Shemini

G‑d gives the commandments of Kosher, explaining how to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher animals, fish, and birds. Kosher animals must chew their cud and have cloven feet. The Torah lists four animals that have only one of these attributes, but not both, and are therefore non-kosher. Kosher fish must have fins and scales. The Torah then gives a list of species of non-kosher birds, and species of kosher locust. The Torah then discusses the ritual impurity caused by coming in contact with the carcass of a non-kosher animal, as well as certain species of rodents and amphibian creatures.

Kosher / no kosher collage

Nissan and Birkat Ha'ilanot

The blessing on the trees - Birkat Ha'ilanot - during the month of Nissan belongs to the category of the blessings we recite on seeing wondrous things, for example, the ocean, lightening, a rainbow, passing through a place where a miracle happened etc.
Birkat Ha'ilanot is accordingly recited on seeing the wondrous renewal in nature, as the fruit trees blossom, in anticipation of our benefit from these trees, while acknowledging the deeper aspects of nature's renewal, and the connection of man with the botanic kingdom.

Birkat Ha'ilanot day outside  

Going to the country for the Birkat Ha'ilanot and having children to take pictures 

L'Shana Haba'ah B'Yerushalayim

Flowers greetings

Bedikat Chametz

Bedikas Chametz Kit

Pesach is celebrated this year on April 14 – 22. One of the many components to Pesach is the initial search for “Chametz” once the house has been cleaned thoroughly to make sure there are no leavened particles in the house
These Chametz Kits are great favors for a kids pre-Pesach Project. The paper bags are perfect to hold the items needed to search for chametz: a wooden spoon, a candle, a feather.
The pieces of bread are hidden throughout the house, the candle is lit, a special blessing is said, and upon finding the pieces of chametz (bread), they are scooped up using the feather into the spoon and then tossed into the paper bag.
Once all 10 pieces of bread are found, another blessing is said and the paper bag is tied together with the string and all it’s contents, until the following morning when it is burned. 
See labels at
https://www.evermine.com/blog/bedikas-chometz-kit/

Passover Seder Wine with Personalized Labels

Pesach Seder Wine with Personalized Labels

Considering we drink four cups of wine at the Seder, why not to use the wine bottles to dress things up. All you need is some nice kosher wine, and some beautiful personalized wine labels by chana Scop from Evermine.
Simply wash off the label with a sponge and warm running water, dry well and replace with your personalized label, and you’re done.

Elijah the Prophet

Eliyahu HaNavì Frame

watercolor and pen on paper

Beth Flusser

2011

Crossing the Red Sea Pesach craft

Yam Suf (Hebrew: יַם-סוּף) is a phrase which occurs about 23 times in the Tanakh and has traditionally been understood to refer to the salt water inlet located between Africa and the Arabian peninsula known in English as the Red Sea. More recently, the term have been proposed for those passages where it refers to the Israelite Crossing of the Sea as told in Shemot 13-15. These proposals would mean that Yam Suph is better translated in these passages as Sea of Reeds or Sea of Seaweed.

Yam Suf Diorama

Sefirat haOmer

According to the Torah (Vayikrà. 23:15), we are obligated to count the days from Passover to Shavu'ot. This period is known as the Counting of the Omer. An omer is a unit of measure. On the second day of Passover, in the days of the Temple, an omer of barley was cut down and brought to the Temple as an offering. This grain offering was referred to as the Omer. Every night, from the second night of Passover to the night before Shavu'ot, we recite a blessing and state the count of the omer in both weeks and days. So on the 16th day, you would say "Today is sixteen days, which is two weeks and two days of the Omer."

Bottle caps Omer Counter

Laminated Omer Conter

Download the PDF found at Kosheronabudget.com here

Shabbath HaGadol

The Shabbat which precedes Passover is called Shabbat haGadol, the Great Sabbath, for many and varied reasons.
There are also many special customs associated with this Shabbat. It was in Egypt that Israel celebrated the very first Shabbat Ha-Gadol on the tenth of Nissan, five days before their redemption. On that day, the Children of Israel were given their first commandment which applied only to that Shabbat, but not to future generations: On the tenth day of this month [Nissan]... each man should take a lamb for the household, a lamb for each home
This mitzvah of preparing a lamb for the Passover offering four days before it was to be brought, applied only to that first Passover in Egypt, and the Torah does not tell us that we must continue to do so before every future Passover. Nevertheless, the people continued to do this to make sure that their lambs had no blemishes which would preclude their being sacrificed.

BAGS OF LAMBS 

 

Tzav

Parashah Tzav, continues describing the various sacrifices offered in the Tabernacle and Temple . This is followed by an account of the seven-day inaugural of the Tabernacle. The Torah describes the mandatory daily removal of ashes from the altar. This was the first order of the day in the Temple service. 
The fire on the mizbaiyach was to be kept burning continuously.

Round fire children collage 

 

Vayikrà

The Torah reading, Vayikra, begins the third book of the Torah. This portion will provide a description of the various sacrifices , animal, fowl, and meal-offerings , offered by the priests in this newly constructed Sanctuary. G‑d calls out to Moses from the Tabernacle and teaches him the laws of the elective burnt offering, the Olah sacrifice, the laws of the cattle, sheep, or goat Olah. 
G‑d instructs the Jews to add salt to every animal sacrifice or meal offering, a symbol of our everlasting "salt covenant" with G‑d.
The Shelamim sacrifice which could be brought from cattle, sheep, or goats
The Chatat sacrifice.
The Korban Oleh Viyored depended on the financial position of the transgressor,a wealthy person brought a sheep or goat, a person of lesser means brought two birds, and a pauper brought a meal offering.
The Asham Sacrifices.

 Korbanot cardboard tray

Clay pots decorated for Pesach

Seder placemate pots

Hand painted clay pots with written Le shana Haba'ah Beyerushalayim to fill with fresh flowers that can be used as Seder placemate
Le shana Haba'ah Beyerushalayim.
Part of the Passover observance, the Nirtzah concludes with the wish "Next Year in Jerusalem" or in Jerusalem, "Next year in rebuilt Jerusalem.

Shabbath haChodesh

Shabbat HaChodesh ("Sabbath of the month" שבת החודש) precedes the first of the Hebrew month of Nisan during which Passover is celebrated. Shemot 12:1-20 and the laws of Passover. On the first day of Nisan, G.d presented the first commandment of how to "sanctify the new moon" (kiddush hachodesh) for the onset of Rosh Chodesh and thus Nisan becomes the first month of the Jewish year counting by months.

 Moon Phases Frame 

This year's Eliyahu's cup

Home decorated Eliyahu's Cup

Rich with symbolism, Passover overflows with meaning and significance. But while the whole seder hums with talk and activity, the "Cup of Elijah" stands alone by itself, without any apparent function. We pay individual tribute with a blessing over each of the other our cups, but not a word about this one. The wine poured into this cup remains untouched to the end, we pour it right back into the bottle after the seder is over.

Seder plate

Hand painted Seder plate

To teach children the symbols on the Seder plate or to use as Pesach decoration paint a common white plate with the Seder symbols. 
Accordingly, the seder is one of the most sensory-heavy  rituals of the Jewish year. During the seder, we don't just tell the story of the Exodus, we see, smell, feel, and taste liberation.
Many of the elements of this sensory experience appear on the seder plate (k'arah), which serves as the centerpiece of the seder table. The seder plate traditionally holds five or six items, each of which symbolizes a part (or multiple parts) of the Passover story.