An invitation to Passover: Traditional Seder is rich with readings, rituals and symbolic foods(part 2)

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By Julie Wiener
Associated Press

The basics

All Seders include a few basic elements, such as kosher wine, matzo (unleavened bread), a Seder plate (a special plate that displays symbolic foods) and a reading of the Haggadah, the book that serves as a guide to the ceremony.

Beyond that, family traditions generally dictate.

Some families will dress formally and spend hours before the meal reading the Haggadah in Hebrew. Others are decidedly more casual, zip through the rituals in English and make the food the main event.

Many families create their own Haggadah, incorporating contemporary readings. Those who use published Haggadahs have hundreds to choose from, including books that embrace vegetarianism, feminism and other causes.

Some families conclude with dessert, while others continue into the night with singing, readings and prayers.

Four questions

Early in the Seder, the youngest participant typically will ask "The Four Questions." These are:

r Why does one eat matzo? (To remember their ancestors, who fled Egypt in a hurry and did not have time to let their bread rise before the journey.)

r Why does one eat bitter herbs? (A reminder of the bitterness of slavery.)

r Why does one dip parsley in salt water (a symbol of the tears shed by slaves) and bitter herbs in charoseth, a sweet fruit paste (the texture evokes the mortar slaves used when making bricks)?

r Why does one lean on a pillow or recline during the meal? (To symbolize the comforts of freedom.)

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An invitation to Passover: Traditional Seder is rich with readings, rituals and symbolic foods

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

Get your subscription to Activity Director Today's e magazine


By Julie Wiener
Associated Press


The first time Abigail Auer attended a Passover Seder, she was eager to make a good impression and asked the hostess — also her future mother-in-law — to suggest a dish she could bring.

Auer, who is Roman Catholic, spent hours chopping and pureeing squash for a casserole.

As she spread on the bread-crumb topping, she asked her future husband and his roommate, both Jewish, "How come you can have bread crumbs, but not bread?"

"Their faces just said, 'Oh no,'" recalled Auer. Her mother-in-law, who had provided the recipe, had forgotten it included a bread-crumb topping, which the family had always left off in adherence to kosher-for-Passover laws.

When Auer's attempts to scrape off the bread crumbs failed, she left the casserole at home and brought flowers instead.

For Passover novices, an invitation to a Seder can be exciting, and a bit intimidating.

The most widely celebrated Jewish festival, Passover, which begins at sundown Saturday and is also known by its Hebrew name Pesach, commemorates the ancient Israelites' liberation from Egyptian slavery.

At a Passover Seder, a celebratory meal, the story of the Exodus is retold through readings, rituals and symbolic foods.

While some foods, such as matzo and bitter herbs, are required eating, others, including bread, are forbidden. Traditional Jews can't even store the taboo items in their homes or eat from dishes or cutlery that have touched them.

To a newcomer, the numerous rules and traditions can be overwhelming. Even veteran Seder-goers can find them confusing, particularly since the diversity of American Jews results in many different ways of celebrating.

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Want To Get Leid? (part 3)

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part 3 of making leis

The next step in making leis is to place the paper strips lenghtwise through the needle in an accordian like fashion. A less able resident can help push the paper down to the knot, Keep adding strips of paper in the same way until the yarn is almost all covered. Knot the yarn at the needle end. Cut the yarn between the knot just made and the needle. Tie the two ends of the almost completed lei together
It should now be ready to use. My suggestion is to make some leis and buy the rest. As I said before, I like to give each resident a lei. Thus if you do that, you will need quite a few

Easy Patriot's Day Art

A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on TerrorActivities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

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Easy patriotic art for those with dementia

One in particular one that I like is a wall hanging

You will need:
i/2 half sheet of blue construction paper
red and white crepe paper streamers
glue or tape

Give each participant or team, 1/2 sheet of blue construction paper
Also give them about 8 inches of red and 6 inches of white crepe paper strips.
Have them cut or rip them into approximately 2 inch pieces so they have 7 pieces of about the same size
Have them glue or tape the crepe paper to the blue construction paper on the horizontal edge, alternating colors with 4 red strips and 3 white strips
The side they glue the strips to, is the back
Let the glue dry
This is a good time to sing some patriotic songs or play patriotic trivia

When they are almost dry or dry,decorate the front with star sticker, white stickers, or you can have them glue a smaller sign on the front that says
Happy Patriot's Day or they can glue a picture of Paul Revere on the front

They can put a ribbon loosely across the top so they can display their hanging

Want To Get Leid? (part 2)

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

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part 2 of making leis

Tearing strips of paper is a good part of the lei making process for lower functioning group members. If group members have trouble making the strips then you or a higher functioning resident can tear the strips as the less able resident holds the paper.
Use yarn as the holder for the paper strips. Use a plastic craft needle. Thread the yarn into the needle. A double strand of yarn is best. The double stranded yarn should be at least 30 inches long Make sure to make a knot at the end of the yarn.
Next start putting the paper through the needle in an…..
Come back again to find out this and more

Want To Get Leid?

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

Get your subscription to Activity Director Today's e magazine

I bet this title got your attention. Well May 1 is May Day but in Hawaii it is Lei Day.
Lei Day has an easy to do craft for those with dementia. The craft is making leis.
There is something for someone with almost every level of dementia, to do.
First you need to have strips of approximately 1×10 inches of paper. However the demensions are far from exact. I like to use tissue paper, but any thin paper or material will do.


Therefore, you can have one group making long strips of paper. This is a good activity for a lower functioning group. If group members have trouble making the strips then…..