Show the history of people trying to destroy the Jews, and how we must trust Hashem to protect us as He always has

Soccer Ball (It just has to be around that size)

Preferably not for Shabbat

3^rd- 6^th grade

Noseh: The Seder

Topic: V’Hi She’amda

Written By: Josh Skarf

Goal: Show the history of people trying to destroy the Jews, and how we must trust Hashem to protect us as He always has

Materials: Soccer Ball (It just has to be around that size)

Game 1: Sit Down Soccer

I think we’ve played this game at snif before, but not in a long time, and perhaps not this year. Divide the group into two teams, and have them sit in two rows facing each other, with one team on one side and the other team opposite. Each team gets a goal to protect, namely the end of the row:

Goal A=======Goal B

Each team is trying to kick the ball towards their goal. Whenever the ball goes out one end, the appropriate team gets one point and the ball is put back into play by a madrich. Make sure to make the appropriate rules as far as kicking goes to ensure that no one gets hurt. Kicking should only be done with the side of the foot in the side-to-side direction, and everyone must remain seated.

Explanation: Avraham and Hashem made a brit, Brit Bein Hab’tarim. Avraham made a lot of korbanot and as a sign of his deal he walked between them (much like the two rows). In this agreement, Hashem told him that his descendents would be slaves in a foreign nation, ie. Mitzraim, for hundreds of years, but that afterwards Hashem would free them. He said “And also the nation that enslaves you I will judge.” Hashem promised to stick up for Am Yisrael and protect them.

Game 2: Trust Games

We will play a number of trust games:

a)       Pick two chanichim. Have one close his/her eyes and fall backwards. The other one has to catch him/her before s/he falls. See whether they trust each other to catch them.

b)       Have the chanichim line up facing each other and lock hands together. Choose one chanich. He stands up on a chair facing the chanichim and falls into their arms. Once again, he must trust them to keep him from falling: XXXXX

             |    |  |  |  |  ← Y

            XXXXX

Make sure the kids are strong enough to handle it. In other words, don’t let madrichim (or large kids) be the ones how jump.

Explanation: We say in the Hagada “V’Hi She’Amda” : He who stood up for our forefathers and for us, as not just one person tried to destroy us, rather, in every generation people try and destroy us, but Hashem protects us and saves us from them.

Just as we trusted in these games, we must trust that Hashem will protect us. In every generation, people go to war to destroy the Jews. It wasn’t just in Mitzraim, like we mentioned above, but rather constantly. 60 years ago their was the Holocaust, and even now we are at war again. What can we do to deal with this? Well, we shouldn’t just be complacent. Even though in Israel right now things are bad, they would be worse if we weren’t there, as we would have no army to protect us, and laws could even be passed to help destroy us. Having a state certainly helps. But this is not enough –we also have to keep doing mitzvot and ultimately trust that Hashem will protect us like he always does.

There are lots of other Trust Games, but this is all I can think of right now.

Ask the chanichim if they can think of other examples of this happening to the Jews.