By Andrew Bosworth
For some students, Passover may mean time to pray, connect with family, or relax, but for an hour on Tuesday, April 7, it meant a community singing songs together. This seder spanned throughout the generations, from children in kindergarten to grandparents and teachers. Every year in The Leffell School Lower School, there is a school-wide seder, but not in the Upper School. This online seder gave a chance to students and teachers who would not normally celebrate Passover, to do so in an unconventional manner, surrounded virtually by their peers.
The seder started like any other seder, with Kadesh Urchatz, but with over 275 families. Seniors Daniel Lampert and Elan Roth then led a fun-filled Kahoot with over 175 players, about Passover. Next, four kindergarteners sang The Four Questions, before Minister of Music Amichai Margolis began to lead classic Passover songs, such as the frog song. Then, Tanakh teacher Daniel Mond and Director of Student Life Josh Ull showed a clever broadcast taking place in Egypt, reporting on the plagues. In their short comedy, they related the plagues to the situation today. Next, Margolis continued the singing, with everyone else singing along on mute. “The order needs to be adjusted to add additional Urchatzs (hand-washing),” joked Middle School Dean Rabbi Joan Forchheimer. Then, Margolis began singing Daneynu, followed by Eliyahu Hanavi, who then shockingly showed up on the Zoom, “I am bringing my own cup this year,” said Hanavi. Rabbi Harry Pell then concluded by saying that this year his favorite song will be Leshana Habaa B’Yerushalim, followed by Margolis playing that song to end the seder, with hopes that next year we will all be able to spend Passover with our families, wherever that may be.
חג כשר ושמח
