The Biblical Exodus and the Seven Day Work Week

In this post I'd like to talk about the workload the Israelites were under when they were enslaved in Egypt. We know they did hard work and manual labor. We know their slavers at least occasionally attacked them physically (a young Moses was so angry to see the harshness an Israelite was treated with that he killed the assailant). We know that the children of Israel cried out to YHWH because of the slavery. But we don't often hear about how much they worked. 

The Bible paints a picture of the Israelites working every day. The text doesn't expressly say this, but it can be inferred from the exchange that Moses and Pharaoh have in Exodus 5, and the fact that once they were freed they needed to be taught to have a rest day each week.

At the beginning of Exodus 5, Moses doesn't seem to be asking for all-out release of Israel from slavery...he initially asks Pharaoh for permission for the Israelites to take a three day journey into the wilderness to celebrate a festival (5:1, 3). He seems to be requesting vacation time from work.

Pharaoh's response to this tells us a lot. This request has angered him. How does he reply to Moses? He doesn't suggest they take a shorter trip over the weekend or use their day off to have their festival. In Exodus 5:4, he says to Moses and Aaron, "Why do you take the people from their work?" Pharaoh is asking, "Why would you have the people stop working? Why would you give them a day off?"

That certainly seems like the Israelites didn't have too many off days, but even if they were getting a day off here or there, it's probable that it was less than one out of every seven days, given that the command for a weekly Sabbath is repeated several times once they are freed. We see that this request for time off angered Pharaoh so much that he increased their workload, requiring them to make the same amount of bricks but now making them gather the straw needed to do so. This was a significant enough increase in work that Scripture records the Israelite slaves confronting Pharaoh about the unreasonableness of this new demand. So even if the Israelites actually did have some occasional days off before, they were certainly gone after they were forced to gather straw themselves. 

On a side note, ancient Egypt had a calendar system that had 'weeks' that were ten days long. It's not super relevant for our purposes here; the main point is that they were working every day of the week, however long that week was. The work schedule and calendar system of Egypt does give us insight into why the seven day week and the day of rest needed to be taught to the Israelites. 

Something we need to take notice of in this story is that it seems to indicate that a lack of time off is a serious impediment to worshipping YHWH. We know the Israelites had some sort of relationship with the Living God, they had cried out to him for freedom after all, but the enslaving powers had blocked them from having festivals and holidays to worship God. They were withheld rest, and Sabbath rest is worship.

This has some huge implications for how we are using our time. 

More and more companies and workplaces are demanding seven day availability from their employees. This can be disguised in language like, "flexible schedules," "weekend availability required," or "time and a half overtime pay." In some cases it can literally be a requirement to work seven days a week for a stretch (I talked to a man once who had just worked a shift for the 106th day in a row), but it can also be things like not being given set days off, or having a schedule of 'four on/four off' or something similar. And in the internet age it can also look like being expected to check email over the weekend or check in on Slack every day, as if you have nothing more important to do with your time than constantly be tethered to work.

Not only are expectations like this a huge emotional drain (any mental health professional will tell you that the pressure to always be working or always be available is detrimental to brain function, and quickly leads to burnout or breakdown), causing havoc at any attempt at a healthy work/life balance, but this expectation is literally unbiblical and ungodly. If you are an employer or manager and you're expecting the people who work for you to be available seven days a week or to check in with work every day, then you are doing things Pharaoh's way and not God's.

Keeping people busy all the time is keeping people from God's best for them. It is robbing them of opportunities to rest and worship on the weekly Sabbath and to take part in the Biblical holidays. That's not to say that you can't have a relationship with God if you are working all the time. Again, we see the Israelites crying out to him when they were slaves. But one of the ten commandments is that we should honor the Sabbath day. If we are not abiding by YHWH's schedule, then we miss out on the good things that come from that.

If you have a business, Scripture requires you to give your employees at least the Sabbath days off. That means they do not work, you do not bother them with work updates or news, and you do not require them to check in on work on that day. 

If you have a job that's requiring to much of you right now, please know that this is not a condemnation of you or any sort of judgment. The legitimate need to provide for your family or to pay your rent can put you in some very bad situations in this culture that largely doesn't recognize Biblical commandments. God understands your situation and cares for you. I'll link below to a post with practical ideas on how you can stop working on the Sabbath.

