Ratner Media & Technology CenterPesah 2015
/ The Jewish Education Center Of Cleveland2030 South Taylor Road Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
Phone (216) 371-0446 Fax (216) 371-2523 Web Site:
Pesah Resources
I Left with Moses.
Built around one of the big ideas of the Haggadah – that in every generation we have to see ourselves as if we left Egypt – the site develops understanding and seder skills for middle grade students, and includes an adult-level page for parents, as well.Website visitors join Moses on the journey out of Egypt by clicking on what interests them - short readings, short videos and some items that ask for their thoughts.(For grades 4 – 7).
Juvenile Literature
Adler, David. The Story of Passover. Illus. by Jill Weber. New York: Holiday House, 2014.
This is a straight-forward re-telling of how Moses was saved as an infant and then grew up to lead the Jewish people out of slavery. The illustrations are boldly colored acrylic paintings. (For kindergarten – grade 2).
Balsley, Tilda. Let My People Go! Illus. by Ilene Richard. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, 2011.
A rhyming story that describes the Ten Plagues and the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. The story is in script format and can be performed as a play. (For preschool – grade 2).PJ Library offering.
Barash, Chris. Is It Passover Yet? Illus. by Alessandra Psacharopulo. Park Ridge, Il: Albert Whitman, 2015.
A family prepare for Pesahby getting rid of hametz (bread products) and setting the seder table. (For preschool – grade 2). PJ Library Offering.
Cohen, Deborah Bodin. Engineer Ari and the Passover Rush. Illus.by Shahar Kober. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, 2015.
In 1893, Engineer Ari is in a rush to get his train to Jerusalem and back before Pesah. However, he still needs many foods for his seder plate. (Preschool – grade 2).
Cohen, Deborah Bodin. Nachshon, Who is Afraid to Swim:A Passover Story.Illus. by Jago. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, 2009.
This is the story of Nachson ben Aminadav. He was a slave under Pharaoh’s rule andwas very brave except for his fear of the water. Moses told him that one has to conquerfears to be truly free. When Moses led the Israelites to freedom, Nachson faced his fearand crossed the Red Sea.(For grades 1 – 4).PJ Library Offering.
Edwards, Michelle. Max Makes a Cake. Illus. by Charles Santoso. New York: Random House, 2014.
Without the help of adults, Max bakes a birthday cake for his mom that is kosher for Pesah. (For preschool - grade 2).PJ Library Offering.
Fireside, Bryna J. Private Joel and the Sewell Mountain Seder. Minneapolis:Kar-Ben,2008.
A chapter book inspired by a true Civil War story. At the time of Pesah, a Jewish soldier and his company, along with three former slaves, improvised a seder. (For grades 3 – 6).PJ Library offering.
Gehl, Laura. And Then Another Sheep Turned Up.Illus. byAmy Adele. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, 2015.
Rhyming text describes a family of sheep whose seder keeps being interrupted by the arrival of many additional relatives. (For preschool – grade 1). PJ Library offering.
Glazer, Linda. Stone Soup with Matzoh Balls: A Passover Tale in Chelm. Illus. Maryam Tabatabaei. New York: Albert Whitman & Company, 2014.
A version of Stone Soup, where a man gets the townspeople to contribute to and prepare unknowingly a seder feast for all to share. (For grades 1 – 4).PJ Library Offering.
Goetz, Bracha. On Pesach.What do You See? New York: Judaica Press, 2007.
A board book that teaches toddlers about the symbols and customs of Pesah. Itfeatures photographs of babies and toddlers. (For preschool).
Greengard, Alison. Illus. by Crol Racklin-Siegal.Oakland, CA: EKS.
Written in Hebrew and English, the text is excerpted from the Book of Exodus. (For grades 1 – 6).
- The Brave Women Who Saved Moses. 2009.
Tells the story of the women who insured Moses' survival: Puach and Shifrah the mid-wives, Jocheved his mother, Miriam, and Pharaoh's daughter.
- Let My People Go! 2011.
Moses witnessesan Egyptian’s cruelty to a Jewish slave, has an
encounter with G-d and leads his people from slavery.
Howland, Naomi. The Matzah Man. New York: Clarion, 2002.
A well-illustrated and designed version of the Gingerbread Boy. It is also available in Hebrew. (For preschool and kindergarten).
