Memory, Responsibility, and Community

At PJA, the spirit of Passover is coming alive across our classrooms as students engage deeply with the holiday’s themes of memory, responsibility, and community.

Our 4th and 5th grade students will bring learning to action by making PB&J sandwiches for tzedakah and donating them to Blanchet House, living out our commitment to work for the world. As they prepare food for those in need, they will explore the connection between clearing out hametz (leavened products) and the powerful invitation from the Haggadah: “Let all who are hungry come and eat.”

Our Middle School students will delve into this same mitzvah (commandment) — wrestling with what it means to extend a hand to others in real, tangible ways. Middle School Students will also engage with the enduring idea that “in every generation, one should see themselves as if they had come out of Egypt,” by considering how the seder continues to evolve and what new symbols might find a place on the seder plate today.

Meanwhile, our younger learners in K–2 are building their foundational understanding of the holiday, reviewing the story and highlights of the Haggadah and beginning to see themselves as part of this shared narrative.

We look forward to a culminating moment of learning and leadership next Friday, when our 8th grade students will guide their Mishpachot through the timeless ritual of a seder.