Contributors

Rabbi Zoë Klein

Los Angeles , US

Rabbi Zoë Klein graduated cum laude from Brandeis University with a B.A. in Psychology. She received her rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in 1998 in New York City. Upon ordination she served Temple Shalom in Norwalk, Connecticut. Rabbi Klein pursued the rabbinate out of a passion for ancient texts, mythology, liturgy and poetry. Zoë Klein has written numerous articles (Harper’s Bazaar, Tikkun, Jewish Journal, Torat Hayim), poems and prayers which are used in houses of prayer all around the country. Her novel Drawing in the Dust was published by Simon & Schuster in 2009. Rabbi Klein gives numerous presentations and is a panel participant or keynote speaker at various assemblies all over the country. She is a resource for reporters in regional newspapers and has appeared as a commentator on the History Channel in "Digging for the Truth." Rabbi Klein began serving at Temple Isaiah in 2000. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband Jonathan Klein and their three children Rachmiel, Kinneret and Zimra.

Relearning to Wash Our Hands

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

Relearning to Wash Our Hands (an excerpt) - Dori Midnight We are humans relearning to wash our hands. Washing our hands is an act of love Washing our hands is an act of care Washing our hands is an act that puts the hypervigilant body at ease Washing our hands helps us return to ourselves by washing away what does not serve. Wash your hands like you are washing the only teacup left that your great grandmother carried across the ocean...Like...

Singing Songs

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

Make the song “Who Knows One?” into a trivia game. Try to name the 3 fathers of Israel (hint: A…, I…, J…), the 4 mothers (S…, R…, R…, L…) the five books of the Torah (G…, E…, L…, N…, D…), the twelve tribes? With the song Chad Gadya, “Just One Kid,” sing it like Old MacDonald, and make the appropriate sounds for each verse. -Next Year in Jerusalem! Sing the Israeli National Anthem. Kids can use kazoos. Next Year in Jerusalem!...

Matzah Matzah

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

Moroccan Jews have a custom of passing the Matzah over everyone’s head to symbolize the angel of death that passed over the Jewish houses. Once I had seder with a Yeminite family, and they had spray bottles of water on the table. They would spray the matzah with the water to make it softer, so they could wrap it around the charoset.

Maggid - Beginning

Preparing for Maggid

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

Invite guests to bring their passports, and share the various ports they’ve been through. Give the children an art project, like make pillow covers that will be used to lean on, making matzah covers, drawings, plague charts, colored sand-jars, shoe box diagrams, sugar cube pyramids, mezuzas, anything, giving the adults time to meditate or discuss, and the children a memorable keepsake.

Commentary / Readings

Dayeinu

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

At Dayeinu, Persian and Afghani Jews hit each other over the heads and shoulders with scallions every time they say Dayeinu! This really keeps the children alert! They especially use the scallions in the ninth stanza which mentions the manna in the desert, because Torah tells us that the Israelites began to complain about the manna, and longed for the onions, leeks, melons, and garlic in Egypt. Yemenite Jews lift the table and bang it down at every Dayeinu!

Maggid - Beginning

Storytelling

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

Storytelling Activities -Tell the story through a giant game of Jeopardy! -Have the kids get together to put on a puppet show about Moses and the escape from Egypt. While they are putting it together, the adults can have a deeper discussion of the meaning of freedom. -Have volunteers role-play Moses, Miriam, Aaron, Moses mother Yochevet, and Pharaoh, and have the rest of the table interview them and ask them about their experiences. -Ask everyone to share a special seder memory....

Maggid - Beginning

Ten Plagues Activities

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

- Prepare card with the names of the plagues on them. Have guests select a card and then pantomime the plague while others try to guess which one it is. - Divide the kids into three group, give each group either “blood” “frogs” or “animals,” the first, second, and fourth plagues. Give them five or ten minutes to create a short dramatization. The parents will then award the best performance (ideally all of them!) with an Oscar, or better yet, a...

Commentary / Readings

Slavery

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

Helping Children Understand Slavery -Tell a made-up story to the children geared to their age that will help them understand what a slave is. For example, for younger children, tell them about a father whose boss will not let him come home to see his son. Days, weeks, and months pass. Finally, the daddy calls and says he will be home on a certain day. The boy is so excited, he invites all of his friends over, and helps his mom...

-- Four Questions

Questions All Around

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

At the four questions, invite anyone at the table to ask any question they have about the seder and the holiday. If no one knows the answer, what a great challenge for later! At the four questions, ask the children what is the best question they’ve ever asked in school.

Breaking the Middle Matzah

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

A Tunisian custom is to say “This is how God split the Red Sea” and then break the middle matzah. Israelis of Yeminite origin wrap the afikomen in a napkin and places it over his shoulder throughout the chanting of the Hagaddah, symbolizing both the liberation from Egypt, and more recently, the rescue of the Jews of Yemen in Operation Magic Carpet in 1948. Discuss why we hide one half of the matzah. Perhaps because redemption is not complete…our people may...

First Dipping

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

In Greek, karpas means appetizer. Today, many of us use parsley. Some medieval rabbis strictly forbid eating more than an olive’s size of parsley, you may wish to revive the ancient custom of eating extensive appetizers, each with its own dip. You may continue dipping and tasting various fresh vegetables during the seder. Use parley that you planted on Tu B’Shevat. Plant parsley in Chia Pets! Tie bundles of parsley with ribbon for each guest. Encourage dripping the salt water, the...

First Handwashing

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

Not Just Handwashing Ask for two volunteers: one to carry a pitcher of water and to pour water over each guest’s hands, and one to carry a basin and a towel. Use ice water to remember people who do not have warm water. Have everyone take off their bracelets and rings, even wedding bands for the handwashing (or for the whole seder, to be returned when the afikomen is found) to remember those who are still in bondage and live without.

First Cup of Wine

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

Ideas for Spicing Up Kiddush -Have an empty cup in the middle. Have everyone add a little form their own cups to the middle cup. This cup then will be Elijah’s cup, and everyone will have shared with Elijah from their own. -Pour the wine or grape juice for each other, each person pouring for the person to their right, to give a sense of sharing and elegance. -Have the younger participants pour everyone’s glasses, playacting as if the adults are...

Preparing the Table

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

This is a compilation of ideas to help the seder be fun and engaging for the entire family. Fun ideas for preparing the Passover table: 1. Include a Tzedakka box on the table. Have everyone put money in the tzedakah box before eating. 2. Yemenite Jews line the edge of the table all around with leaves of Romaine lettuce. The lettuce is then used for Maror. 3. Use maps of Egypt, Israel, and the Sinai desert as place mats. 4. Put...

Sara Smith's Haggadah

Sara Smith's Haggadah

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

Isaiah Women Haggadah

Isaiah Women Haggadah

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

ChaiVillageLA Haggadah

ChaiVillageLA Haggadah

by Rabbi Zoë Klein

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