You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy the story of Passover.
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Red, the straight-A student, had the Bat Mitzvah while Black, the troublemaker, rarely went to synagogue – so any guess who knows more about Passover, one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays?
Red learned most of what she knows about Passover from “The Ten Commandments,” a Hollywood “blockbuster” movie from 1956 (older than Black!) which she has seen countless times. (Check your local listings as it’s typically aired during the Passover/Easter season.) It’s the story of Moses, including him leading the Jews’ exodus from Egypt to escape slavery and the unforgettable parting of the Red Sea.It’s the story of matzoh (a cracker-like flatbread) because the Jews didn’t have time to wait for their bread to rise. It’s the story of when G-d struck down every firstborn Egyptian male, the lamb’s blood over the doors of Jewish homes saved their children (the angel of death “passed over” those homes).
As a lover of movies (and popcorn), and a theater major in college, Red explains,
I know “epic” movies shouldn’t be where I learn about religious holidays, but this movie did provide an extremely entertaining and unforgettable explanation of the key aspects of Passover. Although I know the famous director, Cecil B DeMille, took artistic license when interpreting the Bible.
Then there’s Black, who knew what was covered by the movie but also knows the religious significance of Passover. And that it’s about the number four (who equates a religious holiday with a number?!) – four questions, four sons, four expressions of redemption, and four cups of wine. And she remembers some Passover seders (the traditional Passover feast) that felt as if they lasted four hours!
P.S. – This year, Passover, Good Friday, and Easter overlap, which makes all the holidays even more special.
This is one of the most popular stories from our speaking engagements, as it seems everyone’s interested in learning how to race a Ferrari. (People also want copies of Black’s track map, and over the years, we’ve created handouts, posters, and even mugs, with the image. And probably will again!)
But the reaction to the ending of Black’s story (Red never gets tired of watching the audience) was what prompted us to write the book, Life Is Like A Racetrack.
Of course, Black’s always more than happy to talk about cars and racing. She was the first woman to race the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — and is probably the first person to use a track map to explain how "life is like a racetrack."
Curious about the back story on this student-created video?
In 2012, the seniors at YES Prep Public Schools in Houston were reading our book, What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired!, and we were invited to be the keynote speakers at their Senior Summit. The theme was "Life Is A Journey," and we used our own personal journeys, as well as the "story" of Red & Black, to talk about many important life lessons.
When one of the seniors, who wanted to pursue a career in media production, learned that YES Prep had videotaped the presentation, he asked permission to create a series of YouTube videos using excerpts from our keynote presentation. Of course, we were flattered and said, "Yes." (Thank you, Aurelio Puente, for asking, and for producing such great videos!)
The videos may be “older” (but, then, so are we), but the lessons are still relevant because life lessons aren’t tied to a year, a trend, or a technology. They’re simply part of growing up, moving forward, and figuring out life … one step at a time.
Stay tuned as we'll be posting more of Aurelio’s videos, along with newer videos — both live and animated. Or, better yet, register for our Saturday newsletters, and we'll keep you updated!
Want more?
There’s always at least one item in our Shop related to cars and racing (not counting our stickers), so if you’re curious — click here.
Want a copy of the track map? Email Red (the nice one) at Red@RedandBlack.email.
We’re thrilled this message resonated with high school seniors, even though we’re pretty certain they’d plan the same way Red planned — by looking forward at the days, months, and (maybe) years ahead.Black, of course, looks at things differently.So differently, in fact, that it made Red stop and ask … “Wait! What?”
Curious about the back story on this student-created video?
In 2012, the seniors at YES Prep Public Schools in Houston were reading our book, What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired!, and we were invited to be the keynote speakers at their Senior Summit. The theme was "Life Is A Journey," and we used our own personal journeys, as well as the "story" of Red & Black, to talk about many important life lessons.
When one of the seniors, who wanted to pursue a career in media production, learned that YES Prep had videotaped the presentation, he asked permission to create a series of YouTube videos using excerpts from our keynote presentation. Of course, we were flattered and said, "Yes." (Thank you, Aurelio Puente, for asking, and for producing such great videos!)
The videos may be “older” (but, then, so are we), but the lessons are still relevant because life lessons aren’t tied to a year, a trend, or a technology. They’re simply part of growing up, moving forward, and figuring out life … one step at a time.
Stay tuned as we'll be posting more of Aurelio’s videos, along with newer videos — both live and animated. Or, better yet, register for our Saturday newsletters, and we'll keep you updated!
Whenever Black says, “When I was racing Ferraris,” it always gets everyone’s attention. Students perk up. Grown men instantly seem to become young boys. And girls and women of all ages are curious. So, we weren’t surprised that a student decided to make a video about assets and liabilities since it involves Black’s Ferraris (yes, plural). But it’s about something far more than valuable than expensive cars …
Curious about the back story on this student-created video?
In 2012, the seniors at YES Prep Public Schools in Houston were reading our book, What I Learned About Life When My Husband Got Fired!, and we were invited to be the keynote speakers at their Senior Summit. The theme was "Life Is A Journey," and we used our own personal journeys, as well as the "story" of Red & Black, to talk about many important life lessons.
When one of the seniors, who wanted to pursue a career in media production, learned that YES Prep had videotaped the presentation, he asked permission to create a series of YouTube videos using excerpts from our keynote presentation. Of course, we were flattered and said, "Yes." (Thank you, Aurelio Puente, for asking, and for producing such great videos!)
The videos may be “older” (but, then, so are we), but the lessons are still relevant because life lessons aren’t tied to a year, a trend, or a technology. They’re simply part of growing up, moving forward, and figuring out life … one step at a time.
Stay tuned as we'll be posting more of Aurelio’s videos, along with newer videos — both live and animated. Or, better yet, register for our Saturday newsletters, and we'll keep you updated!
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