While many businesses and employers are at fault for their expectation of constant reachability and overburdening their employees, we as individuals need to make sure we are doing our part to make sure we are stopping on the Sabbath for rest and worship.

All of us can help others and ourselves to be more able to rest on the Sabbath day. Not running errands or shopping on the Sabbath means stores and restaurants do less business and therefore require less staffing. If I need to ask someone to do something for me, I can wait another day and not interrupt their Sabbath day with my requests. Pay attention and see what things tend to keep you from rest on the Sabbath - what adjustments can you make so that work, housework, email, etc. are not stealing your focus? If you need help with this, I'll post a link to an article that will help, or feel free to reach out and ask for advice!

We are not slaves. We serve YHWH who commands rest each week...let's do our best to not keep the schedule of slavery. In Revelation where it says, "Come out of her, my people," it's talking about certain cultural customs and ungodly behaviors. That includes the seven day work week! 

How to Stop Working on the Sabbath
Five Ways to Have a More Peaceful Sabbath
Things That Aren't Required for Sabbath Rest

Matzah Toffee Ice Cream Sundaes for Passover

This sweet treat is special for the Biblical holiday season because it utilizes the Passover favorite, matzah toffee! If you're not familiar with matzah toffee, it's a popular Passover treat. Boxed matzah is the commercial unleavened bread of choice for both Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. These thin and crunchy sheets of matzah get topped with caramel, baked, then topped with a layer of melted chocolate. There are many different versions, some add flaky sea salt, chopped nuts, or toasted coconut to the chocolate...any kind would be great in this sundae!

Creamy ice cream is offset by the crunch of the matzah toffee, giving wonderful texture to this dessert. A few raspberries add a tart counterpoint, plus a nod to the blood of the lamb, which protected the Israelites from the darkness of the angel of the death, which is symbolized in dark chocolate. Enjoy this dessert on Passover or during the week of Unleavened Bread, or any time of year!

To make Matzah Toffee Ice Cream Sundaes you'll need:

Ice cream (I used chocolate)
Matzah toffee pieces and crumbs (I used Smitten Kitchen's recipe)
Chocolate sauce
Raspberries
Whipped cream

Simply dip your ice cream into bowls, then add bite-size pieces of matzah toffee and any other toppings you like!

This dessert is easily customizable. Vanilla or strawberry ice cream would work well, instead of chocolate. Feel free to use vegan ice cream, if you prefer. You can make your matzah toffee using gluten-free boxed matzah if you'd like. Caramel sauce, berry coulis, dark chocolate shavings, or nuts would be good topping additions too.

You can make this for yourself and your family anytime during the holiday season. This also works well to serve to a larger group, like at a Passover Seder or an Unleavened Bread get together, since it's pretty hassle-free and everyone can assemble their dessert to their liking. How fun would an ice cream sundae bar be to celebrate these set apart times? The matzah toffee makes it special for Passover season.

More Passover treat posts:
Kosher for Passover Dessert Recipes
Red Sea Crossing Smoothie Bowls
Coconut Cookies for Passover

Red Sea Crossing Smoothie Bowls

"The Israelites went through the sea on dry ground." -Exodus 14:22

These smoothie bowls are a fun way to remember and celebrate the Israelites crossing the Red Sea on dry ground. Kick off your Passover with these smoothie bowls for breakfast, or make them anytime to celebrate that YHWH provides a way for us. A way from slavery to his promises!

Any blue smoothie recipe works for this. Mine is made from blueberries and yogurt (it's the same that I used for the Yom Teruah night sky smoothie bowls), but you can also get a blue smoothie using blue spirulina, butterfly pea powder, or blue food coloring (I would recommend an all-natural coloring!). Acai fruit would work in place of the blueberries. Of course, since it was the 'Red' Sea you could play around with that as well. Feel free to use any recipe that works for your lifestyle and appeals to you!

Red Sea Smoothie:
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 cups yogurt
1 tablespoon spirulina powder
1 tablespoon honey (or to taste for sweetness)

Put your blueberries in the blender and run the ice crushing setting for 30 seconds or so to break up the berries. This makes it easier to smoothly blend everything. (If you don't have this setting on your blender let them thaw for a few minutes before blending everything together.) Once your berries are mostly in small pieces, add the yogurt, spirulina powder, and honey and blend until smooth.

