Brian Fromm, Grade 3 Teacher, Writes on Model Seder Celebration.

One of the most special Passover Sedarim (the plural of Seder) I’ve had the chance to participate in was the BJEP Third Grade Model Seder earlier this month. There are countless varieties of Sedarim: traditional, modern, song-filled, discussion-filled, and even the ubiquitous chocolate Seder. While all these Sedarim are meaningful in their own way, it was particularly special to experience our Seder with the third graders that I have been teaching all semester.

It really was a treat for me to be able to see the students’ Jewish education being put to use in a real, practical way. They have been learning about Passover and practicing their Seder songs since the beginning of the semester, and watching them and their families all singing the Four Questions together showed me just how successful this endeavor was. The kids not only enjoyed participating but also seemed to love the play that their BJEP teachers put on for them.

Another aspect of this Seder that was special for me was that it gave me a chance to collaborate with all the other teachers involved in the education of our third graders. This Seder really was a joint effort that only came together as successfully as it did because of the hard work of so many different people.

Now that our BJEP Seder is over, my hope is that it continues to inspire the students in their learning as it inspires me in my teaching. There isn’t always an obvious purpose for our Jewish studies like there was for this Seder, but the Seder reminds us that our traditions connect us to all our Jewish ancestors before us. I hope that our children will one day have the opportunity to lead their own Sedarim at which their children will ask the Four Questions, as so many generations of children have before them.