September 24, 2023

Other Resources Include a New Braille Haggadah from the Jewish Braille Institute, a New Passover-Themed Podcast for Kids and Printables; The PJ Library Great Passover Seder Giveaway Runs through March 5

From the evening of April 5 to April 13th, Jews across the world partake in the annual celebration of Passover, a 3,300-year-old story of freedom and sacrifice, commemorating their liberation from slavery in Egypt. As one of the leading non-profit resources for Jewish families across North America, PJ Library offers up dozens of ways to help celebrate: a very special downloadable Haggadah, an overstuffed Passover Hub, as well as a partnership with Novel Effects, lending an interactive soundscape to the illustrated family-friendly Haggadah.

Additionally, now through March 5, families can enter the PJ Library Great Passover Seder Giveaway where they have a chance to win one of three grand-prize packages full of goodies to help host an unforgettable seder. More details and ways to enter can be found at https://pjlibrary.org/gpsg.

One of the leading sources for family-friendly Haggadahs across the United States and beyond, shipping nearly 800,000 Haggadahs to more than 100,000 PJ Library families over the past five years – offers Jewish families everywhere, PJ Library will once again offer anyone celebrating the holiday IN EVERY GENERATION: A PJ LIBRARY FAMILY HAGGADAH. While PJ Library subscribers have already received printed copies in the mail, IN EVERY GENERATION is also available for download in five languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and French. Also available is a new Braille Haggadah prepared by the Jewish Braille Institute. Aside from the traditional prayers and readings, this guide to the Passover seder offers up specially curated interactive videos and explanations that help make the holiday a fun, engaging and family-friendly experience.  

This year, PJ Library is also enriching their family Haggadah through a partnership with the award-winning Novel Effect app, where selected PJ Library children’s books are already available. Adding a library of perfectly synchronized interactive music and sound effects to the retelling, the Passover story comes to rich life when parents and caregivers read aloud to kids from the Haggadah. To see how Novel Effect works, view this video. For families who don’t belong to PJ Library, professionally printed Haggadahs can also be purchased from the PJ Library Amazon store.

As Passover is an important date on the Jewish calendar, PJ Library will update their Passover hub, loaded with everything from music, stories, crafts, and recipes to games, history, and printables, plus a step-by-step video playlist where kids can learn (or refresh) some serious seder skills. All of these resources are guaranteed to make your Passover as meaningful and family-focused as possible. Some highlights:

• 15 Minute Seder – Are you hosting your first seder? Are there some very young guests at your table? Follow along with this special 15-minute seder playlist.
• The Passover Story for Kids podcast – For centuries, families have used a book called the Haggadah to tell the story of Passover and pass down the traditions and lessons of the story to their children, relatives, and friends. Because there is explicit suffering in the Passover narrative, it is not always an easy story for children. In this special podcast, PJ Library shares a simple, sweet, child-friendly version of the story of Passover, adapted from Exodus.
• Printable book: PJ Library Passover River Ride – The Passover story is told in ten scenes in full color with colorful illustrations Take the ride, tell the story.
• Printable Passover Recipe Cards – Come taste the freedom of Passover with Matzah Mania. These three printable cards offer tasty and easy matzah recipes, including unleavened bread that’s holy roll DIY fun in less than 18 minutes, a matzah grazing board, and more!!
• A Passover FAQ for Kids – Passover encourages families, especially kids, to ask questions around the seder table. But along with the weightier questions your children may have about the story of Passover, the themes of freedom, and what happens at a seder, they’re also likely to have some more everyday inquiries too, like “Why can’t I have a peanut butter and jelly bagel for lunch?” The FAQ has 10 common questions kids ask around Passover, with easy answers for grown-ups to refer to on the spot.
• Passover-Themed Mad Libs – Fun for the whole family!
• Passover Card Game – This card game for the whole family at the Passover seder can be played in stages, so you can stop and start and enjoy a round at any point.

Finally, this year, PJ Library will also deliver a new Passover-themed episode of the NAPPA Award-winning podcast Afternoons with Mimi. In “Kiddo’s Passover Table,” it’s time for the seder. Kiddo is helping Mimi get ready. What goes on a seder plate? Why? Where does everyone sit? Do babies have to ask the Four Questions?

New York Jewish Parenting Guide