The spirulina is optional but it gives you a nutritional boost and also is responsible for the dark shade of blue. The smoothie was more of a reddish purple before I added it.

Once your smoothie is blended, pour it into bowls and decorate.

For the dry ground I used finely shredded coconut that I toasted. Doesn't it remind you of sand at the beach? (To toast coconut: just put the coconut in a dray pan on medium heat and stir for 2-4 minutes. It will smell great when it's toasted!)

You could also used crushed up matzah, almond meal, chopped nuts, chia seeds, or a combination of those things. A glob of nut butter or sliced bananas could work too!

To make the shells: I mixed yogurt, almond meal, and a tiny bit of cocoa powder, and then froze in a seashell candy mold overnight. There's no exact recipe, I was just shooting for a beachy/sandy color.

Play around and be creative with the decorating! Color the shells if you want. You could also use candy fish or get a chocolate mold to make sea horses or turtles. Make waves in the sea or make the waves into white caps with a smear of plain yogurt or untoasted coconut. Decorate with berries, a ten commandment gummy, a menorah cupcake topper, nut butter, matzah, or whatever else you like.

New to keeping Passover? See this post for more details on this set apart time.

14 Make Ahead Meals for Shabbat

"Tomorrow is Shabbat to YHWH; bake what you'd like today, and cook what you'd like to cook; and what is leftover save for tomorrow." -Exodus 16:23

This verse has really inspired me to stop cooking on Shabbat. Even those of us who enjoy kitchen work need a break so that we can rest and enjoy YHWH's set apart day. This is a clear instruction that we should plan to have food leftover that we can eat on Shabbat. 

I've put together a few recipes that you can make ahead of time and then eat on the Sabbath. Many of them actually recommend making a day or two prior to let the flavors come together more. All of these recipes can be served cold or at room temperature. This isn't because I think it's wrong to reheat a casserole in the oven or run a slow cooker on Shabbat (though some believe it is). With the warmer days at this time of year the cool food is welcome, at least for me! Plus your kitchen doesn't need to be heated up.

These meals start with fresh veggies, beans, quick cooking grains like lentils and quinoa, and pasta so they come together quickly - perfect for hectic Fridays! You can save yourself even more time by doubling the recipe and enjoying it for Friday (or Thursday) dinner and then again on Shabbat. The recipes are each pretty well rounded in my opinion so they really don't need any accompaniments, but if one dish dinners aren't your thing you could serve any of these with bread, sliced cheese, salad greens with vinaigrette, and fresh or frozen fruit for dessert.

14 Make Ahead Meals for Shabbat:

Summer Green Bean Salad from Making Thyme for Health
This is great cold or at room temperature. In lieu of the chickpeas, I like to eat this with hummus.

Greek Lentil Salad from Cookie and Kate
Go ahead and dress the lentils and veggies the day before but leave out the spinach until just before serving so it doesn't wilt.

Farro Tabbouleh with Burrata and Hummus from Half Baked Harvest
If you don't have burrata this will still make for a filling meal served with pita bread and lots of fresh veggies.

Broccoli Tahini Pasta Salad from Love and Lemons
This salad stores really well for a few days in the fridge. Add a green at the last minute for even more veggies.

Quinoa Gado Gado Bowl from Minimalist Baker
You can steam the veggies in this or leave them raw. I would leave the quinoa, veggies, and dressing separate and then let everyone assemble their own combination on Shabbat.

Roasted Asparagus Wheat Berry Salad with Pesto from A Beautiful Plate
This recipe can be completely finished a few days before Shabbat. Just pull it out of the fridge when you're ready for lunch or dinner.

Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad from Well Plated
Sweet potatoes, black beans, and quinoa makes for a very filling salad. I like to set this out on the counter in the morning so it's at room temperature for lunch.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad from Half Baked Harvest
Make this delicious pasta salad when your fridge is full of odds and ends that need used up. Tieghan says this salad is actually best made a few days ahead of time making it perfect for a Shabbat meal.

Chickpea Salad Stuffed Avocado from Making Thyme for Health
In lieu of stuffing avocados you could serve this salad in sandwich form.

