Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide

Birkat ha’Mazon– the Blessing after the Meal
Just as we bless God and give thanks before we eat, so too do we bless God and give
thanks when we’ve finished. The blessing called Birkat ha’Mazon (blessing after the
meal), is a series of brachot and Biblical references that can be sung or said after a meal
at which ha’motzi has been recited. (There are other brachot for snacks and meals that do
not include bread.) While it is difficult to recite the entire Birkat ha’Mazon with very
young children every day, the concept of thanking God both before and after a meal is
important in early childhood. It is appropriate to incorporate an excerpt from the Birkat
ha’Mazon at the end of lunchtime, especially with older children. One good excerpt is:
Baruch Atah Adonai, hazan et hakol.
Blessed are You Adonai, Who satisfies all.
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Just as ha’motzi covers all the food in a meal that begins with bread, so does Birkat
ha’Mazon. “Not only do we acknowledge God as provider of food before we eat, we
remember God is the source of sustenance even after our stomachs are full. In keeping
with the mandate of the Torah: ‘V’achalata v’savata, uverachta (Deuteronomy 8:10), You
ate, you were satisfied and you gave thanks,’ we recite the Birkat ha’Mazon.” (Rabbi
Yohanan Stein, Har Zion Temple, Penn Valley, PA,
http://www.uscj.org/njersey/brachah23.html)
Child-friendly versions of this short Birkat ha’Mazon are available from Carol Boyd
Leon, on DAYENU! A Passover Haggadah For Families And Children (Haggadah with
CD, sheet music and user’s guide, http://carolboydleon.com/books-slash-haggadah), and
Judy Caplan Ginsburg on her CD “My Jewish World.”
Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide
USCJ Department of Education
Maxine Handelman
Handelman@uscj.org
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