The orange

I had the privilege to attend two seders this year for passover.  One was a week early, but it was a good warm up to the family one that always takes a lot out of me.  The coolest thing though, I think this Passover, was learning a new bit of information that I now want to use for seders in the future.

Jamie taught us, at my first seder this season, as to why the seder plates had an orange on them.  I saw the orange…thought it a bit unusual, so she told us a story.

She said that a rabbi once said that a woman belongs on the bimah (basically a podium in temple), like an orange belongs on the seder plate.  I had never had an orange on my seder plate before…but now, being the feminist I am (ha!) that orange will be a regular party goer.

Matzoh balls are never salty enough…

The eight-day springtime holiday of Passover commemorates the ancient Hebrews’ liberation from Egyptian slavery. The Passover Seder, a ritual-filled Jewish feast, takes place on the first night of the holiday. My family has convinced me to come home this year for the first time in ages…because Passover (the first night anyway) falls on a Saturday.

We had a pre-Seder Seder hosted by Jonah, Stacy and Amanda last Sunday, and as soon as I get photos uploaded..ill share. I called this one the trial run, because it was Mick’s first, and now the second in a week gets to be the one with the family. My family isn’t scary on Jewish holidays. Just Jewish.

On the Passover table, matzo is served instead of bread, as a reminder of the slaves’ hurried escape. The Torah relates that the fleeing Hebrews did not have time to let their bread rise. To identify with their ancestors’ flight and deliverance, the Jews eat matzo, flat, unleavened cracker-like bread.

I think I’m going to try to follow the rules of passover this year. Matzoh isn’t as carb heavy as bread, and you can make all sorts of fun shit with it. Turkey or tuna on matzoh is one of my personal favorites…and I honestly don’t think it will be that hard to go a week without bread.