The Seder Plate

Maror  – The bitter herb. This symbolizes the harshness of living life without freedom.

Charoset  – It resembles the mortar used as bricks of the many buildings the Jewish slaves built in Egypt, except that it is delicious

Karpas  – A green vegetable, usually parsley, is a reminder of the green sprouting up all around us during spring and is used to dip into the saltwater

Zeroah  – A roasted lamb or shank bone symbolizing the sacrifice made at the great temple on Passover (The Paschal Lamb), except we're using a roasted beet because some of us used to be vegetarian

Beitzah  – The egg is offered to mourners after a funeral, and symbolizes the cycle of life, from birth to death

Orange  - According to legend, back in the 1980s, after a lecture given in Miami Beach, a Jewish man stood up and angrily declared, "A woman belongs on a  bima  the way an orange belongs on a Seder plate."  The symbolism honors women as full participants in Jewish life and grew to include people who feel marginalized from the Jewish community: the widow, the orphan, the convert, the gay and lesbian Jewish community. Spitting out the seeds reminds us to spit out the hatred and ostracization.  The orange is segmented, not fragmented. The segments form a beautiful whole.

Artichoke - “Like the artichoke, which has thistles protecting its heart, the Jewish people have been thorny" towards interfaith marriage. But everyone knows, we can't eat the thorns. We cook the artichoke and scrape the meat out of the thorns until we get to the best part: the heart. Let this artichoke remind us to pull away the thorns and soften our hearts.

Lemon - Lemon is a natural antiseptic.  We use it to clean our spaces and injest it to keep our bodies well.  This year, we add a lemon in honor of those of us suffering from Covid-19. 

Matzah

Matzah is the unleavened bread we eat to remember that when the Jews fled Egypt, they didn’t even have time to let the dough rise on their bread. It represents hardship, the grit it takes to escape, the the courage to face the unknown. 

Elijah’s Cup

We pour a cup of wine for Elijah, who, according to tradition, will arrive one day as an unknown guest to herald the arrival of the Messiah. We will leave the door ajar for him.  But this year, if he joins us, he will be asked to wash his hands immediately and quarrantine with us for two weeks.

Miriam’s Cup

Miriam's cup is filled with water and placed next to Elijah’s cup. Miriam was Moses's sister and a prophetess in her own right. After the Exodus when the Israelites are wandering through the desert, just as Hashem gave them Manna to eat, legend says that a well of water followed Miriam and it was called ‘Miriam’s Well’. The tradition of Miriam’s cup is meant to honor Miriam’s role in the story of the Jewish people and the spirit of all women.


haggadah Section: Introduction