"Passover takes place in the home rather than the synagogue and centers around an epic meal—the Seder—so you remember Passover as storytelling, you remember it in family."
—Simon Schama
Our daughter Michelle, son-in-law, Kyle and our granddaughters Lyla and Emmy joined us for an intimate Passover Seder at our home. Lyla with her Nonnie Cecile's help told the story of Passover. The traditional circular Passover Seder Plate consists of a variety of symbolic foods that are eaten during the Passover meal. For the main meal we had salad, oven roasted potatoes, and veggies, a delicious tender brisket and fresh baked halibut. For dessert we had colorful French macaroons and coconut macaroons.
Having married into a Jewish family which has been a blessing, I can tell you that Judaism celebrates a lot of holidays. But the oldest of them is Passover which began last evening and continues for a week. As the mythic story goes, Passover, also called Pesach, is the Jewish festival celebrating the ultimate exodus of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery to freedom in the 1200s BC as chronicled in the Old testament book of Exodus. This master story of redemption from slavery has shaped Jewish consciousness and values.
The whole week of Passover is a perfect time to remember loved ones who have died, holding close to one’s heart the legacy they have left behind. Top of mind is Cecile’s mom, Margie and father Harry, two of the finest people people I had the pleasure of knowing (photo) and who treated me with loving kindness and generosity.
Postscript: Surprisingly, Nepal is the home to the world’s largest Passover seder, boasting over 1,000 participants and is held in Katmandu. The reason: The country is overflowing with young Israeli travelers who have recently finished their mandatory army service. During Passover, many want to be reminded of their mom’s chicken or matzah ball soup or to experience of the familiar crunch of matzah (cracker). Other attendees simply feel compelled to travel to Nepal to experience the holiday in such a unique, exotic way. Rabbis fly in to Nepal to lead the seder. Some of the events are hosted by the Jewish outreach organization, Chabad.
Source: Haggadadot.com
