Words of the Spirit
THE NEW AND THE OLD FOR PASSOVER
This year for Passover I will enjoy a truly unique experience: celebrating with two liberal communities in Scandinavia. My rabbinical school classmate and dear friend, Rabbi Rebecca Lillian, serves the liberal Jews of Copenhagen and Stockholm, where she will be leading seder on the first and second nights respectively (thank goodness for excellent European train service!).
This will launch the beginning of my three-month education leave, as I gratefully make use of time off from regular duties to write the papers necessary for my board certification as a chaplain/Spiritual Care Practitioner. It will be … odd not to prepare my kitchen and home as I usually do, but even though I will be away for Passover, somehow I’m still automatically practicing my usual post-Purim “chow-down” in the pantry – some things just never change.
In truth, Passover is an anchor for many of us, the time of year when we most draw back on tradition, whether it comes from family of origin or family of choice. My own Passover memories are among my earliest. This year I was asked by Na’amat, the Jewish women’s service organization, a series of questions for the spring’s version of their Resource Guide to Jewish Ottawa. Here are their questions, and my answers:
1. What part of the Passover story generates the most discussion at your seder table?
This varies from year to year, depending upon the kinds of issues that are current. For example, we often spend time on the Ten Plagues, expressing the types of contemporary "plagues" are still challenging us, like racism or homophobia. We also delight in having children "act out" the biblical story, with props and costumes. It not only helps them feel important to the seder but brings the story alive for everyone.
2. There are many recipes for charoset. Which one is your favourite?
We have experimented over the years with a variety of charoset recipes from different corners of the Jewish world, but I do have a special place in my heart for my family's old-fashioned Ashkenazi charoset: apples, walnuts, cinnamon and sweet concord grape wine.
3. Which is your favourite Passover dish, and which is your 'signature' dish?
It wouldn't be Passover without our "family famous" meatballs with the astonishingly fabulous sauce made of ketchup and ginger ale - the classic sweet-and-sour meatballs from Second Helpings, Please!
4. Many of us have different ornaments we use at our Passover seder, especially the Passover plate and each of them has a story behind them. Tell us the story of your seder plate.
The passover plate was a gift from my kids' other mom's aunt - beautiful delicate blue glass, with little bowls for each item. We so loved this plate that we bought a matzah plate to match, and we still carefully store them both in their original packaging between seders.
5. There are many Passover tunes that evoke memories of our youth. What is your favourite Passover melody?
My zayde, Binyumen Raby z"l, had a beautiful voice, and solemnly led the family seders of my children in a white kittel chanting the text with a beautiful nusach (traditional chant). There were also wonderful tunes that we sang to specific songs, particularly towards the end of the seder. The stand-out melody is a haunting, rhythmically-free setting of Ki Lo Na’eh Ki Lo Ya’eh, which I still hear in my head in his very specific Polish pronunciation. The music of my childhood seders lives in my soul.
Enjoy all of your new-old customs. Make delicious memories. Tell the story of the Haggadah with your special recipe of respect and relevance. Happy Spring and chag sameach.
Rabbi Liz
