Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Afshan, and welcome to today's lesson.

We are going to learn about a very special celebration in the Jewish religion today.

The celebration is called Pesach.

Can you say that with me again? Pesach.

That's correct.

The lesson is called "Preparing for Pesach" from the unit Pesach: How do Jews remember God's convent? Great.

Let's begin by finding out how Jewish families prepare their houses for Pesach.

Let's go.

The lesson outcome of today's lesson is: I can say what Pesach is and how different Jews prepare for it.

Let's look at some of the new words that we will come across in our lesson today.

The words are: Pesach, Seder, hametz.

Let's repeat it one more time.

Let's do my turn and then your turn.

The word is Pesach.

Pesach.

Seder.

Seder.

Hametz.

Hametz.

You did that really well.

Let's look at what these words mean.

The word Pesach is a special Jewish festival that happens every spring.

It remembers the time when the Jews were freed from slavery in Egypt a long time ago.

The word Seder is for a special meal that Jewish families have at the beginning of Pesach.

And finally, hametz.

Hametz is for foods made with yeast or things that rise, like bread or cake.

Our lesson today has two cycles.

First, we are going to look at how might Jews prepare their house for Pesach? We have Alex here who's going to explain how we use social science in religious education.

Alex says, "Social scientists are interested in how people live and how contexts like where they live or when they lived affects this.

We can better understand people's worldviews by looking at photographs or analysing data.

We can survey or interview people to find out more about their worldviews." In today's lesson, we will learn about an important festival called Pesach and how different Jews prepare to celebrate it.

Here we have Sofia and Alex, who are talking about how they prepare for special events.

Alex says, "When we got a puppy, we had to make sure the garden was secure.

We went around the house and made sure there was nothing it might eat accidentally." Sofia shares her experience.

She says, "When I got a hamster, I had to buy a cage and get all the right food before it arrived." Have you ever prepared your house for a special event? Great thinking.

Every year in the spring, Jews all around the world have a special celebration.

They remember the time when the Hebrews, now known as Jews, became free.

The festival is called Pesach, which some people also call Passover.

3000 years ago, the ancestors of the Jews, known as the Hebrew people, were enslaved.

They had no freedom and were treated harshly.

The Prophet Moses helped lead them out of Egypt across the sea into freedom.

Time for a check.

What is Pesach? Is it a festival of the resurrection of Jesus, or a New Year celebration, or is it a festival of Hebrew people's freedom? What do you think? That's correct.

It's a festival of Hebrew people's freedom.

You got that right.

Alex and Sofia are wondering how Jews prepare for Pesach.

They are talking to Victoria, who has a Jewish worldview.

They ask, "What does it mean to get ready for something important, like Pesach?" Let's see what Victoria replies.

"In my family, Pesach is a very special time.

It's more than just a holiday.

It reminds us of the important story of the Exodus and about becoming free." How do Jews prepare their house for Pesach? Let's find out.

Before Pesach, many Jewish families clean their kitchens very carefully.

They make sure there is no bread or anything made with yeast, called hametz, left in the house.

Rafi has a Jewish worldview, and Alex and Sofia are talking to him to find out why Jews don't eat hametz.

"Why is hametz not allowed during Pesach?" they wonder.

Let's look at what Rafi explains and says.

"We don't eat hametz to help us remember that when the Hebrew people left Egypt, they had to leave very quickly.

They didn't have time to let their bread rise, so they made flatbreads called matzah instead." What other products with yeast can you think of? For over a week, Jews won't eat pizza, bread, or other products with yeast.

Let's find out from Rafi about his family traditions.

He says, "My dad always makes a treasure hunt to find all the hametz.

We have a special cupboard we put all these products into if any are left." Time for another check.

Jews eat hametz during Pesach.

True or false? What do you think? False, because we know that Jews don't eat hametz during Pesach to remember that Hebrew people left Egypt quickly and didn't have time for bread to rise.

Well done for choosing false as your answer.

During Pesach, many Jewish families use special plates, bowls, and cups that are only for this festival.

These dishes are kept very clean and separate from everyday dishes.

Sometimes, families store them away all year and only bring them out for Pesach.

Let's meet Rebecca, who has a Jewish worldview, and she is sharing her experience of Pesach preparations.

She says, "In my family, we check the cupboards and clean the counters, but we don't have to be perfect because we believe it's more about remembering the story and spending time together." She continues and says, "Sometimes we use special dishes and cups just for Pesach, but other times we use our regular ones.

Either way, it helps make the festival feel meaningful and special." Let's see if you got that.

Why is Pesach special to many Jews? Find two reasons.

Because it reminds them of freedom.

That's correct.

What's the other reason? Because it's a time to spend time together.

Absolutely correct.

Well done if you found your two correct answers.

Great.

Time for our task.

Here is something that Rafi's Jewish family do to prepare their house for Pesach.

Can you explain what they do and why? Here are some sentence starters to help you.

At Rafi's house, they.