Jules, Jacqueline. Miriam in the Desert. Illus. by Natascia Ugliano. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, 2010.
Bezalel, supposedly Miriam's grandsonwho was the artist chosen to build the Holy Ark, describes how Miriam comforted the escaped slaves in the desert. (For grades 1 – 3).
Kimmel, Eric A. Scarlett and Sam: Escape from Egypt. Illus. by Ivica Stevanovic.Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, 2015.
A chapter book in which the twins Scarlett and Sam travel back in time to Egypt in the time of Moses. They come to understand that every Jew left Egypt with Moses and the Israelites. (For grades 3 – 5). PJ Library offering.
Kimmelman, Leslie. The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah. Illus. by Paul Meisel. New York: Holiday House, 2010.
A Yiddish-inflected retelling of “The Little Red Hen” features a balabusta (good homemaker) who kvetches her no-goodnick friends will not help her make matzah from wheat. When they show up for seder, the hen scolds them, “What chutzpah!” Ultimately, they repent and the hen forgives them, because she is a mensch. (For preschool – grade 2)PJ Library offering.
Latimer, Miriam. Dayenu! A Favorite Passover Song. NY:Cartwheel Books, 2012.
A board book that combines the melody of the Pesah song with a recounting of the Jews' exodus from Egypt to Israel. (For preschool and kindergarten).PJ Library offering.
Marshall. Linda Ellowitz. ThePassover Lamb. Illus. by Tatjana Mai-Wyss. New York: Random House, 2013.
Miriam’s family is about to leave their farm to attend a seder when a sheep gives birth to triplets. Since the mother sheep lacks interest in one of her offspring, it’s up to Miriam to think of a way to rescue both the baby lamb and her family's Pesah. (For kindergarten – grade 3). PJ LibraryOffering.
Medoff, Francine. The Mouse in the Matzah Factory. Rev. Ed. Minneapolis:
Kar-Ben, 2003.
A new version of this classic story with color illustrations. Shows in story form howsh’mura matzah (the strictly “watched matzah”) is made. (For preschool – grade 2).
Newman, Leslâea. A Sweet Passover. Illus. by David Slonim. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2012.
Miriam learns the meaning of Passover when her grandfather makes a special matzah dish. Includes recipe for matzah brei (similar to French toast, but with unleavened bread), and a glossary of Hebrew and Yiddish words used in the text. (For kindergarten – grade 3). PJ Library Offering.
O'Connell, Rebecca. Penina Levine is a Hard-Boiled Egg. New Milford, CT:
Roaring Book Press, 2007.
When they are preparing for the Pesahseder, Penina Levine’s grandmother calls hera "hard-boiled egg," because she gets tougher when the heat is turned on. The humorous illustrations by Majella Lue Sue complement the story. (For grades 3 – 6).
Portnoy, Mindy Avra. Tale of Two Seders. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, 2010.
After her parent’s divorce, a little girl attends a seder at each of their homes and she comments on the charoset. At the conclusion, her mother compares families to charoset - some sweeter than others, some stickier, but each tasty in its own way. Four charoset recipes follow the story, which is colorfully illustrated. (For grades 1 – 4).
Sasso, Sandy Eisenberg. Abuelita's Secret Matzahs. Cincinnati: Emmis Books, 2005.
During Pesah,a little boy learning that his family, now Catholic, is descended from Spanish Jews. With appealing illustrations and a sincere text, this will serve as an unusual supplement to more traditional Pesahstories. (For grades 2 – 4).
Snyder, Laurel. The Longest Night: A Passover Story. Illus. by Catia Chien. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2013.
Rhyming text. A child in Egypt tells what the Jews are experiencing in the days leading up to their flight from Egyptian slavery. Winner of 2014 Sydney Taylor Award for Younger Readers. (For grades 1 – 3).PJ Library Offering.
Sper, Emily. The Passover Seder: Touch Turn, Open and Learn! New York: Scholastic/Raintree, 2003.
An interactive introduction to the seder with colorful graphics. Important vocabulary andconcepts are written in Hebrew, transliteration, and English. (For preschool – grade 2).
Strauss,Linda Leopold.The Elijah Door: A Passover Tale.Illus. by Alexi Natchey. NY: Holiday House, 2011.
