Passover entertainment

A few years ago, the Jewish Film Festival featured "When Do We Eat?" Imagine everything that could go wrong at a seder and put it all together. It was absolutely hysterical. (Also, because it takes place in a very short time frame, the plot line is arguably consistent with some of the best short story writers out there, who generally present stories in as tight a time as possible. I could also see it working well on stage. That aside...) I don't know how easily it's available, but I highly recommend it - before, during, or after Passover! Perhaps not appropriate for the pre-teens (though perhaps they just won't get some of the humor), but well worth the time.

Chag kasher v'sameach!

Stop by the JCC this week!

There is so much going on. First, the gift shop's inventory is 40% off and you can pick up good afikomen gifts. Second, you can buy copies of the cookbook assembled by the Early Childhood Department for just $12 through this Friday. Afterwards, they'll be $15. Finally, there is an incredible sale of new and gently-used children's clothes, maternity clothes, and adult and children's books every day from 8-10, 12-1:30, and 4-6. There are some great items - many with tags still on them. Stop by soon for the best selection.

Passover fun with charoset - final details

This Sunday's Passover fun with charoset event will take place at Balducci's Food Lover's Market, 600 Franklin Street, in Alexandria (see a map). You must register by March 19 to ensure sufficient ingredients are available. Besides all the fun preparing different recipes, you will also receive a packet of recipes at the program. It may encourage you to augment your traditional family recipe with something new and exotic!

Contact Michelle Pearlstein by email or phone (703-537-3033) to register.

Passover craft ideas

We seemed to have a set of standard Passover crafts every year when I was younger, from assembling a small box of items for b'dikat chametz (search for leavened foods), to making a matzah cover or afikomen bag, to Elijah's cup. However, I'm finding many more ideas lately. I made a lovely Miriam's cup at a paint-your-own-pottery facility a few years ago. It is in shades of blue, as the cup is filled with water to remind us that through Miriam's virtue, the Jews were granted water in the desert. Many local pottery places also tend to have plates that are just right for matzah, too. (Someday I might embroider or cross-stitch the challah cover that I have in the house, but that's another story. I have the pre-trimmed aida cloth, the pattern, the the floss already prepared.)

I have found a number of sites with great craft ideas:
--Kaboose
--Chadis Crafts
--Holidays on the Net

Some of the ideas are better, easier, or more practical than others, while some appeal to those of us with a closet full of craft supplies. Polymer clay Elijah or Miriam's cups, anyone? At a minimum, there are coloring pages to print out!

Storyteller at Gesher - Thurs March 11

Storyteller Jim Weiss will be in classrooms at Gesher Jewish Day School during the day on Thursday March 11, and at 7 pm, he'll be performing for the community. You can learn more about his group on its website.
Gesher Jewish Day School is located at 4800 Mattie Moore Court in Fairfax. The event is free and no registration is required.

The father of a friend of mine from college is a teacher and professional storyteller and we saw him perform a few times and I can't express how much fun this can be for kids AND adults. Not that there is anything less than terrific about bedtime reading, but this promises to be a really fun activity - worth keeping the kids up a little bit late!