Dr. Emily AronoffAs an educator, musician, and parent, I’m always seeking ways to bring joy and connection to Jewish celebrations for my family and community. This has been one of my favorites. This memorable activity was inspired by a loved one’s journey into recovery – I wanted to respect their journey by providing a safe space for them to engage in Passover rituals without drawing attention to their alcohol-free lifestyle. With a playful and inclusive approach, the Make Your Own Charoset Bar offers an opportunity for children and adults to explore their creativity while embracing the rich tapestry of global charoset traditions. Let’s explore how to create a unique charoset bar that will appeal to guests of every age and stage!
Welcoming Your Guests:
Before inviting your guests to participate in creating their charoset, it’s important to offer them a warm and heartfelt welcome. This can be a great task for a kid- once everyone has been welcomed and feels comfortable, explain the concept of the Make Your Own Charoset Bar, because this inclusive approach allows everyone to enjoy charoset in a way that suits their taste and dietary requirements.
Setting Up the Charoset Bar:
Set up your Make Your Own Charoset Bar by selecting ingredients from the following categories:
- Wine and/or Juice (I like to include a sparkling cider)
- Diced Dried Fruits (e.g., apricot, glazed orange peel, mango, and date, I buy them pre-diced from Nuts.com, score a $20 discount at nuts.com using this promo code)
- Peeled Chopped Fresh Fruit Including Apples (I like to use a sweet variety, a tart variety, and some type of pear)
- Nuts (sliced or chopped)
- Honey and Cinnamon to season and bind
Encourage creativity and collaboration by providing clear and concise directions and labels for each ingredient to guide your guests. Grab a link to my charoset bar directions sign in Canva to customize as you see fit.
Presentation and Supplies:
Based on the number of ingredients you’ve chosen, determine your presentation and gather the necessary small containers and scoops. Label each item for easy identification, and for individual servings, consider using these mini dessert containers with lids.
Conclusion
A Make Your Own Charoset Bar is an engaging and inclusive way to make your Passover celebration memorable for the entire family. Make it your own and make it awesome!
Extra Passover Seder Resources
To keep the Passover spirit and learning alive, check out my other Passover blog posts:
- “10 Passover Songs for Kiddos“, which features engaging and educational tunes for children during your celebration.
- 4 Hacks to Make Your Seder More Fun, shares four playful and creative hacks to make your Passover seder more engaging, meaningful, and joyfully interactive for guests of all ages.
- Step Up Your Seder: Personalized Strategies for Meaningful Connections, with personalized strategies rooted in child-centered learning, music, and intention-setting to create a meaningful, joyful, and inclusive experience for everyone at the table.
Make Your Passover Music Magical!
Want to make your Passover sing?
With Passover Story in Song, you’ll get 18 engaging Passover songs, movement-based strategies, and ready-to-use resources to create an unforgettable musical experience for your students or community.
- Carefully curates Passover repertoire with contemporary and class tunes
- Self-paced, lifetime access
- Evidence-based songleading techniques
- Includes customizable slide deck, a game, a shoppable props guide, playlists & more!
