The Seder on Planet Matzah Ball

Starring:Seder on Planet Matzah Ball
Studio: Sisu Home Ent.
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

A Fun Video For All Jewish Aliens and Their Grand Children, Too!

The Seder on Planet Matzah Ball

Manufacturer: Sisu Home Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00014K63G
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Customer Reviews:

A Fun Video For All Jewish Aliens and Their Grand Children, Too!.......2007-04-01

This DVD, created by Rabbi Mark Covitz, is designed and produced to be a child-oriented review of the history, lessons and practices involved in the Jewish observance of the Passover holiday. For those of you unfamiliar with this celebration, it commemorates the events leading up to, through and just beyond the initial Exodus from Egypt as told in the Old Testament Book of the same name. Generally, it is understood to be the story of the escape of the Jewish people from slavery to freedom. While it can be watched, enjoyed and understood by children as young as 5 or 6 - especially if they have had SOME exposure to this particular Jewish holiday - it is also a useful review for parents who are considering introducing this observance as part of introducing Judaism to their children and have the need, as many do, to begin by refreshing their OWN understanding of things, The characters are puppets of a distinctly Sesame Street style and the story is a fantasy involving `aliens' on the planet Matzah Ball who know they are Jewish - but don't remember exactly what that means or how to practice it. The characters are, it would seem, a rather obvious metaphor for the millions of Americans raised as Jews who maintain being Jewish as a secularly ethnic identity, but no longer recall or practice the traditions or observances.

As the story begins, a gaggle of these cute fluffy creatures - a family of them on the Planet Matzah ball - is at home. They know they are Jewish (and all wear Deeliboppers on their heads topped with Jewish stars), and in looking at a book, realize that 1) They have no idea about what being Jewish means or 2) What to do to observe any of the holidays, including Passover which they conclude is coming up sometime soon. They decide to make an effort to find out about Passover- and the Seder particularly- by searching through their VERY advanced telescope for w world on which there might be someone they could `borrow' to lead a Seder (the ritual Passover meal and related activities) for them. Of course, they find the Earth and a Jewish family that seems to know what it is doing to prepare to celebrate Passover. They then send an emissary, their teenage daughter, to Earth in a wondrous space traveling vehicle, to drop in on this family and ask one of them to return to Matzah Ball with her to lead a Passover Seder for her own family.

What goes on when she gets to this Earth family's home is the heart of the story and without retelling the details of the interactions and specific narrative here, I will say that this "Second Act" covers, thematically, three of the seminal lessons of Passover which are presented at a level useful either as initial exposure to them or as review to anyone who might want it are articulated. They include:
- Freedom To Live As God's People
- The Importance Of Retelling Our History, and
- The Universal Ability To Become A Leader.

Within each of these `lessons' there are many elements, scenarios, jokes and bits of detailed information The teenage alien visitor decides to invite her immediate parallel, the teenage daughter of the Earth family she has `dropped in' on, to accompany her home to lead her own family's Seder. What unfolds is predictable (as any really useful instructive children's lesson should be) as the alien teen returns home alone, having learned enough in her visit with the Earth Jewish family to be able to be the Seder leader HERSELF. As most teachers have come to realize, the teacher does not need to be a comprehensive expert about the subject of their teaching - they, more often than not, simply need to know enough about it more than their audience so as to have new information to offer! Thus it is here, and, again as was entirely predictable, her success at doing so when she gets home leads to the family rediscovering more and more of what their being Jewish really means.

The DVD, which plays for just under an hour, comes with materials included that give suggestions about how it can be used, gives suggested activities and offers questions for discussion - as in the ancient Jewish tradition, the richest education is found in the active exchange of questions between two open minds.

Our grand daughter, who attended a Jewish preschool, loved it. And as non-practicing ethnically identified secular Jews, we got a lot out of it, too. So, if you are one of the vast number of `us' who grew up Jewish but have left it's practices and traditions in the dust of our childhood memories - but might be interested in reawakening these things just a tad - even if only for the benefit of youngsters in the family - this DVD is a nice and fun way to start the Spring!

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