Roasted Beet Lentil Salad from Oh My Veggies
I would combine all the ingredients the day before eating. Lentils and beets are a great combination. A little goat cheese in here would be good too.

California Chicken, Avocado, and Goat Cheese Salad from Half Baked Harvest
Prepare your ingredients ahead of time but don't combine them until you're ready to eat to keep your lettuce nice and crisp.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Salad with Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette from Vanilla and Bean
Mix everything including that tasty vinaigrette the day before then add the spinach at meal time.

Summer Abundance Bowls from Half Baked Harvest
How fresh do these look? Use any type of grain to go with whatever fruit is in season, veggies, greens, a sprinkle of nuts or seeds, and cheese if you like.

Grilled Corn and Zucchini Salad with Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette from Minimalist Baker
This salad is one of my favorites! When I have fresh tomatoes I roast them and use instead of the sundried tomatoes and water. So good!

Want more recipes? 
Get familiar with what Scripture says about what we should eat.
Here are slow cooker meal ideas you can make for the Sabbath. Plus, more here.
Summer salads more your pace? Here are more great ones!
Here are casseroles to make ahead for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert.
And make your life easier with the No Stress Guide to Sabbath Day Meal Prep!

Understanding the Golden Calf Incident of Exodus 32

Aside from the Creation account, the golden calf incident is probably one of the most well-known tales from the writings of Moses, and we've seen it depicted in the Ten Commandments movie. 

The story of the golden calf is one of the most dramatic and significant parts of Scripture. Usually, it is presented to us as a willful rebellion against the Living God, with the Israelites purposefully breaking the Covenant. But I'm not sure that's what they intended.

And when Aaron saw the golden calf, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to YHWH." -Exodus 32:5

Moses had been gone a long time up the mountain, and the people started to get nervous. Aaron made a graven image and announced they would worship YHWH with it. Scripture indicates that the Israelites had every intention of continuing to worship the Living God, but this good intention was a great abomination. Why? Because YHWH expressly prohibited carving the likeness of anything that He created some twelve chapters earlier in Exodus 20:4. By shaping a cow out of gold the Israelites were in clear violation of the Covenant, but they still meant to worship YHWH.

Why does YHWH have a problem with carved images of creation? This is how the Egyptians worshipped the demonic entities they believed to be gods. The sphinxes, tombs, statues of pharaohs, and occult symbols - those legendary architectural achievements - were used to worship false gods. Who built them? Likely the Israelite slaves.

Exodus 1:13 says the Israelites worked with bricks and mortar. They build up the ungodly society of Egypt, likely building homes, palaces, granaries, and temples as well as the famous occult symbols of the land. So when they made a golden cow, they were just doing what they knew. As much as they may have desired freedom the Israelites harbored a certain amount of love for the only land they had ever known. They missed the food, and many audibly expressed that they wished they had stayed there for the rest of their lives. The calf wasn't build because they didn't love YHWH, but because they also loved Egypt.

"Their abominations were a result of their misplaced love." -Hosea 9:10b

The Israelites committed the abomination of the golden calf by misplacing their loved. That is a scary idea. Love is a buzzword in mainstream religion and their answer is usually, "just love" in response to any sort of difficulty or challenge. I don't want to disregard love at all, because it is a fruit of the Spirit, but Scripture also says there are certain things we shouldn't love (such as the things of this world), and sadly we have all seen women get hurt when they misplace their love in a man who doesn't reciprocate or is abusive. Bad things happen when love is misplaced. And we can misplace our love when it comes to serving YHWH.

YHWH desires to be worshipped in very specific ways. It is not okay to mix in tradition, man's doctrines, or church beliefs, even if we mean well. The Israelites meant well when they mixed in ungodly Egyptian traditions into their worship of YHWH, and broke the Covenant. YHWH was so angry He was ready to wipe them out entirely, but Moses successfully interceded on their behalf. When we disregard YHWH's instructions we end up building an evil culture.

