Matzo, crayons help bring Passover lessons to life for Bellevue preschoolers

Originally published April 19, 2019 at 4:27 pm Updated April 20, 2019 at 10:13 am

Myer Fenton, 3 and his mother, Jessica Fenton, trace a piece of matzo on paper showing its bumpy surface. Children at Jennifer Rosen Meade Preschool at Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Bellevue learned about the holiday Friday, including the tradition of eating matzo, which is unleavened bread. Passover started Friday at sundown. (Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times)

Students at Jennifer Rosen Meade Preschool, at Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Bellevue, create their own Seder plates Friday with the different symbols of Passover. The holiday, which commemorates Jews’ escape from slavery in Egypt in ancient times, started at sunset Friday. (Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times)

Senior Rabbi Daniel Weiner tells the story of Passover to kids at Jennifer Rosen Meade Preschool at Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Bellevue on Friday. The holiday, which Jews celebrate for seven or eight days, commemorates the Jewish people’s escape from slavery in Egypt in ancient times. (Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times)

Preschoolers Sora Lefever, left, and Xavier Bardacke try a taste of matzo, or unleavened bread. The food is a key part of the story of Passover. Jews learn that during their escape from Egypt in ancient times, their bread did not have time to rise as they rushed to freedom. During the holiday, Jews commemorate their liberation from slavery by eating matzo instead of bread. (Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times)

At Jennifer Rosen Meade Preschool in Bellevue, Leah Silverman, 5, tries on the “wise son’s” frame, a nod to part of the telling of the story of Passover during the ceremonial meal known as a Seder. The Seder, held in many homes on Friday night, the first night of the holiday, draws from the Torah in referring to four sons: one wise, one wicked, one simple and one who does not know how to ask a question. (Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times)

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Passover was a focus Friday for children at Jennifer Rosen Meade Preschool at Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Bellevue. The holiday commemorates the Jewish people's escape from slavery in Egypt in ancient times.

Mike Siegel

Seattle Times staff photographer

Mike Siegel: msiegel@seattletimes.com.

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