The stories that surround the Passover season are so rich in their details of history and heritage that if one is not of the Jewish faith, an invitation to join in the Passover tradition of a Seder meal would be a great experience.
The Seder will take place this year on Saturday and Sunday. It is an event once a year that focuses on home, family and remembering a time in history that helped define the strength, endurance and sacrifice of the Jewish faith.
The Seder celebration, traditionally a two-night event, although some celebrate only one night, is one that takes place at home instead of in the synagogue or other place of worship. It primarily focuses on a meal that is completely steeped in symbolism and remembrance.
The Congregation B'Nai Israel in Fleischmanns is the only official synagogue in Delaware County and has been in continuous service to the community since 1921, congregation President David Schneiderman explained.
It began as a congregation of Jewish farmers and businessmen and is now recognized on both the National and New York State Historic registrars. During summer and on High Holidays, the membership of almost 200 families demonstrates how vibrant and active Congregation B'Nai Israel is.
Schneiderman helped explain some of the most important things about the Seder and its rituals; he said he believes Passover is the most-observed holiday among Jewish people.
As with all Jewish holidays, the "day" begins at sundown instead of dawn and the date of Seder, as well as all other Jewish holidays, follows a lunar calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar that follows the sun. Schneiderman said that he has people ask him why Passover is so late this year and he laughed while explaining that it is not late, it is just on time according to a lunar calendar. The Seder is a part of Passover, and its translation from Hebrew means "order." Although the traditions vary from family to family and to what extent the rituals are carried out differs in each household, the orderliness of this meal remains intact.
The real lessons, the in-depth story is beautiful and important to hear again and again from one who is able to place reverence and respect on all parts of the story.
In some ways the traditions of Seder have transformed and evolved due to differences in family makeup, generations and countries.
Each family makes its own Seder; no rabbi leads a service.
The choices are endless: Sometimes two different Seders take place in a single home, one for adults and one for young children. The meal can take place indoors or outside; some families prefer to celebrate outside as the early Seders were celebrated in the wilderness.
The family traditions are often inclusive of friends, extended family and guests and are not limited to only those of the Jewish faith.
Schneiderman explained that the holiday involves the retelling of the story about how the Jewish people left Egypt and traveled for 40 years in the desert before entering into the Holy Land. The story is retold by verse, songs and the many stories surrounding the special foods _ their preparation, serving and eating.
Preparations for Seder typically will involve children as much as possible, beginning with choosing the menu and who will lead the events of the evening. These choices are an important part of the ritual as they demonstrate people's freedom to decide for themselves. The planned evening encompasses the meaning of Seder itself with orderliness while promoting new ideas and individualism as well. The house is prepared for Seder as anyone might prepare for a special party to take place in their home. Everything should shine with beauty just as spring adorns the earth; this is the time to adorn the house even if this just means a more careful cleanup.
What once happened to the Jewish people and its meaning today are parts of the Seder that can be followed in steps. Schneiderman stated that the Seder can last several hours or 15 minutes depending on what the household wishes to do but it begins at sundown with the lighting and blessing of the candles. A leader is chosen, who pours cups of wine and recites a blessing. This leader might wear white while others in the room wear new, bright clothing. A basin of water is passed around with a small towel for everyone to wash their hands. Next, a large sprig or bunch of greens, usually parsley, is passed around. Each person takes a piece and a prayer of thanks is offered as a reminder that we all share the responsibility of keeping the world a healthy place for growing things, then everyone takes a bite. This may be the only sustenance while telling the story from the Book of Exodus but, especially if young children are participating, small dishes of potatoes, eggs or carrots are often offered.
The part of the story tells how the Jews needed to leave Egypt so quickly, they did not have time to let the bread rise and it had to be baked quickly. This left the bread flat and crispy; this made it easy to pack in knapsacks in preparation for their journey. This flat bread, called matzo, has played a large role in the Seder ceremony for more than 2,000 years. Three whole crackers are placed on a platter with one broken into pieces. The largest piece is wrapped in a cloth to symbolize what the Israelites carried with them. Often times a game of hiding takes place with a portion, and a small piece is left to remember that the poor never eat a whole portion, that some must always be saved for later. "Blessings for the bread of the poor, all who are hungry, come and eat" is a simple Seder prayer.
Although this tradition is carried out at home and is a family-oriented ceremony, a rabbi might offer one piece of advice on how Seder should be carried out and that is: take time in telling the story. The story tells of the 10 plagues that would befall Egypt if the Jewish people where not set free from bondage. The last plague would cause the death of every first-born son in households that did not have a marking on their door. Tradition has it that a drop of wine is cast out as a reminder that Egyptians suffered as well during this time.
Traditional foods include boiled eggs, gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, sweet potatoes, fruit, tea and cake. Each dish of food is a symbol of some portion of the story. For example, haroset is a combination of walnuts, apples, wine and cinnamon or similar combinations that symbolize the mortar used to bond the bricks during bondage. The first half of the story is about slavery, persecution and perseverance and the second half is about freedom, faith and hope for a better world. The symbolism of four glasses of wine being served at different times during the Seder reminds people of the four promises of freedom that God made to Moses. The final glass is poured with wishes for a return to holiness in Jerusalem.
For someone who would like to learn more about Seder, Schneiderman recommended a visit to a library or bookstore for information on the Jewish faith. A children's or young adults' guide to the Passover can be a good beginning place to get a brief explanation. The Seder has many traits that will keep it as an important and memorable evening, especially the inclusion of children in the activities, the story that goes along with the meal and the traditions that have been kept alive for multitudes of generations. The perpetuation of Seder is just as important in today's world as it has been in all years and generations past.
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