For years the Galinskys andLippas have shared seder. But no more! Mama Lippa shuts her windows tight against the Galinsky voices. Papa Galinsky cuts a new side door to avoid seeing the Lippas. But David Lippa and Rachel Galinsky love each other, and fortunately, they have a trick up their sleeves. (For grades 2 – 4).
Weber, Elka. The Yankee at the Seder.Illus. by Adam Gustavson. Berkeley: Tricycle Press,2009.
Soon after the Civil War, Corporal Myer Samuel Levy, a Union soldier, stops at a Jewishhome in Virginia and spends seder with the family. (For grades 3-6).PJ Library offering.
Werner, Osher. Pharaoh and the Fabulous Frog Invasion. New York: The Judaica Press, 2007.
A fun "frog's-eye" view of how the stubborn king Pharaoh and the wicked Egyptians got just what they deserved for being so mean to the Jews. (For preschool – grade 2).
Ziefert, Harriet. Passover: Celebrating Now Remembering Then. Maplewood, NJ: Blue Apple Books, 2010.
An excellent book that describes the order of the seder with explanations of the symbols and customs. Each explanation is accompanied by a fold out page with folk-inspired illustrations by Karla Gudeon. (For preschool – grade 4).
Non-Fiction
Ansh, Tamar. Let My Children Cook!: A Passover Cookbook for Kids. New York: Judaica Press, 2014.
The book is divided into a dozen categories including:very important recipes for Pesah, fun finger foods, munch and brunch, soups, fish, meats, chicken, veggies, desserts, and fun arts & crafts.(For grades 3 – 10).
Boxer, Michael, ed. Seder Songs. NY: URJ/Transcontinental Music, 2011.
Features 22 Pesah songs from both Ashkenazi and Sephardi traditions and songs from Peter and Ellen Allard, Noah Budin, Max Chaiken, Eric Komar, Steven Sher and Peri Smilow. Two audio CDs accompany the song book.
Gevirtz, Gila. Celebrating Passover: For the Family. Springfield, NJ: Behrman House, 2009.
The waterproof booklet is a guide to a family-friendly seder. It contains the blessings, instructions,explanations and photographs of the different components of the seder. (For grades 5 - adults).
Hantman, Shoshana. Passover Parodies: Short Plays for the Seder Table. Katonah, NY: Rabbi Shoshana Hantman, 2014.
Pesah plays for the seder with different themes including: the Marx Brothers, Harry Potter, William Shakespeare, Alfred Hitchcock, Sherlock Holmes, etc. (For grades 3 – adult).
HaggadahShel Pesach. TaLAM-Hebrew and Heritage Curriculum. Quebec, Canada: TaLAM/Avi Chai, 2010.
A Hebrew language workbook that examines the Haggadah. (For grades 3 – 6).
Heiligman, Deborah. Celebrate Passover with Matzah, Maror, and Memories.Holidays around the World Series. Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2007.
Uganda, Yemen, Morocco, Hungary, Israel, the United States, and Canada are some ofthe places photographed celebrating Pesah in this book. Rabbi Shir Stern's informativenote provides parents and teachers with an historical and cultural background of thecelebration. (For kindergarten – grade 4).
JECC. Fingerprints: Discovering Jewish Life. Cleveland, OH: Project Curriculum Renewal, 2014.
The third edition of the early childhood curriculum is integrated with the Ohio Early Learning and Development Standards (OELDS). (For preschool.)
JECC. Me and You: Jew & Jew.Cleveland: JECC, 2010.
- A Curriculum for Pre-kindergarten in a One-day-week Setting.
A curriculum for supplementary school pre-kindergarten classes that teaches about the holidays through the lens of Jewish texts. The Pesah section focuses on how Moses partnered with God to free the Jews from slavery. Therefore, the seder reminds us of the Talmudic saying "Kol Yisraelareivim zeh lazeh." "All Jews are mutually responsible for one another.”
- A Curriculum for Kindergarten in a One-day-week Setting.
A curriculum for a supplementary school kindergarten class that teaches the holidays through the lens of Jewish text. The Pesah section explores the idea that when Moses stood up to Pharaoh and asked for the Jewish slaves to be released, he fulfilled the mitzvah V’ahavta l’rei-aha kamoha, Love your neighbor as yourself, from Leviticus 19:18.
