Workitu's Passover: A Story from Ethiopia

Sometimes, letting go of the old is necessary to make space for the new. This is a difficult lesson for Workitu, a young girl preparing for Passover in her small Jewish community in Ethiopia.

In Workitu’s Passover: A Story from Ethiopia, students in grades K-2 gain insight into the Passover traditions of Workitu’s village, where it is customary each year to break all the clay dishware and make new dishes. Workitu is saddened by this tradition, feeling she will lose items that are valuable and meaningful to her, including her favorite cup and dishes her mother made.

Students follow along as Workitu’s aunt imparts wisdom during this challenging task, helping shift the young girl’s perspective from one of loss to one of renewal. Once Workitu learns that old dishes are ground into powder and mixed into the clay for new ones, she begins to understand how family traditions are carried forward and passed down through the generations.