661. Passover is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the Jews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt. Imagine that you were forced to build the ancient pyramids with your friends and family. Would you want to keep working or mount an escape? Why?
662. Imagine that your family grew up under the rule of a tyrant in a foreign land. How different would your life be today? What are the things you'd miss the most about your current life and why?
663. One of the ways that the Jews celebrate Passover is with a meal called the seder. The meal includes several strange foods like bitter herbs, multiple Hebrew prayers, and the story of the holiday. Describe what you think a seder might look like. How might you feel if you were invited to one but unfamiliar with the traditions?
664. Originally, Passover may have been more deeply connected with bringing an animal sacrifice to a holy temple than a family meal. Why do you think animal sacrifice was such a big deal in ancient times?
665. When the Jews asked the Pharaoh of Egypt for freedom, he stubbornly refused to let them leave. Do you know anyone who is stubborn all the time? Why do you think it's hard for some people to be flexible?
666. According to the Torah, God tried to sway the Pharaoh by unleashing a series of 10 plagues on the Egyptians, each one worst than the previous one. Create a conversation between two Egyptian guards witnessing both Pharaoh's stubbornness and the plagues of frogs, locusts, blood water and more. What would their opinion be about letting the Jews free?
667. The final plague is where Passover gets its name. The Torah says that God told the Jews to place the blood of an animal on their doorsteps and instructed the angel of death to "pass over" the marked houses, while slaying the firstborn child in the Egyptian houses. Why do you think this scary final plague finally convinced Pharaoh to let the Jews go?
668. As the story goes, the Jews were in such a hurry to escape Egypt, they didn't have time to let their bread rise. As a result, they ended up with unleavened bread called matzo. Imagine that you planned to cook or create something and ended up with something completely different. What would you do with it and why?
669. As a tradition of Passover, Jews remember their escape from Egypt by eating only foods that are unleavened, most of which are made from matzo. What do you think it would be like to have to eat special food for eight straight days? What are some bready favorites you might miss the most?
670. One of the songs sung on Passover is called Deyenu, which roughly means "it would have been enough." It's about how the Jewish people would have been happy with one miracle but ended up with many. Have you ever gotten an unexpected bonus? How did it make you feel and why?Use the above prompts or article as inspiration to write a story or other short piece.
