They kneaded that!
Kids prepping for Passover had the unleavened experience of a lifetime when they got a chance to make their very own matzoh — at the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights on April 2. But getting a taste of the beloved bread wasn’t even half as fun as playing with it, said Bergen Beacher Alex Mermelstein, who made the dough with his wife and 10-month-old.
“It was a lot of fun, my son was very excited to play with the rolling pan and all the tools we got to use, and of course the dough itself,” he said. “The museum staff was incredible, they did everything they could to make the kids have a lot of fun and the adults had a lot of fun, we had a great time.”
The Shorefront Y in Brighton Beach hosted the event for about 10 families to make the trek to Crown Heights as part of the organization’s “Shabbat Your Way” programming for families and children, said coordinator Veronica Volpert.
The youngsters learned the history of the holiday and food — and of course got to sample it right out of the oven, said the museum’s Meyer Rodal, who taught the kids in the museum’s model bakery.
“We talked about the upcoming Jewish holiday, talked about why we eat matzoh, the history of it and then how to make it,” said Rodal. “We made flour, made the dough, every kid got a chance to roll out his own matzoh, then put in the oven, and were able to taste it.”
And the families also got a chance to explore the museum, which is a perfect way to teach youngsters — maybe ones a little bigger than 10-months-old — all about their heritage and culture through hands on activities, said Mermelstein.
“We’re definitely bring him back when he gets older and show him the rest of the museum,” he said.
