One of the focal points of the Pesach Seder, especially for the children, is the Mah Nishtanah - the Four Questions. At the family Seder you will hear variations of this part of the Hagaddah both in tune, language of translation, and the age of the participants reciting these questions. The reason why the Mah Nishtanah is given so much "prime time" at the Seder is because this is the opening point of the discussions which need to be had with children at the Seder. Although this is part of the liturgy in our hagaddot, nevertheless, originally the questions were meant to be the natural reaction of the children at the Seder table when they witness some of the strange customs we practice on this evening. What always struck me as interesting was why children would ask about these customs. After all, these children have been raised in a home that has been complete with many interesting and seemingly strange Jewish customs throughout their lives. Why then are the actions of this evening any more questionable than sitting in the Sukkah on Sukkot, twirling a chicken around someone's head on Erev Yom Kippur, blowing a rams horn on Rosh Hashana, wearing sneakers with a suit on Yom Kippur and walking around shul with a whole bunch of branches and a citrus fruit on Sukkot? Yet we don't find a "Mah Nishtanah" for any of these holidays. Nowhere in the liturgy for these celebrations do we find mention of a child asking "Why this? Why now?" What is it about the specific customs at the Seder that cause the children to ask, “Why is this night different from all other nights of the year?”

The answer to our question can be found with some careful analysis of the questions of the Mah Nishtanah along with an understanding of the parenting value that the Mah Nishtanah affords. The Mah Nishtanah consists of four questions; 1) Why do we eat matzah tonight? 2) Why do we eat bitter herbs? 3) Why do we dip our seder foods twice this evening? 4) Why do we recline at the Seder? If you look carefully at the order of these questions you will find that 1 and 2 focus on the customs that represent the slavery in Egypt, while questions 3 and 4 represent our celebration of freedom. These are two opposing themes; slavery and freedom. A child growing up in a Jewish home is very familiar with customs and rituals. He or she may ask from time to time

about the reasons and meanings behind these customs. These queries are both normal and understandable. However, on Seder night the child is perplexed by these opposing themes; slavery and freedom. How can we be ritualizing both of these ideas on the same night? Although the answers that we give a child are ones that explain that we are indeed focusing on both of these themes, nevertheless the inconsistency is what causes him or her enough unrest to make them question these customs.

I think a very important lesson can be learned from this with regard to parenting. A child growing up can be understanding of a mistake on the part of a parent. However, what really bothers this child and causes him much unrest is when parents exhibit inconsistency in their parenting when dealing with core values. This has caused many a child to feel disenfranchised to the point that they no longer want to be a part of this religious life. When a father admonishes his son for talking in Shul during davening and then has a conversation with a friend at the back of the Shul, a very clear message of inconsistency is sent to the child. When a parent promotes the principles of honesty and integrity, and then tells his child to say he is not at home when someone calls on the phone to solicit for charity, for example, this is an example of behavior that screams inconsistency and leaves the child with questions.

In today’s world, where the secular life is so inviting and we are losing so many to the "lights and action" of what they perceive to be a more exciting existence, we need to make sure that the spiritual and religious life that we are conveying to our children is one of beauty and love, one that will give them true pleasure and enjoyment, one that is full of integrity, honesty, morals, and values. And, more importantly, we have to be able to convey the consistency of what we believe in, and the undaunting set of values that stand regardless of what life may throw at us. In this way, we continue the chain of remarkable Jews that dates back for thousands of years.

