Rochestor Democrat and Chronicle
Rabbi Nechemia Vogel teaches Hillel School pupils how to make matzo at the Jewish Community Center in Brighton on Monday. He and Rabbi Dovid Mochkin use humor in hopes that children will better remember the lesson. (KARIN VON VOIGTLANDER)

The children of Hillel School could hardly wait for the rabbi to call on them for answers to his questions about Passover.

The 19 or so first- and third-grade students sat on the floor at the Jewish Community Center on Monday and looked straight up at Rabbi Nechemia Vogel.

With a white apron about his waist and a chef's cap on his head, the rabbi looked down at their little faces, flashed a pleasant smile and talked about the history behind making matzo.

Matzo lesson anything but flat at Jewish center

Rochestor Democrat and Chronicle
Rabbi Nechemia Vogel teaches Hillel School pupils how to make matzo at the Jewish Community Center in Brighton on Monday. He and Rabbi Dovid Mochkin use humor in hopes that children will better remember the lesson. (KARIN VON VOIGTLANDER)

The children of Hillel School could hardly wait for the rabbi to call on them for answers to his questions about Passover.

The 19 or so first- and third-grade students sat on the floor at the Jewish Community Center on Monday and looked straight up at Rabbi Nechemia Vogel.

With a white apron about his waist and a chef’s cap on his head, the rabbi looked down at their little faces, flashed a pleasant smile and talked about the history behind making matzo.

“Does it have sugar?”

“No,” the children responded.

“Does it have chocolate chips?”

“No, no chocolate chips,” they shouted back, some laughing by now.

“It’s only flour and water and nothing else, no sugar, no MSG, nothing else,” he said before walking across the room to show them.

Vogel is director of Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish educational outreach organization that hosts the Model Matzah Bakery, which teaches hundreds of children how to bake traditional matzo.

The Model Matzah Bakery gives kids firsthand experience making matzo, which is unleavened bread that Jews eat on Passover to commemorate the departure from Egypt, when there was no time to bake leavened bread.

Jews are preparing for the April 12 to 20 Passover holiday, which celebrates the liberation of Jews from bondage in Egypt, an event that occurred more than 3,300 years ago.

The class, sponsored by Tops Markets, is in its 24th year and has trained thousands of children.

About 800 children were trained in the last week at JCC, said Vogel. He and Rabbi Dovid Mochkin try to make the program lighthearted and fun for the children so they will remember its lessons.

“So, all the water in Egypt turns into orange juice,” Vogel said.

“No, it turned into blood!” the students responded excitedly.

“Now, fast forward to the 10th plague,” he said, then led the children through a hands-on lesson on the making of matzo, which included mixing and rolling their own dough.

“This brings it to life for them,” said parent Carolyn Spanjer.

“It was really good and I learned a lot,” added a student, Michelle Hollenberg. “The most fun part was when we made the matzo.”

2 Comments

  • ashreinu mah tov chelkeinu

    This is the maale of shluchim.
    Ashliach mit a vasse bard still doing the nitty griitty.
    Kol hakovod

  • your little pharoh

    waather, waather……. blood…. scratch, scratch….lice…
    the G-d of the jewish people says to let my people go!
    regards from brazil!!