Here in New York, Passover arrives right as the weather is warming and spring is getting into full swing. Just as the yellow daffodils are popping up, so are the yellow caps on the Coca-Cola bottles at the grocery store! It’s a season of growth and change, as we gather with family to remember our trials and celebrate our freedom.
Every holiday on the calendar offers the opportunity to honor the resilience and wisdom of our senior family and friends. However, Passover is unique in the sheer volume of opportunities it provides. With the preparation for Passover, the holiday itself, and the return to routine occupying so much of the early spring calendar, there are countless opportunities to enrich the lives of seniors.
As we reflect on the resilience of our ancestors, so to can we acknowledge the resilience and wisdom of the seniors right at our table!
Ideas for Honoring Seniors At Passover
- For seniors living at home, enlist the help of kids and grandkids to rid the house of chametz, swap dishes, and clean.
- Plan short outings to the grocery store to stock up for the holiday. These trips are an opportunity to spend time together, one-on-one.
- When shopping trips aren’t possible, many items can be ordered online and delivered right to a loved one’s door, from matzo to soup mix to candy fruit slices!
- Family members who have passed the mantle of leading the Seder from start to finish may enjoy leading parts that are most meaningful to them.
- Include senior relative’s favorite traditional recipes in the Seder meal.
- Adapt chairs to ensure seniors are able sit comfortably for the whole Seder. Get creative with the use of pillows. Pillows can be used not just for reclining, but to support the back, knees, or hips.
- Invite senior relatives to contribute meaningful items to the Seder such as their Seder plate or matzah cover.
- Keep the questions going! Encourage children to ask their grandparents and great-grandparents what Passover means to them. Ask about their favorite memories, and what was different about the holiday when they were kids.
FountainView at College Road is a glatt kosher senior living community in Rockland County, NY.
