On Sunday, April 2, Student Rabbi Leora Kling Perkins helped congregants of The Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford prepare for an educational, entertaining, stress-free seder in a presentation entitled “Taking Your Seder to the Next Level: How to Lead an Engaging Seder for All Ages.” “Part of what makes the seder such a powerful ritual is that it lends itself to creating new family traditions and customs,” she told those gathered. Some of the budding rabbi’s ideas: introduce some food earlier in the evening to avoid the inevitable “can we eat now?” dilemma; turn the Afikomen search into a team treasure hunt for engaging both adults and children; incorporate current social issues to encourage dialogue about freedom.

CAP: (l to r) Emanuel Adult Education Chair Gail Adler, Leora Kling Perkins, and Emanuel President Sheila Silverman.