Passover is the Jewish holiday celebrating the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Our family celebrates Passover with a Seder, a ritual feast at the beginning of Passover. Our entire family participates in the stories, songs, and questions of the Seder.
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We include special games and stories for the little ones which encourages the children to learn the story of Passover and continue the tradition for future generations.
I was raised Christian, and while the story of the book of Exodus was familiar to me from childhood, the Passover Seder was first introduced to me 18 years ago by my best friend who is a practicing Jew now living in Tel Aviv, Israel. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law also shared their Jewish ties with me through the Passover Seder.
Passover is celebrated with friends and family, Jewish or not. It is considered a mitzvah, or good deed, to invite strangers or those who have not experienced a Seder. Our family looks forward to the holiday every year.
While we may not always follow the Seder perfectly and certainly don’t do justice to the beautiful Hebrew language, passing on the tradition of the Passover Seder is an important part of cherishing our Jewish friends and family.
The Family Haggadah by Ellie M. Gindi is the Jewish text that guides our Passover Seder. Throughout the Seder, children are encouraged to participate and ask questions. Our family loves how this Haggadah uses poems, stories, and songs to engage children throughout the Seder.
We also use a “Bag of Plagues” which has fun toys or masks to symbolize each plague. You can find several pre-packaged bags of plagues online, or you can even DIY them! The bag is a colorful and entertaining way to engage the whole family in the Seder, and it always gets a few laughs from the kiddos. What kid doesn’t get a kick out of blowing bubbles onto their parents to symbolize boils?
Leavened bread (bread which rises) is forbidden on Passover. This commemorates the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt and their rapid departure which did not allow for time to ferment bread. Our favorite Passover meal is brisket and matzo ball soup. We try to keep our Passover meal simple, especially if we hold our Seder on a week night. If we’re busy, we pick up some Rudy’s brisket. If we have more time to cook for the Seder, we love to use my best friend’s brisket recipe.
Ms Greenfield’s New Mexico Style Brisket (6-8 people)
- 1 brisket, flat (5-6 pounds)
- 2 jars of your favorite salsa (We love Sadie’s “Not as Hot”)
- Optional: chopped green chile
Preheat oven to 270° F.
Trim excess fat from the top of the brisket to taste. Leave a thin layer to render as the brisket cooks. Pour a small amount of salsa into the baking dish, enough to lightly coat the pan. Place the brisket on top of the salsa, fat side up. Smother the meat with the remaining salsa, completely covering the meat. Add chopped green chile if desired. Cover tightly with foil and braise in the oven for 5-6 hours, basting every hour. When the meat is tender, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 45 minutes. Slice the meat perpendicular to the grain and serve with juices from the pan.
While the feast is a delicious part of the Passover seder, several symbolic foods are also included on the Seder plate.
Three matza, a cracker-like unleavened bread, are placed on the plate and covered.
Karpas, greens, and often parsley are dipped in salt water to remind us of the tears of enslaved Israelites.
Charoset, a sweet fruit paste, represents the mortar used by Jews to construct Egyptian buildings.
Maror, a bitter herb (usually horseradish), recalls the bitterness of slavery.
Zeroah, a roasted lamb shank bone represents the Pescah sacrifice made by Jews before leaving Egypt.
A roasted or hard-boiled egg is a sign of new life.
To make charoset, combine:
- 3 crisp apples, chopped into small pieces
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 cups crushed walnuts or pecans
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- ½ cup of red wine or grape juice
Mix together and allow to sit in the refrigerator to absorb the flavors for at least an hour.
My son’s favorite Passover tradition, just ahead of giving our poor plastic cow toys horrible diseases in the fifth plague, is finding the Afikomen. The Afikomen is the largest part of the middle piece of matzah from the Seder plate which is broken early in the Seder and wrapped in a napkin and hidden. This is another part of the Seder which keeps the children engaged and excited.
If you have never attended a Passover Seder, I would encourage you to find a friend who celebrates the holiday. You’re likely to leave a Passover Seder full and happy, with a deeper understating of a beautiful history of liberation and remembrance–and maybe even with a plastic frog or two for your kiddos.
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