Baby Moses in a Basket

Exodus / Shmot 2:1	Man from the tribe of Levi married a woman from the tribe of Levi.*	וַיֵּלֶךְ אִישׁ מִבֵּית לֵוִי וַיִּקַּח אֶת־בַּת־לֵוִי׃
2:2	And the woman became pregnant, and gave birth, and saw that her son was healthy.**  And she hid him for three months.	וַתַּהַר הָאִשָּׁה וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתֵּרֶא אֹתוֹ כִּי־טוֹב הוּא וַתִּצְפְּנֵהוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה יְרָחִים׃
2:3	At that point she could no longer hide him.  And she got a reed basket for him, and smeared it with clay and tar, and put the boy inside (the basked, which she) put in the reeds, near the curve of the Nile.	וְלֹא־יָכְלָה עוֹד הַצְּפִינוֹ וַתִּקַּח־לוֹ תֵּבַת גֹּמֶא וַתַּחְמְרָה בַחֵמָר וּבַזָּפֶת וַתָּשֶׂם בָּהּ אֶת־הַיֶּלֶד וַתָּשֶׂם בַּסּוּף עַל־שְׂפַת הַיְאֹר׃
2:4	And his sister stood watching from a distance, so as to know what would happen to him.	וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחֹתוֹ מֵרָחֹק לְדֵעָה מַה־יֵּעָשֶׂה לוֹ׃
2:5	And Pharaoh’s daughter*** went down to the Nile to bathe, accompanied by her female entourage.  And she saw the basket in the reeds, and sent her servant to retrieve it.	וַתֵּרֶד בַּת־פַּרְעֹה לִרְחֹץ עַל־הַיְאֹר וְנַעֲרֹתֶיהָ הֹלְכֹת עַל־יַד הַיְאֹר וַתֵּרֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה בְּתוֹךְ הַסּוּף וַתִּשְׁלַח אֶת־אֲמָתָהּ וַתִּקָּחֶהָ׃
2:6	She then opened the basket and saw him: the boy.  And the boy was crying.  She she felt sorry for him, and said “this is a Hebrew child.”	וַתִּפְתַּח וַתִּרְאֵהוּ אֶת־הַיֶּלֶד וְהִנֵּה־נַעַר בֹּכֶה וַתַּחְמֹל עָלָיו וַתֹּאמֶר מִיַּלְדֵי הָעִבְרִים זֶה׃

*Literally:  “A man from the house of Levi ‘took’ a daughter of Levi.

** Literally:  “… and she saw him that he was good…”

*** In Jewish tradition, Pharaoh’s daughter is referred to as “Batya,” which literally means daughter of G-d (many Jewish names include “ya” for this reason). 

Ingredients:

• Mini pretzel sticks OR basket-shaped ice cream cup.
• Powdered sugar
• 1 black jelly bean or some mini chocolate chips
• Tiny sliver of red fruit leather
• Fruit leather for blanket
• Little person or small gingerbread man

Tools:

• Bowl twice as large as the volume of mini pretzel sticks you will need to make the number of projects being made
• scissors
• wax paper

Instructions: (if using basket-shaped ice cream cone or skipping basket, skip to step 4)

1. In a bowl, put some powdered sugar and enough water to make a thick glue.  Break in half mini pretzel sticks and mix together to coat.
2. On wax paper, arrange pretzel sticks to create floor of basket to be large enough to accommodate chosen Moses. 

3. Then carefully arrange wall of basket so pretzel sticks overlap layers.  If you have time to allow this to dry, you may make these separately and then put the sides on top of the floor to create a basket; otherwise just put the sides on the floor of the basket.

4. Create Moses:  cut jelly bean in half lengthwise in half, then cut each half into thirds lengthwise.  Cut two small pieces for eyes and press onto face.  Alternatively:  use sugar glue to attach mini chocolate chips as eyes and/or as hair.

5. Cover Moses with fruit leather for a blanket.

6. Put Moses in basket.