Why is this Children's Book Different from All Other Children's Books?

by Tami Lehman-Wilzig, Kar-Ben author and guest blogger

Can you name the first Jewish children's book? My guess is that it's the Haggadah. It educates. It deals with four different types of children. It contains supernatural elements that wow the reader, and even includes some fun songs at the back of the book. It has all the ingredients of a best seller (which it is), but, yawn, it needs something to keep kids' attention until the very end.
 
What to do? Incorporate customs from Jewish communities across the globe into your Seder, plus create a few of your own and you'll have a page turner. 

Jews coming from Turkey, Iraq and Kurdistan jump start the Haggadah with a quick one-act play. It goes like this: While the Seder leader breaks the middle matzah in half, a designated participant leaves the table to dress up as one of the Children of Israel (home-made costume, of course). S/he knocks on the door, the Seder leader opens it and the play begins. “Who are you?” asks the Seder leader. Answer: “I'm one of the Children of Israel.” Next question: “But I thought you're a slave in Egypt.” Reply: “I was. Now I am free.” Question: “Where are you going?” Answer: “To Eretz Yisrael – The Land of Israel.”  “Welcome,” says the Seder leader. “Come sit at our table before you continue your journey.”
Everyone applauds, but the play doesn't have to end here. Remember the section dealing with the five rabbis staying up all night? How about writing a contemporary dialog that will be easy for kids to say?  Next act: The four sons. Don't be gender specific. Have a configuration of boys and girls dress up as the four different types of children, each explaining who s/he is. This leads nicely into a  home-made 10 plagues bag, which can then segue into a wonderful Persian custom – hitting your neighbor with the long hollow leaves of a scallion at each repetition of the word Dayenu. The reason behind this “madness”? To remind us of  the whips that hit our ancestors when they were slaves.

Aha! Now we're into props.  Here are two more suggestions. Decorate your seder table with gold and silver jewelry as a way of recalling the precious metals Egyptians gave the Israelites before the 10th plague. That's what Hungarian Jews do.  Next, forget about your gorgeous dining room set. Tunisian Jews use mattresses instead to create an authentic experience by “comfortably” sitting on the floor. Don't like that idea? Try what Jews in Casablanca do. Place a large ornamented chair with brocaded pillows next to the table for the Prophet Elijah.
Getting the picture? Like all good playwrights you decide how much drama your audience can take. The authors of the Haggadah have already supplied you with the cast of characters and the backdrop. Now it's your turn to get a handle on how to make it fun, relevant and compelling -- the reason why this children's book is different from all other children's books.


About author Tami Lehman-Wilzig
Born in the United States, Tami Lehman-Wilzig now lives in Israel. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and an M.A. in Communications from Boston University. She is one of Israel's leading English language copywriters. Her children's books include Tasty Bible Stories, Keeping the Promise, Passover Around the World, Hanukkah Around the World and Zvuvi’s Israel. She lives in Petach Tikvah, Israel.
Visit Tami's website.
Read Tami's Jewish Holiday Customs Blog
Read Zuvuvi's Blog (Zvuvi is the star of Tami's book Zvuvi's Israel.)

Get all kinds of great Passover ideas from Tami's book: Passover Around the World

Four Questions About Haggadahs: Choosing the Right One

There are an incredible number of Haggadahs available for use during the seder, and the variety is wide. From cartooned children’s Haggdahs to Kabbalah influenced ones, feminist Haggadahs, ones with commentary from famous rabbis,  to highly visual, art-inspired Haggadahs to those that connect social issues to the Exodus story and those for Sephardic, Russian or contemporary American Jewish people….the list goes on and on. Selecting the best Haggadah can be a daunting task. Consider these questions as you determine which Haggadah will work best for your group.

Who is the audience?

Diversity of age, level of observance and even religion can be factors in making a selection. A haggadah is a tool for storytelling, recounting the history of the Jewish people. The experience of storytelling is most powerful when the audience is actively engaged. For this reason, selecting a haggadah that is too difficult or dense for many participants will not be as successful as using one that informs and holds everyone’s interest.

What level of observance does it fulfill?

While most Haggadahs include the same basic elements, some are designed to take 30 minutes or less, while some can be many times longer than that.  Is it important to you that the seder includes Hebrew or English? Does your family value new traditions like the ritual for Miriam’s Cup?

How does creativity fit into my family’s traditions?

Some families incorporate songs, skits, finger puppets or paper bag puppets, costumes and even new media, like YouTube clips and mp3s. Is this in line with your vision for an ideal seder, or is your approach much more traditional? 

From Sammy Spider's First Haggadah, as only the fabulous Sylvia Rouss and Kathy Janus Kahn could imagine!

What about Kar-Ben Haggadahs?

Kar-Ben has several different haggadahs, made with families in mind!

A Family Haggadah I is aimed at families with younger children than A Family Haggadah II. This is evidenced in the level of and type of discussion questions and seder enhancements that appear on the left hand pages of the two editions. Both include the blessings and major parts of the seder in both Hebrew and English, and the telling of the Passover story in English only.

A Family Haggadah I includes a seder checklist. A Family Haggadah I includes more songs appropropriate  for young children, including Let My People Go, The Frog Song. A Family Haggadah I has short version of Birkat Hamazon. The ritual for Miriam’s Cup is also included.

A Family Haggadah II has more detail in telling of the Passover story. A Family Haggadah II has the complete Birkat Hamazon. The ritual for Miriam’s Cup is included.

The My Very Own Haggadah is a great supplement for children in addition to whatever Haggadah your family uses. It tells the story of Passover in a simple way and includes pictures to help young children understand. But, what is the greatest about this particular Haggadah is that it is actually a coloring book, a terrific way to occupy squirmy little people during a seder.

Sammy Spider's First Haggadah also tells the story of Passover, and includes lots of Passover songs sung to popular tunes (like “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”) that everybody at the table – Jews and non-Jews, observant or not --will know and can sing along. Invite this spider to any seders with small children, or to seders with many young-at-heart. 

Let My People Go presents the story of Exodus with a Readers’ Theater format. Divvy up the parts and jazz up your seder to make it one for the memory books.

Have a question about choosing the right Haggadah for your family? Call 1-800-4KARBEN to speak with a customer service representative about Kar-Ben’s family of Haggadahs.

What is your favorite Haggadah? Why?