The Holiday Series brings the chagim to life. Innovative and hands-on workshops transform century-old festivals with excitement and meaning.
The Model Matzah Factory
• History comes alive in the model Matzah Factory. Unleavened bread played a central role in the Hebrews’ liberation from Egypt. The workshop explores ancient techniques for creating unleavened dough from scratch while teaching how to find the silver lining in adversity, the importance of humility, and how to give thanks in any situation.
• Hands-on activities include the wheat-kernel winnowing process; separating the chaff from the grain, collecting the grain, and threshing it using a vintage authentic stone hand mill to produce fresh flour. Participants then knead the dough, roll, perforate and shape it into a round matzah. Ah! The traditional aroma fills the air and sets the tone for the upcoming Passover festival.
• The new 35-foot screen and lighting rig adds a great dimension to the program, brings the workshop to life, and enhances the overall experience!
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DETAILED OUTLINE
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- Is slavery external or internal?
What truly makes someone free or enslaved?
How do I define freedom for myself?
OVERVIEW
Some historians believe that the Egyptians were the first to make leavened bread, having discovered a way to make it puff or rise. Participants learn that the only provision the Hebrews took with them when leaving Egypt was unbaked bread, still in dough form. When the hour of their liberation finally came, they left in a hurry and had no time to let the dough ferment. This unleavened bread, or ‘Matzah,’ baked as the hot desert sun scorched their backs, and was their source of survival for the next thirty days.
Participants roll up their sleeves and employ the same techniques for making unleavened bread that have been practiced for thousands of years. They explore the significance of bread and how this staple is viewed and valued in different cultures, while they uncover the central role that unleavened bread plays in the Hebrews’ liberation from Egypt. This leads to an appreciation for the unique place that the Passover meal holds in Jewish tradition today and provides a springboard for group discussion as well as a personal reflection on what being free truly means.
The Olive Press
• History: The ancient Greeks, under the rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, tried to force others to speak their language, dress like them, and live as they did. Most of the people assimilated into the Greek culture, but there was a small group of Jewish people called the Maccabees who challenged the mighty Greek army for the right to practice their own unique way of life. Participants relive the Chanukah story as they try to procure new oil to light the Menorah.
• Hands-on activities include pitting the olives and helping in pressing them, using a century-old iron press. Once the precious liquid has been extracted, it is purified into oil via a hand-driven centrifuge. Participants fashion their own wick out of cotton and the oil is tested to see if it will light. The oil is then placed in the Menorah with its multiple different branches symbolizing the human diversity that exists among us.
• The new 35-foot screen and lighting rig adds a great dimension to the program, brings the workshop to life, and enhances the overall experience!
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This immersive experience depicts the struggle for tolerance in the face of oppression. As participants learn the art of making olive oil, they discover why standing up for every person’s right to express their individuality is a truly pressing matter. And as the small wick bursts into flame, participants pause to reflect on how they can light up their own lives, as well as others’.
The Shofar Factory
• About: Through unique media and innovative presentation, participants encounter the signature observance of the Jewish New Year, the blowing of the Shofar - the traditional ram’s horn. The sound of the Shofar serves as a wake-up call and a source of communication. The audience is encouraged to experiment with different kinds of trumpets and horns and interpret the messages that the horn sounds us.
• Power up! Hands-on activities include sawing, drilling, finishing, and shellacking, resulting in an authentic and operational Shofar.
• The new 35-foot screen and lighting rig adds a great dimension to the program, brings the workshop to life, and enhances the overall experience!
Read More
Through unique media and innovative presentation, participants encounter the signature observance of the Jewish New Year, the blowing of the Shofar - the traditional ram’s horn. Participants will learn that individual horn sounds have different meanings. The sound of the Shofar serves as a wake-up call and a source of communication. The ram’s horn contains the secret of true communication and the Shofar Factory leads participants in discovering its message.
Participants are encouraged to experiment with different kinds of trumpets and horns and interpret the messages that the horn sounds release. The audience partake in the sawing, drilling, finishing and shellacking of a shofar. In addition, participants practice the four different shofar sounds on their newly fashioned shofar, and have the option to take home their own hand-crafted finished product.