Now we know why we eat such interesting foods!

We learned about why we eat such interesting foods for Passover.

Ari: Umm, there was a mean king of Egypt who made the Jewish people slaves.

Evan: He made them work work work all day.

Augie: They were sad they had to work all day.

Judah: They didn't get to do the stuff they wanted to do like celebrate Shabbat.

Ari: He made them build the buildings.

Even with team work the brick was heavy. 

Augie: We have bricks in the classroom to help us think 

of how hard King Pharaoh made the Jewish people work. 

And he never let them rest.

Judah: It's heavy, to just keep holding it. I need to put it down. 

I'm strong but not getting to take a break makes my arms tired.

Morah Katie: What is the name we give people who work all day,

 never get paid, never get to rest, never get to choose what they want to do?

Judah: Slaves.

Augie: The Jewish people were slaves working all day.

Judah: They had to work, he made them. 

They didn't have time for anything else 

like celebrating Shabbat or being with their friends.

Morah Katie: What does the brick feel like on your hands?
Jade: It feels rough and heavy.

Morah Katie: How do you think your hands would feel if you built with bricks all day long?
Jade: They would be rough and hurt and I wouldn't like it.

Judah: Maya and I built an arch. It was heavy but we did it.

Ari: The brick is heavy and it is scratchy and rough. 
My hands would hurt if I didn't have any tools. 
But look I can stack theses. 
But if I build with just my hand, if I build a big thing,
 my hands may get hurt. I'd rather have tools. 

Morah Katie: Why do we eat bitter herbs? 

Last week we tried bitter cocoa and you all said it was horrible. 

Evan: To remember the Jewish people.

Judah: To remember when they were slaves and it was horrible. 

And we eat charoset to remember the bricks they built with.

Morah Katie: Why do we dip our food in salt water? 

Judah: When we are sad tears come to our eyes.

Clara: Tears taste like salt water.

Augie: The Jewish people were sad when they were in Egypt as slaves.

Abram: So we remember that.

 

We had many conversations of a similar topic this week.

Morah Katie: What are you building?
Olivia: A hospital.
Augie: WE love building.
Morah Katie: I can see that, but what if I told you you HAD to build a hospital and you couldn’t stop even during snack time?
Abram: Then you would sound like King Pharaoh.
Olivia: Then it wouldn’t be fun.
Below is a similar conversation.

Morah Katie: This is looking pretty cool boys. What if I said you have to use every block on the shelf.

Judah: You’d be making us build, we wouldn’t be choosing to build.
Augie: Morah Katie you would be like pharaoh again.
Morah Katie: What if I said you have to build through lunch.
Judah: (after participating in many of these conversations with me, he rolls his eyes) Morah Katie, I'm not going to build through lunch.  (He stops engaging with me, he just keeps building; I feel I've made my point.)

We all agree being free is pretty awesome.
Judah: I do like to choose what I get to do.
Morah Katie: It is fun to get to choose.  Tell me, why do eat matzah at Passover?
Evan: Oh because the Jewish people were slaves. 

Evan: And then finally they left Egypt after all the stuff Hashem sent with Moshe.

Augie: All the Jewish people were leaving but they had to leave fast so they just mixed up their dough and cooked it fast and it didn't rise so it was just flat and crunchy matzah not challah.

Evan: BUT THEN they got to sea and Moshe hit the water with his stick and it cracked and made 2 big walls

 - like this- and all the people walked through.
Abram: Look even goats walked through and kids are picking berries! Wow. 

Augie: I like the kids picking berries, I like berries. 

Judah: Yeah that was nice no sea and berries and fire to see by.