Do We Still Need an Orange on the Seder Plate?

By Rabbi Stephen Lewis Fuchs for ReformJudaism.org


Passover will soon be here, and sociologists tell us that more Jews will participate in some form of Passover seder than will participate in any other religious event during the year.

The seder is the most successful pedagogical tool in Jewish history, largely because it stimulates all of our senses: sight, touch, taste, sound, and smell.

In addition to the traditional symbols, many families and communities will include an orange on their seder plates.

The most prominent myth behind this custom is that, years ago, a man confronted Professor Susannah Heschel and told her, “The idea of women rabbis makes as much sense as an orange on a seder plate."

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Must-Know Passover Terms

Key words and phrases for Passover.

By MJL Staff

Afikoman—From a Greek word meaning “dessert.” A piece of matzah that is hidden during the course of the seder, found after dinner, and eaten as dessert at the end of the seder meal.

Arba Kosot — Hebrew for “four cups.” In this case, it refers to the four cups of wine drunk at the Passover seder.

Barekh— The 12th step of the Passover seder, in which birkat hamazon, the grace after meals is said.

Beitzah — Hebrew for “egg.” A roasted or hard-boiled egg is placed on the seder plate to symbolize rebirth.

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Elijah's Favorite Seder

A great Rabbi finds out that Elijah liked best the simple Seder of a poor man who captured the meaning of Pesach in one heartfelt prayer.

by Rebecca Rubinstein for aish.com

Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev, one of the great Hassidic teachers, looked forward to Seder night every year.

One year, after the Seder was over, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak went to sleep, content. He had conducted a great Seder with all his students round the table.

He fell into a deep sleep and dreamt a strange dream.

In the dream, the prophet Elijah is talking with the angels, giving them an account of the Seder he saw in Jewish homes. He describes the kids' excitement as their eyes are glued to the cup for Elijah to see if he came to visit them this year.

One of the angels asks, "But which was the most important Seder that you visited? Was it Rabbi Levi Yitzhak's?"

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Passover 2016

By MJL Staff

Passover 2016 begins Friday evening, April 22, and ends Saturday evening, April 30.

What is Passover?

Passover is a festival of freedom.

It commemorates the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt, and their transition from slavery to freedom. The main ritual of Passover is the seder, which occurs on the first night (or, outside of Israel, the first two nights) of the holiday — a festive meal that involves the re-telling of the Exodus through stories and song and the consumption of ritual foods, including matzah and maror (bitter herbs).




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9 Things You Didn’t Know About Purim

By Julie Wiener for MyJewishLearning.com   

From Esther's vegetarianism to the Jewish leap year, things that might surprise you.

With costumes, spiels and lots of drinking, Purim, which this year starts at sundown on Wednesday, March 23, is one of Judaism’s most raucous holidays. You might know about beautiful Esther thwarting evil Haman’s plans, the custom of getting drunk and what hamantaschen are. But we’re guessing there’s a few things about this holiday that might surprise you.

1. Esther was a vegetarian (or at least a flexitarian).
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QUIZ: What Kind of Hamantaschen Are You?

 Holly Lebowitz Rossi for Kveller

Purim is almost here, which means it’s time for hamantaschen. From dulce de leche, poppy, jam, and nutella–there’s an option for everyone! Which one are you? Find out by taking the quiz below:


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Haman in the Garden of Eden

From AlephBeta

Purim: Redeeming the Sin of Eden

The holiday of Purim seems like a kids’ holiday, full of costumes, fun, and a fairy-tale like story. In this series, Rabbi David Fohrman urges us to take a closer, more grown-up, look at the megillah - beginning with a curious connection between Haman and the Garden of Eden.

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