The Perfect Seder
Last night I was fortunate to be invited to a Passover seder in someone else's home. They used the Hagaddah we used for many years, which does allow all participants to read and be involved. They had the traditional foods – hard-boiled eggs, gefilte fish, matzoh ball soup, well-cooked brisket, apple kugel, matzoh flour cake. I was so tired that I actually fell asleep sitting up during the second half of the readings.Today I started thinking ahead to next year – thinking about what would be the most perfect seder I could imagine. I think what I want more than anything is a lively discussion of beliefs and symbols and the state and future of our religion. I suppose that is asking a lot.
David actually started down this path last year with a new Reconstructionist Hagaddah that posed a lot of questions. Not everyone liked the discussions we had – ranging from personal belief in God to whether or not the Exodus actually occurred. But I liked the fact that we talked about things where not everyone agreed, allowing that there is no right answer to any of these questions. I want a seder where we don't take anything for granted, including the Passover symbols. I want to experience the salty tears, to feel the mortar used to make the bricks, to ponder the meaning of the lamb shank bone, to explore everyone's reaction to these things we often treat more as decorations.
As for the food, I can't imagine anything more perfect that getting together with people like Reya and Kate to make a simple but delicious meal. None of the cooking should seem like an effort. We should make things that don't require anyone to jump up from the table to attend to cooking. We should have a little snack prior to starting the seder so that no one is so focused on a growling stomach that the reading and discussion aren't meaningful.
The participants should be people of various religious beliefs who have open minds. I think 10 is a good number. Any more than that and the experience loses its intimacy. I really hope we can pull this off because one of the things I enjoy most these days is talking about what I believe and why and seeing how it contrasts with the beliefs and thoughts of others.
My question of the moment is whether we will devour an entire box of matzoh this year or whether I will end up throwing much of it out. Matzoh definitely reminds us of the sacrifice of the Jews in giving up leavened bread as they hurriedly left Egypt. Yuck!
posted by Barbara at 3:10 PM
5 Comments:
I bought a box of matzoh and will end up taking it to the office tomorrow. I can only handle it with a schmear of butter or cream cheese and garlic salt. We never finished what we bought when the family was all together either but people in my office will eat anything that is put out. I am going to NYC for the weekend tomorrow so I won't eat it. The thing about matzoh though: it doesn't get stale.....basically it already is.
:-)
I bought a box, too, though I haven't opened it yet.
Next year is going to be excellent!
This is my first Passover here in Israel...and have not eaten matzoh so far. Look's like I will have to wait for next year's Passover to buy and taste Matzoh.
Matzoh plain - bleah.
Matzoh spread with cream cheese (or yogurt cheese), or jam, or almond butter, or good charoset, or "vegetarian chopped liver," or toasted cheese -- tasty!
We hosted second seder (picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/imaginary/129604844/), and it was a multi-cultural event -- my husband and I were the only two Jews, and we had present Catholics, Episcopalians, and Hindu (there was supposed to be Muslim, too, but he had to cancel last second). One of our group had also lived in Egypt for a few years. We used the Haggadah, but instead of reading the narration, I basically just told the Passover story -- and we had really, really great conversations about history, Judaism, and different religions' takes on the same events. Makes for a memorable evening.
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