I think that's why the Israelites pleaded to YHWH to help when they were enslaved. Not just because the physical burden of slavery was harsh (though it obviously was), but also because the Egyptians had forced them to build up something against YHWH. I think that was the worst part of their slavery. If you've read this far, I'm guessing you don't want to build something against YHWH either. That's why it's so important that we keep the commandments and do what He says! That's true if we have good intentions for not following His instructions too. We need to keep the commandments even if they don't make sense to us or other people say it's okay to break them. Aaron was a leader in Israel, and there he was telling people that worshipping the golden calf was really worshipping the Living God. Please note that YHWH wasn't letting the others off because they had followed the directions of a leader...He was angry with all of them. It's not enough to 'mean well' and do whatever we please. That's how the abomination of the golden calf happened. That's how corrupt world systems are forged. That's how lies get mixed in with truth. Don't misplace your love into traditions. Enough with building things against YHWH.

Related posts:
Departing from the Sins of Jeroboam
Five Things Every Believer Should Know about Christmas
Key Differences Between the Levitical and Melchizedek Priesthoods

Fifteen Things Scripture Says About Shabbat

What does it look like to honor the set apart day of the week? We see Yahusha eating in the homes of friends, teaching in synagogues, speaking healing, and strolling through a wheat field--but what does Shabbat look like for us? Here are the Scriptures that tell us.

What Scripture Says About Shabbat:

1. It is for all Israel, even today. Shemot 31:16 - "The people of Israel are to keep the Shabbat, to observe Shabbat through all their generations as a perpetual covenant." Yahusha did not take away this command. Hebrews 4:9 tells us that the duty to keep Shabbat remains. Reminder: YHWH calls all of his children Israel. But even if you don't have Israelite blood...

2. He expects you to keep it, even if you aren't a natural born Israelite. Isaiah 56:6-7 - "And the sons of foreigners, that join themselves to YHWH, to serve him, and to love the name YHWH, every person that guards the Shabbat from polluting it, and takes hold of My covenant; I will bring them to My kadosh mountain and make them full of joy in My Beit Tefillah." This passage makes it doubly clear that YHWH expects every person that serves Him to honor Shabbat, regardless of your family traditions or bloodline.

3. It is the seventh day of the week. Shemot 35:2 - "On six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is to be a set apart day for you, a Shabbat of complete rest to honor YHWH." The example for this was set by YHWH in Beresheet 2:2 when he rested from creation on the seventh day. Like it or not, Sunday is the first day of the week and does not replace the command to observe Shabbat on the seventh.

4. We aren't supposed to work on it. Shemot 20:10a - "The seventh day is a Shabbat for YHWH. On it, you are not to do any kind of work." Honoring Shabbat means making sure I have the day off from my job. Professional work is prohibited but YHWH gave this command to a group of just-freed slaves wandering the desert. The Israelites had no professional work to do, and were still commanded not to work on Shabbat. Clearly 'work' means more to YHWH than what we are paid to do.

5. It is a day of rest. Shemot 35:2 - "On six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is to be a set apart day for you, a Shabbat of complete rest to honor YHWH." Resting is a more helpful way to describe the itinerary for the set apart day. No one is going to pay me to rake the leaves, change the oil in the car, check my email, or clean the house, but are those things restful? Then don't do them!

6. We should worship YHWH on it. Ezekiel 46:3 - "The people of the land shall worship before YHWH on Shabbat." Physical rest is one aspect of Shabbat; emotional and spiritual rest are another. Worshiping YHWH brings us shalom and refreshment. This verse also tells us once again, Shabbat is for all of us.

7. We should not cause anyone to violate Shabbat.  Shemot 20:10 - "On it, you are not to do any kind of work--not you, your son or daughter, not your servants, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you." While most of us don't have servants in the dust-my-mansion sense we still pay people to work for us. Having the electrician over to fix something or having a barista whip up a latte is out of the question on Shabbat. Visiting a place of business, even if you don't pay anything (like a library or gym), causes someone else to work. YHWH says don't do this.

8. We should not buy or sell anything on it. Nehemiah 10:31 - “If the people of the land bring merchandise or food to sell on Shabbat, we will not buy from them on Shabbat or on a kadosh day." This expressly prohibits buying and selling on Shabbat. This is implied throughout Scripture since everyone is supposed to be resting, and in order for things to be for sale someone has to work. Later on in 13:17 Nehemiah discovers food being sold and angrily calls it profaning Shabbat. This means going out for lunch or swinging by the Saturday morning farmers market does not fit in with following the commandments of Scripture.

