Surprising Seders

April 16, 2012

We are aware of the various foods that are a part of a seder, the Haggadahthat walks us through the story, the lovely dishes and table preparation that help to make the meal so very special. But there are some Passover traditions that are so unique even most Jewish people aren’t aware of them!

One of those comes from the Jewish community in North Africa where Moses himself comes to the table. An elderly member of the family appears dressed in complete costume, using a cane to support himself, with a bag for the afikoman(piece of matzah, unleavened bread) thrown over his shoulder. He tells the story in first person, and whenever he rises to walk about the room, as he speaks, a child calls out, “Where are you coming from?” He replies, “Egypt.” Another child asks, “Where are you going?” He shouts enthusiastically, “To Jerusalem!”

Some customs, however, seem downright strange. In keeping with a tradition that began in 14 th-century Spain, the sederleader walks around the table three times holding the sederplate, with its symbolic foods, in his hands and tapping each of his guests on the head with it! Among Syrian Jews, matzahmust be broken into the shape of Hebrew letters, while in some North African communities, it is broken specifically into the letter hey(ה).

Since the Scriptures speak of the gold and silver that the Israelites received from the Egyptians, Hungarian Jews cover their sedertables with every piece of gold and silver jewelry they own. In Ethiopia, the mother of the family smashed every one of her earthenware dishes and made a complete new set for Passover…every year!

Some Polish Jews acknowledged the crossing of the Red Sea by pouring copious amounts of water on the floor and sloshing through! In Gibraltar, charoset (mixture symbolizing the mortar of the bricks made by the Hebrew slaves) takes on new significance as the cook mixes in the ground up dust of real bricks! Finally, in Afghanistan, the sedertable always holds a supply of leeks. As the story of the Hebrews’ persecution at the hands of Egyptian slave masters is told, each participant picks up a leek and vehemently whips those seated around him! Then to acknowledge the Israelite victory over slavery, the menu includes leek soup.

Peter zijlstra/shutterstock.com Leek Soup

2 pounds of leeks

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp. butter

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves crushed garlic

5 cups chicken stock

1 1/4 pounds potatoes, diced

Salt & white pepper

1 cup heavy cream

Nutmeg

Snipped chives

Clean leeks and remove all but an inch or two of green. Slice very thin and sauté in butter with onion and garlic. When leeks are soft, add stock, bay leaf, and potato. Cook for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove bay leaf and puree mixture, a small amount at a time until soup is smooth. Place in a clean kettle and slowly reheat, adding cream. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve topped with chives and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Serves 6.

Source: By Cheryl Hauer, International Development Director