Pesach Stories
The pesach seder is a great informal educational opportunity, providing activities and question times. The aim of the seder is to retell the story of the israelites leaving Egypt and slavery, heading towards freedom and nationhood - and recall it as if we were there.
Storytelling is a very evocative and powerful tool. A picture story book designed by children can represent how they feel about the story.
While the hagaddah tells one pesach story, there are many angles that can be told. Create two of these picture story books and see what differences lie between them.
resources: sentences,
1) cut out the sentences below
2) stick them on separate pages to form a book
3) draw a squiggle on each page and ask your child to make a picture from it
sentences for book one: God's narrative
The Israelites were slaves in Egypt and their first born sons were killed.
Moses was chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery.
Moses begged Pharoah to let the Israelites go free, and God performed miracles to show Pharoah that God is more powerful than Pharoah is.
These miracles included plagues upon the Egyptian people such as frogs, beasts, hail, darkness and killing their first born children.
Pharoah eventually gave in and let the Israelites go free.
But as they were crossing the sea which God parted for them, God changed Pharoah's mind and the Egyptians tried to catch the Israelites.
The Israelites crossed to dry land successfully but the egyptian people drowned.
sentences for book two: Moses' narrative
The Israelites were slaves in Egypt and their first born sons were killed.
Moses was a first born but his family hid him to protect him.
When he grew up he noticed the terrible way the Israelites were treated
Moses begged Pharoah to let the Idsraelites go free and performed many tricks to convince Pharoah of his power. This included 10 plages upon the egyptians such as frogs, beasts, hail and darkness.
The Israelites eventually escaped and they left in such a hurry that they took hard crackers instead of waiting for their bread to cook.
When they were crossing the sea which parted for them, Pharoah changed his mind and chased after them but did not manage to stop them - many Egyptians drowned in the sea.
sentences for book three: Female narrative
The Israelites were slaves in Egypt and their first born sons were killed at birth.
Two Egyptian midwives, Orpa and Puah, refused to follow this law, and thus Moses was born and sayed alive.
Moses older sister Miriam hid him in a basket amongst reeds on the riverbank to protect him.
Pharoah's daughter saw him there alone and adopted him so he was brought up in the Egyptian palace.
When he saw the terrible treatment the Israelites received, Moses decided to beg Pharoah to let them go free.
When the Israelites eventually escaped and crossed the red sea, Miriam led the celebrations and singing.