Chag Sameach

Rabbi Motti Miller

MA CHADASHA WEEKLY NEWSLETTER FROM THE ADMINISTRATION OF

SHALOM TORAH ACADEMY OF WESTERN MONMOUTH COUNTY

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Friday, April 3, 2015

Mah Nistanah מה נשתנה

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STA was privileged to once again host Rabbi Bernstein and his mobile Matzah Factory last week. Our students gathered in the gym where long tables were set up for them to work on. He took the children through the entire process of matzah baking starting from the very beginning. Each student received a stalk of wheat and they were shown how to bend, twist, and snap off the kernels from the top. Once the kernels were seperated, they smashed them with the palms of their hands and put them into bowls. At that point, the kernels were still mixed in with a lot of other particles that are not necessary, so volunteers were picked to come up and blow REALLY hard as Rabbi Bernstein poured the kernels out of the bowls in his hands and into ones that were sitting on the table. This way, all the “junk” flew away and we were left with just the kernels. We poured the remaining kernels into a mini “mill” (first tried out

by Rabbi “Miller”), turned the handle, causing the upper stone and lower stone to grind the kernels into flour. Then each student received a ball of dough and a rolling pin which they very quickly rolled into the shape of a matzah trying to complete it in just 18 minutes from start to finish so it didn't become chometz! They used a special tool to poke holes in the dough in order to allow air to escape so it didn't rise and become a pita instead of a matzah. Due to many technical reasons, these matzah were not kosher for Pesach so the children ate them as a snack. Rabbi Bernstein then gave out REAL Kosher for Pesach matzos that all the students are bringing home.

LET’S BAKE MATZAH!

On the very last day before our Pesach break, we celebrated our very own Model Seder here in STA! Grades 1 through Middle School gathered in the gym where festive tables were set up in honor of the event. Rabbi Miller, in his white kittel, along with Rabbi Bak, accompanied us in a singing rendition of "Kadesh –Urchatz" listing all the 14 aspects of the Seder. Each class led one part of the Seder. Our second graders started us off by hanging up their poster depicting “Kadesh” and handed out goblets to all the students while our MS boys poured grape juice for everyone. Then, in their white kittels, they came to stand with Rabbi Miller and said a beautiful Kiddush with him! Our first graders then took over, hanging up their sign depicting “Urchatz”, and brought Rabbi Miller a washing cup, towel, and basin for him to wash. They reminded everyone that we wash without a blessing. Third grade continued with their “Karpas” sign and handed out potatoes with salt water to all the classes. They explained why we dip, that we say a borei pri haadama, and that we keep in mind that the blessing is also for the maror. “Yachatz” was prepared by our fourth grade who instructed everyone to break their middle matzoh in half, and to then take the larger half and put it away for the “afikoman”. They used a beautifully decorated afikoman bag. When Mrs. Gold went out of the room, they hid the bag in the gym. During “Tzafun”, Mrs. Gold had to find the afikoman while the students helped her utilizing the game “hot and cold”! For “Maggid”, our Middle School Boys told some very interesting stories from the Haggadah while

our Middle School Girls depicted the plague of Dam, where all their water turned to blood. The girls gave expression to this makkah by giving out ice cubes with blood (ketchup) frozen in them to all the children. We had frogs jumping around to the tune of “One morning when Pharaoh awoke, there were frogs in his bed….” which the children really enjoyed singing. We sang all the songs that the children have been learning for the past few weeks and Rabbi Miller expounded on the central themes that run through the Pesach Seder. Our “Shulchan Oruch” was a beautiful lunch prepared by our very own Mrs. Gail Rifkin and it was a feast that truly befitted the kings we are supposed to feel like at the Seder. The children received delicious ices for their “afikoman” present as well as a jumping frog and sticky insect to take home. We ended our Seder with bentching and songs of praise to Hashem for redeeming us from Egypt, and a heartfelt plea of “L’shana Habaah B’Yerushalayim”- next year in Jerusalem! Each child in STA went home on Wednesday with a beautifully wrapped bag filled with all the fantastic projects and Haggados that they worked so hard on. We would like to extend a very big THANK YOU to all of our wonderful Judaic staff who worked tirelessly the past few weeks preparing their students for Pesach and the Seder!

