According to an interesting Fox News article, a medieval manuscript, known as the Bird’s Head Haggadah, is at the center of a bitter dispute that pits Israel’s top museum against the grandchildren of Holocaust victims.

Stolen during the Nazi era and sold without their consent, the family is demanding the museum pay compensation or face a lawsuit. They do not object to its being on display, however, suggesting that a compromise could take place.

Due to the extremely unique nature of the document, the museum is stalling. Written in southern Germany around 1300, the Bird’s Head has long been a riddle. Much of the enigma surrounds its strange illustrations of Jewish figures (possibly griffins, a beloved mythical creature, that were meant to offer a positive representation of Jews while skirting a biblical prohibition against depicting human likenesses).

While I truly sympathize with the family, their demands are somewhat dubious. Why are they coming forward now, having been aware of its existence for decades? Plus, it will be difficult to prove any wrongdoing on the museum’s part, especially when they’re known for housing the cultural artifacts of Holocaust victims.

Who do you think should have ownership, the family or the museum?

Want to make your Seder extra special for the kids? Try creating an easy craft project together—the perfect combination of education and entertainment.

1. Kveller shows us how to make an Afikomen bag.

2. Upper West Side Mom has some adorable frog finger puppets.

3. Creative Jewish Mom has a tutorial for origami pyramids.

4. Challah Crumbs shares some nifty Hieroglyphic place cards.

5. Tori Avey’s multi-colored Elijah’s Cups are amazing.

6. Highlights Kids has a super-simple Matzo cover.

7. Toddler Activities at Home teaches us how to make Baby Moses in a Basket.

8. A fabulous Charoset dish, courtesy of Grandparents.com.

Each project should take no more than an hour (some will take much less). My method is to set up supplies at the kitchen table and have the kids play while I clean. This helps to keep them distracted, rather than under-foot at a time when I don’t need any distractions!

An anti-Israel hate mob took over San Francisco State University last week while the Mayor of Jerusalem was speaking. Using megaphones, they were so loud and vicious that the event had to be canceled. Police reportedly stood by and did nothing to silence the bigots.

Troubling behavior like this is not uncommon on college campuses around the world. Those of us who find it outrageous—and everyone should!—can make our voices heard by signing a petition created by The Israel Project. When the petition reaches 20,000 signatures, TIP will present a copy to California Governor Jerry Brown.

Let’s do our part to encourage free speech and discourage discrimination in every public place.

The only thing I find more stressful than Passover cooking is the endless pre-holiday cleaning! Here are some great resources that simplify the process:

Chabad has a room-by-room checklist that’s incredibly thorough and listed alphabetically. The printable PDF version is awesome!

Aish has a Passover Cleaning for Dummies guide full of sensible advice like this: “Delegate to everyone possible, as well as hire as much professional help as you can afford. Now is not the time to scrimp; see it as a substitute for trauma-therapy.” (Seriously, don’t even attempt to be Superwoman!)

A Mother in Israel shares her Crisis Cleaning checklist. This is geared to strictly observant, but interesting, nonetheless. (Kashering a dishwasher? Hmmm.)

Being Jewish has a Beginner’s Guide that with an emphasis on how to prepare the kitchen.

And, for anyone interested, here’s a post about my own Passover cleaning method.

How do you make cleaning for Passover easier?