The students at Yeshivat He’Atid have been very busy preparing for Pesach. Each grade worked with their morot to explore Pesach through meaningful experiential learning. Students learn best through questioning and inquiry, and as students participated in these experiences, they dove deeper into each topic, creating an impactful lesson for all. The toddler class learned about the four cups of wine and asked the question, “Where does wine/grape juice come from?” The students investigated clusters of grapes and then crushed them into a pot. Then, they strained them to create grape juice and poured the juice into four kosot. The children enjoyed the delicious hand-made grape juice with their snack.

The kindergarten students learned about the science of taste buds by participating in a class taste test of saltwater, bitter maror and sweet charoset. They also examined the properties of chametz and non-chametz foods. The students completed a Pesach math fraction unit as they learned about breaking the middle matzah, and their artist study unit on Jackson Pollock facilitated a spray-painting project of Pesach pillowcases with a modern art twist.

While learning the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim, the children analyzed the characters within the story and focused on various story elements presented throughout the story. The teachers dressed in special costumes and recreated the Pesach story while students recalled the events in sequential order. Pre-k students completed a special numbers-based Haggadah which ties each part of the Seder to a specific number theme. One of the most exciting activities was the kindergarten matzah oven, fitted with a special matzah paddle so the children could “bake” their own matzah. There are so many more exciting experiences to share, but nothing compares to the knowledge students have gained about Pesach through these experiences!