The 2015 Model Seder

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A Jewish man is waiting in line to be knighted by the Queen of England. He is supposed to kneel and recite a sentence in Latin. When it comes his turn, the Queen taps him on the shoulders with the sword -- and in the panic of excitement he forgets the Latin line. Thinking quickly, he recites the only other line he knows in a foreign language, which he remembers from the Passover Seder: "Mah nishtana ha-lailah ha-zeh mi-kol ha-leilot." The puzzled Queen turns to her advisor and asks, "Why is this knight different from all other knights?"

On The Lighter Side . . .

ויבן ערי מסכנות לפרעה את פיתום ואת רעמסס“And they built storage cities for Pharaoh - (the cities

of) Pitom and Ramses.” The Medrash says that no building could remain standing in these two cities, because of earthquakes and other natural disturbances that constantly took place within them. If so, the question arises: Why did Pharaoh force the Jewish people to constantly rebuild these cities; why didn’t he make them build other cities that would remain standing and from which he could have benefited? Rabbi Pam (1913-2001) answered this question with a story about a man who was condemned to serve a 25 year term in a prison in Siberia. In the middle of the cell stood a large, heavy, stone wheel. The prisoner was chained to the wheel, and was forced to walk all day in a circle, pushing it. One day he asked a guard, “What is the wheel attached to? What does my constant walking and pushing accomplish?” The guard thought for a moment and said, “It is connected to a mill which grinds wheat into flour.” The man thought to himself, “Since my work is productive, I may as well do it well.” So every day, day

in and day out he pushed the wheel vigorously, imagining how huge the pile of flour that he had ground must be growing. When he became tired he prodded himself on, thinking that his flour may be made into bread to feed starving widows and orphans. This went on for 25 years. When he was finally released at the end of the 25 years, in great anticipation and excitement he asked the guard to show him the mill that he had been powering for so many years. The guard looked at him incredulously and said, “What mill are you talking about? That wheel is not connected to anything but the ground!” The man was emotionally demolished. “Imagine all of the years that I tirelessly pushed that wheel, thinking that I was accomplishing something with my time. Now I see that I wasted my life.” The man sank into a deep state of depression. The same thing happened with Pharaoh and the Jewish people. He wanted to be able to break the spirit and the morale of the Jews, and he could find no better way of doing it then by making them perform backbreaking labor which served no purpose and accomplished nothing. This intensified the slavery, since, if a person does not feel a sense of accomplishment, he sees no purpose in life.

A Torah Thought of the Haggadah From the Middle School Boys

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On Tuesday, the entire preschool had their very own model seders. Torah Tots held one in their classroom while Nursery, PreK, and Kindergarten celebrated together in the art room. Torah Tots systematically and very thoroughly cleaned their entire room, scrubbing their tables, chairs and centers. They moved their toys and cleaned the shelves and when they were done they searched everywhere to make sure they had not left any chometz anyplace. When they were satisfied that the job was complete they helped their morahs make the charoset that they were going to eat at their seder. Morah Shuly is proud to report that the children were able to follow the haggadah perfectly. They all made kiddush, sniffed the morror, ate their matzah and morror sandwich and participated in every part of the seder. They enjoyed a very festive Passover meal, thanked Hashem, found the afikomen and then everyone was rewarded with a prize, - a bottle of bubbles. Their seder was further enhanced by a visit from our music teacher, Mrs. Beller-Kreiger, who accompanied them on her guitar as they sang Pesach songs. It was a wonderful day for all of our Torah Tots. The Nursery, PreK, and Kindergarten have been preparing for their seder for several weeks. One day, they even dressed up and acted like Pharoah in pajamas. Their seder was lead by Morah Malky dressed

up as the abba (father). The children went through the entire order of the seder, and it was obvious from their participation that they had learned the lessons their morahs taught them very well. Mrs. Beller-Kreiger came in to visit them also and the children sang Pesach songs with her. The afikomen was hidden by Morah Malky and one student from each grade searched for it while the other students told them when they were hot or cold. In the Infant Toddler room Morfah Sharon taught our little ones Pesach songs. The toddlers colored afikomen bags and made their own special kosher for Passover placemats. Each child brought home a very very special haggadah. Each one contained photographs of each child during every aspect of the seder. Moras Sharon, Karen, Tatum, and Teresa spend months on this precious project making it an incredible keepsake that we are sure their parents will treasure forever. We thank all of the preschool morahs for all of their hard work helping the children prepare the beautiful haggadot, matzah covers, and seder plates the students brought home this week. We know the children will be very happy and proud when they see them displayed on their family seder tables.

