Chag Ha’Aviv

Passover has multiple names.  Two we think about a lot - Pesach (referring to the sacrifice of that name) and Chag HaMatzot (feast of matzah.)  We tend to think less about another name for Passover – Chag Ha’Aviv – feast of Spring.  (even less so with a snowy first seder this year!)
As much as it might not have seemed like spring on the first night of Passover, when I walked into the ECC this morning and looked at our growing racks, it certainly looked a lot like spring!  Our seedlings are growing quickly – soon they will outgrow their trays. 
So, if you are wondering where spring is, stop by the growing racks at dropoff or pickup and check out the growth – it will certainly help you get in the mood to be celebrated Chag Ha’Aviv!

Passover brownies

The Kangaroos made these brownies for the seder.  They come from Ruth Heiges on cyber-kitchen.com
Pass-(them-)-Over Brownies (Dairy)

• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
  
• 1/2 cup cocoa
  
• 2 Tablespoons boiling water
  
• 2 eggs, well beaten
  
• 1 cup nuts, chopped
  
• 1/4 cup matza meal
  
• 1/4 cup potato starch

Cream sugar and butter.
Make a paste by adding boiling water to cocoa; set aside to cool.
Add cocoa mixture to butter and sugar, then add eggs and remaining ingredients.
Bake at 175 C/350 F fo 30 to 40 minutes and cool before slicing.

Lemon Bars

A number of attendees at today’s Passover program asked for the recipe for the Zebra room’s Pesadik lemon bars.
This recipe is from Our Customers' Favorites, by Paula Levine Weinstein and Julie Komerofsky Remer.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 70 minutes

Ingredients:

CRUST:

• 3 sticks margarine, room temperature
  
• 3/4 c. Passover powdered sugar
  
• 1/2 tsp. salt
  
• 2 c. cake meal
  
• 1 c. potato starch

FILLING:

• 8 eggs
  
• 4 c. granulated sugar
  
• 1/2 c. potato starch
  
• 3/4 c. lemon juice

Preparation:
1. Combine crust ingredients. Press into a sprayed 11x17 inch pan. 2. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. 3. Combine filling ingredients. Pour on crust. 4. Bake another 30 minutes. 5. Sprinkle with more Passover powdered sugar. NOTE: For these Lemon Bars to be pareve and kosher for Passover, all ingredients must be pareve and kosher for Passover.

Lyrics

A number of parents were interested in the lyrics to the songs we sang at today’s Passover program. 

You can find these songs and many more on my list of favorite Passover music on Amazon  and at totshabbat.com.

Here are the lyrics:

Oh Listen - Unknown

Oh listen, oh listen, oh listen King Pharaoh.

Oh listen, oh listen, please let my people go.

They want to go away. They work too hard all day.

King Pharaoh, King Pharaoh, what do you say?

No, no, no I will not let them go.

One Morning AKA The Frog Song - Unknown

One morning when Pharoah woke in his bed, there were frogs in his bed, and frogs on his head, frogs on his nose, and frogs on his toes, frogs here, frogs there, frogs were jumping everywhere.

Ten Plagues in Egypt Land – Peter and Ellen Allard

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 plagues in Egypt Land!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 plagues in Egypt Land!

Blood in the water made the river run red: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Pharaoh shoulda listened to what God said: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Frogs were jumping in Pharaoh’s bed: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Pharaoh didn’t like it but the frogs didn’t care: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Creepy, crawly, itchy lice: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Mess with the Holy One, better think twice: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Wild beasts so dirty and vile: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Not exactly Pharaoh’s style: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

The cattle and the horses and the oxen died: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

I won’t give up old Pharaoh cried: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Boils and blisters on his skin: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Give it up Pharaoh, you’re never gonna win: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

The hail rained down from the heavens on high: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Hurt so much made Pharaoh cry: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Swarms of locusts ate the crops: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Hard-hearted Pharaoh just wouldn’t stop: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Dark descended in the light of the day: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Pharaoh was lost, couldn’t find his way: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

First-born, the final blow: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Finally Pharaoh let the people go: 10 Plagues in Egypt land!

Gemini

We had a great treat today – Gemini came to visit!  San and Laz Slomovitz are Gemini, an Ann Arbor musical institution.  We listen to a lot of their music in the classrooms, and the children really connect with the

Gemini sings “Hello”

songs.  Gemini songs are about people we love (mom and dad), things we love to eat (pizza, deli), or ways we love to move.  San and Laz also use a variety of instruments, and really get the children involved in the show.

Gemini started their set with “Hello, Hello,” their standard opener, and quickly transitioned to “Shalom Aleichem.”

The “Deli” song followed.  For those who have never heard this song, it is all about Zingerman’s, and is the reason why Zingerman’s sandwich #55 is named “Gemini Rocks the House!”

Their next song, “Sun’s Gonna Shine,” needed some audience participation, so Laz taught everyone hand motions to go with the song.

Next came a growing song, “Seed in the Ground,” followed by “Zum Gali Gali,” a favorite Israeli folk song. 

Gemini often does story songs when they visit us, and this time they did a musical version of the folk story “It Could Always Be Worse.”  However, instead of bringing more animals into the story, they brought more instruments – in this case spoons – into the story.  Laz and San taught the children how to play the spoons, and passed many pairs out to raise the noise level as things got worse in the story.

A “do as I do” song came next: “Hey, Hey Look at Me” had the children jumping, raising their arms, turning, knocking knees, and much more.  Then came a call and response song based on the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear. 

Next San brought out his limberjack, always a favorite.  The children found it particularly funny when the limberjack danced on its head, and did the splits.  More laughs followed during “Down By the Bay.”

The twins closed with Old McDonald, and spirited version of “Haveinu Shalom Aleichem.”  It is always fun to have Gemini come and visit us, and today was no exception. 

You can follow Gemini at www.geminichildrensmusic.com! 

New growth!

I stopped by the growing racks today, and was thrilled to see some green under the lights.  The seedlings started by the Zebras and the Giraffes is really coming along.

The Zebras planted Cosmos, which you can see coming up nicely to the right.  We’ll follow it to see how it blooms!
The Giraffes planted some veggies that are also sprouting:
Cherry Tomatoes

Zucchini

Broccoli