Dr. Emily AronoffAll people are people, and some leaders are wrong. I write these words in the spring of 2026, when this message seems more pertinent than any other epoch of history this millennial has witnessed before.
There are many places to be playful in a Passover program. The plagues are not the moment.
I wrote Protect the Children for the part of the Seder that often gets skipped or sillified. And I also do not think it is developmentally appropriate to walk young children through how awful the plagues actually were. We are protecting them until they are ready to understand the full complexity of this story. That is what the song says directly: we won’t share the whole thing yet.
The theology here is completely accessible to young children even without the difficult details. All people are people. Some leaders are wrong. We remember the sadness even in the middle of our celebration. Kiddos already understand those ideas. This song just puts them where they belong, in the story.
Protect the Children is a witnessing song, and is not just for the kiddos. Sung through, quietly, without asking children to perform or respond. The minor key does the emotional work. Sing it simply. Let it land. Recite your plagues, move on.
All People Are People, Some Leaders Are Wrong
Young children have a finely tuned sense of fairness. They know immediately when something is wrong. They know that leaders can make bad choices. They know that sadness and happiness can exist at the same time. We underestimate them constantly.
What they are not ready for is graphic detail, historical complexity, or the full weight of what the plagues meant for the Egyptian people. This song holds the line between honesty and overwhelm. We acknowledge. We do not dwell. We keep coming back to the table.
Leading Protect the Children in a Passover Program for Young Children
Slow down. Play softly. The contrast with the songs around it does the pedagogical work. Children feel the shift before they understand it.
The song explains itself. Sing it simply. Let it land. Recite your plagues, move on. Brief is enough.
Passover Song Lyrics: Protect the Children
It’s such a sad part of the story.
We won’t share the whole thing yet,
But remember the sadness.
No, never forget.
All people are people.
Some leaders are wrong.
So we spill a little sweetness
In between our joyful song.
There’s more to know here.
You’ll learn more as you’re able.
Kiddos, please keep coming back
To the Seder table.
Passover Curriculum That Holds the Whole Story
Members of Songleading for Kiddos get the complete Passover unit with session plans, slide decks, developmental scaffolding by age, and teaching notes for every song, including how to hold the full emotional arc of a Passover program from the baby Moses story through the celebration at the sea. A song is a starting point. Curriculum, coaching, and community is what turns those songs into so much more. Join us.