9. It's not a day for pursuing our own interests. Isaiah 58:13 - "If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on the kadosh day of YHWH ; if you call Shabbat a delight, worth honoring; then honor YHWH by not doing your usual things or pursuing your interests or speaking about them." Shabbat is for us to grow closer to YHWH, not to spend browsing the internet, watching movies, or working on hobbies. It is a day for worship, studying the Word, and prayer.

10. We shouldn't cook on it. Shemot 16:23 - "Tomorrow is the rest of the kadosh Shabbat to YHWH; bake what you'd like today, and cook what you'd like to cook; and what is leftover, store up for the morning." YHWH expects us to prepare for Shabbat by having food made so we don't need to worry about cooking. To me this is one of the more challenging of the Shabbat commands but it is definitely worth it to be able to fully honor His instruction. If you're eating a random assortment of leftovers or a peanut butter sandwich, so be it.

11. We shouldn't start a fire on Shabbat. Shemot 35:3 - "You are not to kindle a fire in any of your homes on Shabbat." This verse is referring to an actual fire and not electricity. Starting a fire is a lot of work and something we shouldn't do until Shabbat is over.

12. It is not a day for hauling stuff around. Jeremiah 17:22 - "Don’t carry a burden out of your houses on Shabbat." Historically this has to do with moving things out of your home for sale, but it is also a reminder that we shouldn't burden ourselves on Shabbat. If you find yourself overloading the car before heading to congregation, stop and evaluate if you can downsize, what you can do ahead of time, or what simply can wait.

13. YHWH is angry when his people don't keep it. Ezekiel 20:13 - "But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not live by my laws; and they rejected my rulings, which, if a person does, he will have life through them; moreover, they greatly profaned my Shabbats. Then I said I would pour out my fury on them in the wilderness, in order to destroy them." There are something like fifty verses in Scripture where YHWH rails against His people for not honoring Shabbat. Let this serve as a warning for us.

14. It is a sign between us and YHWH. Shemot 31:13 - "Tell the people of Israel, 'You are to observe my Shabbats; for this is a sign between me and you through all your generations; so that you will know I am YHWH, who sets you apart for me.'" A sign serves as a reminder for all who see it, that means that by keeping Shabbat you are sharing truth with your family, friends, and coworkers. Additionally, this verse tells us that there is something about Shabbat that communicates who YHWH is to us. Incredible!

15. Keeping it is a delight. Isaiah 56:2 - "Happy is the person who does this, anyone who grasps it firmly, who keeps Shabbat and does not profane it, and keeps himself from doing any evil." In a world with skyrocketing rates of depression and anxiety, don't we want to get all the joy in our lives that we can? Scripture tells us that if we keep Shabbat we will be happy.

Shabbat shalom everyone!

Celebrating Passover Seder

We took a different approach to our Seder meal this year. It was smaller, more relaxed, not quite as long. Somehow the Haggadah was condensed to a single page. There were fresh flowers, real china, and two lit menorahs. We set aside some of the traditions of hand washing, and salt water. More emphasis was placed on the Messiah than on the story of the Exodus. The evening was a beautiful celebration of the redemption of YHWH in days past, like the Israelites leaving Egypt, and of his redemption in our own lives.

We used real china for place settings and couldn't have been happier. It was a special touch in an elegant evening.

This year we had just sixteen people. The smaller group made it more like a dinner party (like the last supper).

Lighting the menorah.

Another pre-guest table shot. Each guest had a Hagaddah, a 10 Plagues coaster, and a fresh almond that I remembered to add after I took this photo. Haha.

This year's reading: "The Story of Israel."

Passing of the matzah, symbolizing his body broken for us.

I like to describe the items on the Seder plate as the Gospel in six courses. Extra points if you can see the tired little pup laying beneath the table.

 Our miracle one page Hagaddah! Nes gadol hayah sham.

 Our Passover meal included the mandatory grilled lamb, matzah, and bitter herb salad, as well as add ins like roasted asparagus and peppers, charoset, potato salad, and hummus with veggies.

 Both plates had the same things, I promise.

Our cutest attendee.

Oh these coasters? They're from Matanote on Etsy.

The third cup of wine, "I will redeem you."

Instead of afikomen we had pavlova with fresh berries and whipped cream for dessert.

Party favors?

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Passover and Feast of Matzah!