And many Jews do this because.

This is the first part of your task.

Let's look at the second part of the task.

Here is something that Rebecca's family do to prepare their house for Pesach.

Can you explain what they do and why? We've also got some sentence starters here.

At Rebecca's house, they.

Many Jews do this because.

You can pause the video now and come back when you're ready with your answers.

Can you explain what Rebecca and Rafi do and why? You might have written: at Rafi's house, they remove all the hametz from the house.

Hametz is crumbs of anything made with yeast, like bread or pizza.

Many Jews do this because it reminds families that the Hebrews had to leave Egypt so fast that they couldn't take bread with them.

By cleaning out bread and crumbs, hametz, families remember how hard the journey to freedom was.

You might have also included about Rebecca.

At Rebecca's house, they use special plates and dishes for Pesach.

Many Jews do this because families remember that Pesach is a very special time.

Well done if you included and completed those sentences.

Great.

We now know how Jews prepare their house for Pesach.

Let's go and find out how might Jews prepare for the Seder meal.

Alex and Sofia are now wondering what happens during Pesach.

"What makes a meal feel really special?" Alex wonders.

And Sofia's thinking, "Why do people prepare for special meals? Let's talk to members of the Jewish community to find out more." Let's join Alex and Sofia on this journey to find out more about Pesach.

After cleaning the house and getting out special dishes and plates, many Jewish families prepare the table for a very special meal called the Seder.

Have a look at the image carefully.

"What is the Seder meal?" Alex and Sofia wonders.

Let's find out from Victoria.

Victoria says, the Seder meal is a really special meal her family has at the beginning of Pesach.

It's not just about food.

They believe it's full of stories, symbols, and meaning that help them remember the journey to freedom.

Time for another check.

What is the Seder meal? Is it a special meal for the start of Pesach, or a picnic at the park, or is it a meal you eat at school? What do you think? That's correct.

Seder meal is a special meal for the start of Pesach.

Well done.

What special items can you see in the picture? Look very closely.

Let's find out.

Rebecca shares her experience of preparing for the Seder meal.

She says, "Before the Seder, I helped my mom set the table with the special plates and dishes.

We put out the wine cups and a cushion for my dad to lean on.

My favourite part is helping to light the candles.

It makes the room feel warm and special.

I feel really happy and proud to be part of it." Let's see if you got that.

What do Jews do at the beginning of the Seder? Is it that they sing a song, or open gifts, or do they light the candles? What do you think? That's correct.

They light the candles.

Well done.

Let's meet Rafi and find out about his experience of the Seder meal preparations.

Rafi says, "I helped my granddad get the Seder plate and the spice box ready.

The spice box has sweet spices inside.

We smell them during the Seder because they remind us of the nice smells from when the Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt and worked hard in the fields.

I liked helping set the table and learning about the stories behind the food." This is a spice box.

It's filled with sweet-smelling spices to help Jews remember happy times and carry their feeling with them.

This is the special Seder plate used during Pesach.

Each part of the plate has a meaning and helps tell the story of Pesach.

Let's find out what food items are included in the Seder plate.

Lettuce.

There is shank bone.

Haroset.

We've got an egg, celery, and bitter herbs.

Let's find out a little bit more about why these foods are used during Seder.

Before we do that, let's check for understanding.

Each part of the Seder plate has a meaning and helps tell the story of Pesach.

True or false? What do you think? True.

That's correct.

Each item on the Seder plate stands for something in the story of Pesach.

The Seder plate helps Jews remember and tell the story of when the Hebrews were freed from slavery in Egypt.

Time for another task.

Use the image and sentence starters below to explain how Jews might prepare for the Seder meal.

You've got these three sentence starters, which says, Jews light candles at the.

The Seder plate has.

And finally, the spice box smell reminds.

You can pause the video now and come back when you're ready with your completed sentences.

Let's check your possible sentences, which explains how Jews might prepare their house for the Pesach and especially for the Seder meal.

Jews light candles at the start of the Seder to make it feel special.

The next sentence is: the Seder plate has special foods that tell the story of Pesach.

And finally, the spice box smell reminds people of happy memories and traditions.

Well done for your completed sentences.

Great work.

Wow, you've done such a fantastic learning today.

Let's take a moment to remember all the wonderful things we explored together about Pesach.

Let's review our learning.

We now know that Pesach is a special festival which happens every spring and remembers the story of the Exodus.

Many Jews prepare their homes for Pesach by cleaning their houses carefully and removing all hametz.

We've also learned that Jewish families get ready for the Seder meal.

They set the table with special dishes, light candles, and prepare the Seder plate.

The Seder plate has special foods that tell the story of Pesach.

Jewish families prepare for Pesach in different ways, but they all do it to remember something very important, the journey to freedom and the power of hope and tradition.

Next time when you get ready for something special, you might remember and think about other families around the world and how they prepare too.

You've been amazing today.

Thank you for being such great learners.

I'll see you in our next lesson.

Goodbye.