on each side, and the Jewish people were able to walk through it on [music] dry land. God made this miracle happen. Finally, the Jewish people were free. Free to be who they wanted to be, free to choose their own lives. >> [music] >> We tell this story to remember what it feels like to go from feeling broken to being free. Dayenu means it would have been enough. If God had just taken us out of Egypt, dayenu. If God had only split the sea, dayenu. But, God gave the Jewish people so many wonderful blessings. >> [music] >> Just one of them would have been enough. So, together we say, dayenu. You know what? Why don't we all sing dayenu together? Dayenu, [singing] >> [music] >> dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, [singing] dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, [music] dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, [singing] dayenu. >> [music] [singing and music] >> Dayenu, dayenu, [singing] dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, [singing and music] dayenu, dayenu, dayenu. >> [music] [singing] [music] >> Dayenu, [singing] dayenu, [music] dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, [singing] dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu. >> [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] >> Dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, [singing] dayenu, [music] dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu. >> [music] >> Dayenu. >> [music] >> Now, the blessing for matzah. This is the exact same as our regular motzi, plus an additional one. So, first we say, baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'Olam hamotzi lechem min [music] ha'aretz. And then we say, baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'Olam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al achilat >> Thank you, God, who directed us to eat the matzah and remember this amazing story. Hey, Ari, do you think you could tell us a little bit about the bitter herbs? Happy to, Rabbi. This is called maror. That's a Hebrew word that means bitter. We usually try to eat foods that are yummy, right? Sweet cookies, fluffy challah, but this food tastes bitter. Why would we want to taste something that makes our eyes water? Because the bitter herbs remind us of the suffering of our ancestors. We don't and can't skip the bitterness of the story, but we also can combine the maror with the haroset and matzah. That's called korech. It's a sandwich which reminds us that even bitterness can be sweetened. Even when things feel hard, we can always find a little sweetness. And that reminds me, it's time to find the afikoman. You're right, Ari. I love this part. [music] Tzafun means hidden. We hid the afikoman at the beginning of the Seder. Once we find this matzah, it represents freedom and [music] joy. Hey, kids at home, if your parents hid the afikoman, now's a good time to go find it. At the end of our Seder, we call out together, "L'Shanah Habah B'Yerushalayim." >> [music] >> Next year in Jerusalem. But what does that really mean? It doesn't mean let's all book flights to Israel, Jerusalem. In Jewish tradition, it's more than just a city on a map. [music] It's a symbol, a dream, a vision of what a world could be like at its very best. A place where everyone belongs, where no one's left out, >> [music] >> where the broken things get put back together. When we say, "Next year in Jerusalem," we're really saying, "Next year, may we all be gathered together in a world that is more whole, more just, and more full of meaning than the one we live in today." That's what Seder has been building towards this whole time. We started with the story of a people who were enslaved and forgotten, and we end with a hope that one day everyone [music] will truly be free. So yes, Jerusalem's a real place and it's a beautiful one. But the Jerusalem we're dreaming of at the end of our Seder is something even bigger. A world where every family has a seat at the table. L'Shanah Habah B'Yerushalayim. Todah Rabah everyone [music] for joining me at this beautiful Seder. I'm wishing all of you here and all [music] of you at home a Pesach filled with joy, peace, gratitude, and [music] freedom. Chag Sameach and Happy Passover. Bye. Chag Sameach. Bye. Happy Passover. Bye. Happy Passover. >> [music] >> Sing it [music] with Miss Sarah. [singing]