By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen
Rabbi Yael Buechler is hoping that her latest effort will cause some people to add an unofficial fifth question at their Passover seder: Why are these pajamas different from all
other pajamas?
Buechler, the outreach director at The Leffell School, a private Jewish day school in Hartsdale, N.Y., and the married mother of two young sons, has developed a line of Passover pajamas available online called Matza Pajamas.
Based in New York City, Buechler, the founder of Midrash Manicures, “dedicated to finding new avenues for Jewish creative expression through nail art,” said she is on “a mission to make Matza Pajamas that kiddos everywhere can happily enjoy.” That mission is now a reality, and the 100% cotton, two-piece matzah-print pajamas are available in children’s sizes 2T through 10.
Buechler admits the whole concept came about by accident last year.
“Since we weren’t planning on having guests last Passover, I ordered new pajamas for my kids to wear at the seders,” she said, “The seders always go very late, so I thought pajamas would make the post-seder bedtime go smoother. With the pandemic, we’d basically said ‘dayenu’ to button ups.”
When the new pajamas were presented to her 2- and 4-year-old children, one pair was a big hit with her youngest son Nadav, now 3.
“When I dressed my two-year-old son in a pair of yellow pajamas for the seder, he immediately referred to them as his ‘matzah pajamas’ and giddily wore them every chance he got,” Buechler said.
A lightbulb switched on.
As a rabbi, Buechler said that she is always seeking ways to make Jewish holiday celebrations more meaningful. For previous Passovers, she’s designed ten plagues nail decals, a matzah playhouse with reusable stickers for indoor pandemic play and this year, inspired by her son’s idea, she decided to make matzah-print pajamas.
Putting on their matzah pajamas for Passover “will enable kids to feel even more connected to the seder experience,” Buechler said.
“The pandemic has really taken a toll on families with young children, with frequent quarantines, child-care challenges, and more,” she said. “My hope is that these pajamas will bring some much-needed Passover excitement to kids and their grownups.”
Added Buechler, “And, as we’ve all learned over the past two years of this pandemic, pajamas make everything better.”
There are other matzah-print items on the site including a dress, headband and hair scrunchie. Pajamas in adult sizes will be available for shipment after April 1. For more information, visit matzapajamas.com.
