How to organise a mock seder
Please be aware that this is a very abbreviated version of a seder. If you want to include more eg. Songs and other traditional pieces such as the Mah Nishtanah and The Four Sons, you will need to look in a Hagaddah (a special book meaning ‘Order’ which Jews use at their Seders.
You will need:
Class tables (enough to seat everyone) in a long line or box shape.
Paper or cloth to cover the tables
On every other table:
· 1 cloth or paper towel divided into three sections
· 3 Matzahs in each of the slots
· 1 seder plate containing
o A burnt hardboiled egg
o Haroseth (see recipe)
o Parsley or lettuce
o A mock lamb shank bone (can be replaced with a plastic model of a sheep or for vegetarians – a mushroom)
o Horseradish or other bitter herb
· Jug of salted water
What to do:
· Recite in English the prayer for Wine (see Shabbat prayers in this pack)
· Write out parts of the Story of the Exodus (see pack or versions in the bible) and either get different children to read sections out loud and or get different groups to freeze frame different elements of the story.
· Once the story has been told point to
o The matzah and explain its relevance to the story
o The seder plate and explain the relevance of the symbols
· Then break off the middle matzah and break it in half then hide one half (tell the children that they must look for it at the end of the seder)
· After that, dip the parsley or lettuce into the salt water ( a reminder of the tears of the slaves but new life once they have left Egypt)
· Then make a small sandwich of two pieces of matzah and bitter herbs
· Then make a small sandwich of matzah and haroseth
· Remind the children that this is a story of freedom and ask them to think of any other situations in the world where people are not free.
· Finally finish off by singing a Pesach song eg. Let My People Go, Seder Prayer (by Stephen Melzack).