Preschool Seder 2015

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Next Week’s Menu

MONDAY

Split Pea Soup and Pizza

TUESDAY Tomato Rice Soup

Schnitzel, Rice and Peas

WEDNESDAY Sweet Potato Soup

Fish Sticks, Roasted Potato and Corn

THURSDAY

Chicken Soup with Noodles Spaghetti and Meatballs

FRIDAY

Minestrone Soup Grilled Cheese

and Mixed Vegetables

All meals are accompanied by: Bread or rolls, daily Salad Bar,

hard boiled eggs, plain pasta and fresh fruit.

Save The Date! Sunday May 31, 2015

On Sunday, May 31, Shalom Torah Academy will march up 5th Avenue in the Israel Day Parade. We will march with Monmouth Torah Links, Shalom Torah Academy in East Windsor and the Shalom Heritage Center in East Windsor, as we did last year. We enjoyed a glorious sunny and warm day as we joined thousands of fellow Jews to celebrate Israel. Please mark your calendars and save the date so that you can march with us and show your support. We are looking for sponsors for the event and we are looking for marchers. The cost is $20 per person which includes a t-shirt and transportation. It does not cover the the full cost of the bus so we welcome sponsors to support our march and we will include the business name and logo on the back of our shirts. We have a lot of work to do so please call the office to join the Parade committee and let's work together to make this year's march a big success for our school. Don't delay! Act now! Email us that you are marching on Sunday May 31, and send it your checks for $20 per person. Thank you. Happy Passover! The Parade Committee office@shalomtorah.org

On The Lighter Side . . .

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STA FaceBook Pics

1. The Preschool and First Grade

visited the Chelsea Assisted Living Facility in Manalapan to spread to some Chanukkah cheer.

2. Preschoolers working together on their Tu B’Shvat project

3. Elementary School children baking Matzot at our mini matzah bakery.

4. Mini mavens making matzah at Shalom's Model Matzah Bakery.

5. Morah Hanover and her third grade students learning parsha together in their parsha corner.

6. Asher Tesser and Nechama Seigelman completing their project in the Nursery classroom demonstrating outstanding teamwork.

7. Rabbi Miller reading Dr. Seuss on Dr. Seuss Day at STA.

8. Dr. Seuss Day Cake baked by very own staff.

9. Spring is just around the corner and so is Passover and that can mean just one thing …. preparations for the holiday are underway everywhere at Shalom.

10. STA Children keeping current in computer lab...

11. Middle school students rockin' robotics in STEM suites.

12. Rabbi Bak and Yoni Beyderman sharing a song-sheet at today's Chodesh Adar Chagigah.

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Our Photos From Facebook: Log On Stay Informed www.facebook.com/shalomtorahacademy

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3 Looking Forward to April 3

Pesach (Passover) Recess April 2 - 10 NO SCHOOL

April 13 SCHOOL RESUMES

Yom HaShoa April 16

Box Tops for Education Please keep sending the Box Tops in so that we can continue to raise as much money as possible for our school. Thank you all again

and keep up the great work! Shoprite Gift Certificates

Please purchase Shoprite gift certificates and earn 5% for our school without spending an extra cent! Questions? Call Meira at 732-536-0911 ext. 10 or e-mail: office@shalomtorah.org. or you can send in cash or check made payable to Shalom Torah Academy in

$100 increments.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday שבת

29 30 31 1 2 3 4

Model Seder

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

School Resumes

Yom HaShoa

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Yom Ha’Zikaron

Yom Ha’Atzmaut

26 27 28 29 30

Passover Recess

Passover Recess