Excellent article on #DaraHorn's new children's #book and more!
"When are #children ready to encounter a #Jewish #history of persecution and slaughter?
One answer is provided during the seder itself, which often ends with the traditional song “Chad Gadya,” or one little goat in #Aramaic. It’s a “cumulative” song about a baby goat that is eaten by a cat, who’s killed by a dog, who’s beaten with a stick, culminating with the Angel of Death being slain by God. One interpretation is that the goat represents the Jewish people, and the climax of the song signals the redemption of the #Jews. It’s a dark theme smuggled into an upbeat, if macabre, children’s song.
Making light of the #seder’s darker themes is a #Passover tradition all its own, and Horn is on board with it.
“By the time children are old enough to appreciate [the darkness], they own the #story. They’re characters in the story, and they know that about themselves and that this is a story about us,” said Horn."
