Baby's First Seder

Late Monday afternoon, a very good friend of mine invited me to her Passover Seder. She's Jewish. I'm not. But I wanted to support her and to gain an understanding on just what exactly the Passover Holiday entailed.

As I entered her 5th floor NYC apartment out of breath in stride, I noticed a severe lack of lamb's blood on the door.

Strike One.

Welcoming me into the apartment was the delectable smell of the cooked food. First things first, I was served wine and told that the typical Seder requires "4 Cups" of wine to be consumed. I immediately started Googling synagogues for conversion inquiries.

Strike One Redacted.

The three attendees + Elijah gathered around the table. The poor man's Seder plate was already laid out.

As is tradition, the customary "Wicked" tumbler is
placed by the parsley next to the Seder plate.

Instead of a lamb shank bone, we had a slice of deli turkey meat. Passes my test.

As we dipped our parsley into the salt water (representing the tears shed by the Jewish ancestors), I felt a wave of 'togetherness' that we were taking part in something. That I was learning something. That I now had a deeper understanding.

I'm sorry, Christian Easter Bunny. I'm sorry, Christian Santa. (These are also character names in my new Fifty Shades of Grey holiday fan fiction)

We went through the rest of the Seder, some through song and some through practice.

Traditional Passover Dessert Cookie

So there were some Seder shortcuts here and there. And I know for a tradition that literally translates to 'order', this may be an issue. But first and foremost, Passover is a family holiday. It is one practiced at home while most others are practiced at the synagogue  It is one to invite guests, especially the needy which is more than likely how my invite came about.

Everyone knows what people do for Christmas. Christians have their traditions with trees and lights and toys. Anyone who has seen Jingle All The Way at least once can tell you that. So I could tell you that about 157 times.

"It's naht a Kosh-ah"

My first Seder wasn't life changing in the sense that I'm converting to Judaism. But it was life changing in the sense that it gave me a line of sight into the Jewish faith. I have several Jewish friends who I've known for quite some time, but never known what they do when they take off for Passover. They disappear behind a curtain for the holiday's length of time only to emerge later claiming that their time at home was 'fine.'

It's a lot easier to respect someone's faith when you can gain an understanding of who they are and where they come from. Understanding and respect are our most valuable assets with each other. That's the real currency in this world.

Shalom,
CJ