Personalizing Passover

MICHELE DODEK

In the April 2011 issue of Commentary magazine, author Michael Medved writes, “A surprising 77 percent of American Jews report that they observe the holiday of Passover, according to the National Jewish Population Survey of 2003....” Why are more Jews participating in some form of Pesach observance than any other Jewish holiday? For Ashkenazim, at least, it certainly isn’t for the food!

Perhaps the answer lies in the ultimately personal nature of the themes of Passover. Built into the age-old traditions and the evolving, emerging rituals associated with the seder is the central issue of freedom, along with questions to do with familial relationships, justice, new beginnings and historical and social awareness.

Perhaps one of the most appealing parts of the seder is that even the most traditional seder has a way of being inclusive. The story of Pesach in the Haggadah is meant to be read in the vernacular, so everyone can appreciate its significance, and there are many opportunities to discuss the story’s symbolism. The most traditional Haggadot include interpretations from talmudic scholars, and modern, non-traditional Haggadot have commentary based on any number of philosophical leanings. Take your pick from feminist, ecological, interfaith, pactifist, social action or vegetarian adaptations. There are also Haggadot geared directly toward children or for multigenerational sederim.

Vancouver Talmud Torah teacher and Beth Israel board member Lisa Romalis uses A Different Night: The Family Participation Haggadah to include everyone at the large sederim her family holds.

“It’s my favorite Hagaddah because it is so family friendly. There are skits and traditions – they don’t make up new things for women, they just explain traditions that already exist,” she explained. One of her favorite traditions is adding a cup filled with water for Miriam in addition to Eliahu’s cup of wine. This cup represents Miriam’s crucial role in the story of Pesach – it was Miriam who helped save Moses when he was a baby adrift in the Nile, she led the celebrations after the Israelites had crossed the Reed Sea safely and were finally free people, and God created a spring-water well to keep the Israelites alive in the desert in her honor; there are deep connections between water and redemption on Pesach.

For many, like Romalis, the idea of inclusiveness is an important factor in making the holiday relevant and meaningful. Many Conservative and Reform Jews include an orange on their seder plate, a concept introduced by Jewish feminist Susannah Heschel in the early 1980s to symbolize the inclusion of gay and lesbian Jews. The concept morphed into a symbol of egalitarianism for Conservative Jews, who explained the orange’s presence with the following statement: “A rabbi once said that a woman belongs on the bimah the way an orange belongs on a seder plate.” As either an egalitarian symbol or a fruit of inclusion, the orange adds a modern twist to many seder plates.

While some Jews strive to radically alter their sederim to reflect their current reality, Medved’s Commentary article notes, “In the 21st century, we still use symbols, gestures, food and even wording our great-grandfathers would have recognized.... Virtually all the reformulated, stylish, up-to-the-minute Haggadot include a crucial passage shortly before serving the festive holiday meal: ‘In every generation, a person is obligated to regard him/herself as if he/she, personally, had come out of Egypt.’” For some, the idea of a personal exodus is truly part of their family history. There are members of our community who remember leaving wartorn or dangerous countries, finding refuge elsewhere and, sooner or later, a peaceful place in Canada. My own father escaped Germany in the summer of 1939 with his parents and sister. So many others were not as fortunate and cannot relay accounts of their escape so, by proxy, the Jewish people verbalize the ideal of freedom as we imagine ourselves leaving Egypt. Jews who were expelled from Arab countries, many echoing the biblical trek to modern-day Israel, sometimes include this experience as part of their seder.

Another modern take on exodus and freedom is more metaphysical. People enslaved to negative thoughts and feelings can be prisoners as well. At the seder, with this idea in focus, participants may each contribute one negative feeling they wish to jettison for the year to come. This type of discussion can even appeal to people who have little to do with Judaism in their daily lives. The seder can provide a traditional structure for ideas framed even in a secular manner.

Most often, however, it seems people like to have a bit of fun with family and friends. Medical student and mother of four small children Gilat Grunau recalls sederim with her extended family in Israel: “We love to sing and dance like crazy!”

Chag samayach, no matter how you find meaning in your Pesach observance this year.

Michele Dodek is a Vancouver freelancer writer and takes her seder very seriously.

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