Kimmel, Eric. Wonders and Miracles: A Passover Companion. New York: Scholastic, 2004.
An outstanding book that follows the traditional order of the seder while explaining eachpart with stories, colorful illustrations and songs. (For grades 3 – 8).
customs and recipes from around the world. (For grades 3 – 6).PJ Library Offering.
Korngold, Jamie S. Seder in the Desert. Phot. by Jeff Finkelstein. Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, 2014.
A photo journal of a hike and a seder in the Moab Desert in Utah. (For grades 1 – 4).
Steinberg, Paul. Celebrating the Jewish Year: The Spring and Summer Holidays. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2011.
Primary sources, poems, prayers, rituals and stories about Pesah, The Omer, Shavuot and Tisha b’Av. (For adults).
Haggadot
Berg, Melissa. Pop Haggadah. Melissa Berg, 2014.
A Haggadah that has the commentary in the graphics and pop illustrations. (For adults).
Bronfman, Edgar M. The Bronfman Haggadah. Illus. by Jan Aronson. New York: Rizzoli, 2012.
A Haggadah interwoven that draws from philanthropist Edgar Bronfman's own Jewish experience. Illustrated with beautiful watercolor paintings. (For adults).
Foer, Jonathan Safran and Englander, Nathan. New American Haggadah. Illus. by Oded Ezer. NY: Little Brown and Company, 2012.
The Haggadah featuresa new translation of the traditional text by Nathan Englander and provocative commentary by major Jewish writers including Jeffrey Goldberg, Lemony Snicket, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, and Nathaniel Deutsch. (For adults).
Foster, Nellie et al. Sixty-Minute Seder: Preserving the Essence of the Passover Haggadah (Sixty-Minute Collection). Chandler, AZ:Six Points Press, 2014.
In this Haggadah, aConservative Jewish couple has condensed the seder
to under an hour. An easy-to-follow guide that explains how to prepare for Pesah. (For adults).
Goldscheider, Aaron.The Night That Unites Passover Haggadah: Teachings, Stories, and Questions from Rabbi Kook, Rabbi Soloveitchik, and Rabbi Carlebach. Israel: Urim Publications, 2014.
This book is the first Haggadah that brings together the teachings of Rabbi Kook, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, and Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik. Also, it offers a special section of contemporary readings and stories related to the Land of Israel and the Holocaust. (For adults).
Goldman, Ari and Telushkin, Joseph. Every Generation: The JDC Haggadah. New York: Urim Publishing, 2010.
A traditional Haggadah that portrays the age-old Pesah story through modern-day images of deliverance and social responsibility in action. For the making of this Haggadah, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, JDC, opened its vast archives of photographs, letters and documents. (For adults).
Grishaver, Joel Lurie. We Were Slaves: An Interactive Haggadah. Los Angeles: Torah Aura, 2011.
An abbreviated Haggadah that can be used for model or family sederim. Includes reflective questions, role modeling and questions from the “My Exodus." (For grades 1 - 6).
Levi, John and Tippett, Naomi. Season of Renewal: A Family Haggadah. Springfield, NJ: Behrman House, 2010.
A Haggadah with modern traditions such as Miriam's Cup and family filling Elijah's Cup.
Redner, Rebecca. The Gateways Haggadah: A Seder for the Whole Family. Springfield: NJ, 2014.
An inclusive Haggadah for participants with diverse learning styles that features over 150 picture communication symbols developed by Mayer-Johnson.™ (For all ages).
Silber, David. A Passover Haggadah: Go Forth and Learn. Philadelphia: JPS, 2011.
Two books in one: the Haggadah in English and Hebrew with Rabbi David Silber's seder commentary and a collection of essays by Rachel Furst that provide close readings of the
classic biblical and rabbinic texts that inform seder-night ritual and narration. (For adults).
Szyk, Arthur. The Szyk Haggadah. Trans. and commentary by Byron L. Sherwin with Irvin Ungar. New York: Abrams, 2008.
Arthur Szyk, a Polish-Jewish artist, created his Haggadah in the mid-1930s at the time Nazi Germany was rising. This is the first edition widely-available since 1940 made from Szyk's original art. (For adults).
Audio-Visual Materials
Agent Emes and the Giant Ego 4: The Passover Adventure. Pittsburgh: Reel Entertainment, 2006.