Your Guides to Counting the Omer

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Peace of Counting the Omer

  Last year, our Omer post began: “After the hustle and hurry and joyfulness of Passover preparation and family gatherings, the Jewish calendar now gives us 49 days to engage in a quiet, deeply spiritual practice. Counting the Omer (Sefirat Ha-Omer) refers to marking the days between the second day of Passover – when a sheaf of newly harvested barley was brought to the Temple as an offering – and the first day of Shavuot, celebrating the giving of Torah at Mt. Sinai.” This year, I want to offer you two resources to this ancient practice, both offering free daily emails, beginning … [Read more...]

Two Easy Ideas to Engage Your Kids at the Seder

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Mini-Seder plates help Seder go more smoothly

I lead our family Seder – and I am under “strict” orders to keep it short. One way we do this is by creating mini-Seder plates for everyone. Power of the mini-Seder plate To engage the kids and to make it a great learning-by-doing opportunity, we (adults) get the components together first. Then we invite all the kids in the house to build an individual mini-Seder plate for everyone who will be with us for dinner. We use small paper plates (easy to toss before dinner) which are also simple to cover with plastic wrap and keep chilled in the fridge – so this doesn't have to be done … [Read more...]

Tips to Prepare Your Seder Faster

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Celebrate Passover Coupon Code 4-14-14

In writing the Passover e-guide, “Celebrate Passover: How to Plan a Fun, Simple Seder,” I had a series of personal “aha” moments. Specifically, I reminded myself what huge timesavers checklists can be. There are three of them in the e-book that I can’t believe I waited so many years to create. #1 - Seder shopping list In years past, I’d make a Seder shopping list each year, looking through the Haggadah, seeing if I had any old menus and to-dos stuck in my “holiday” drawer. Now, I don’t have to recreate it every year. How did that never occur to me before?! It doesn’t include the … [Read more...]

What’s Important to You in Choosing a Passover Haggadah?

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Seder Steps Coupon Code3 3-27-14

If you search for “Passover Haggadah” on amazon.com, that query will give you 2,177 results. I’ve previewed many Haggadot (plural of Haggadah) over time. And I’ve bought quite a few, since I like to pull bits and pieces from several to enrich our Seder – while keeping it short, which is an interesting challenge in itself! I consider issues like size, cost, layout, visual interest, and clarity. My favorite Haggadah After many years – through our girls growing up, sons-in-law coming into the family, grandchildren gracing our table – my favorite is still “A Family Haggadah” by Shoshana … [Read more...]

How to Plan Your Seder Around 15 Steps

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Are you hosting your family’s Seder this year? If so, are you panicking ?  Please, no panicking. Whether you’re new to putting on a Seder or you’ve done it for years, we can provide some tips and techniques. If people volunteer to bring dishes -- and there isn't a concern about kashrut (keeping kosher) -- they will feel good to be able to help. Many people like to bring their personal family favorites to share -- and it makes them feel good to bring Bubbe's special potato kugel. Or, if you have non-cooks who still want to help, they can bring wine, beautiful strawberries, or … [Read more...]