Memorable Seders

Jackelyn and Megan Silverman (from left) wear masks depicting Biblical plagues.

The seven-day Jewish holiday of Passover, which commemorates the Israelites being freed from slavery in Egypt, centers on a ritual known as the Passover Seder.

During Seder on the first night of Passover, family members read the Haggadah text, which tells the story of Passover, and eat foods of symbolic importance. This year, Passover takes place April 3-11.

Seders from my childhood were, from my perspective, long and dull events where I was always disciplined for misbehaving. However, through the years, Passover has become my favorite Jewish holiday, in part because it is filled with wonderful, allegorical foods. For instance, we eat matzo (like a big, flat cracker) in memory of our ancestors being unable to wait for the bread to rise when they were fleeing slavery, and so the unleavened bread was flat when it came out of the oven. 

The Seder, a ceremony that means “order,” fulfills our Biblical obligation to pass on the Jewish story through the generations. The youngest person at the table who is able is chosen to recite the “four questions,” which help explain Passover customs and foods.

Hiding the afikoman, a piece of matzo broken in two, is another tradition to engage children. The head of the household hides the afikoman, and, in some families, children are given a reward when they find it. In other families, the children “steal” the afikoman and ask for a reward for its return.

Some Buzz-area residents maintain a traditional, conservative Passover Seder, which may not start until after sundown and could last four hours, often with the Haggadah being read in Hebrew. Others have created unique, modern traditions to tell the story of Passover in a way that’s meaningful and lively for them.

Julie Silverman says she was frustrated that no one in her family seemed excited about attending a yearly Seder, so for the past five years she has set out to make hers interactive and fun for four generations of family.

“I made sure everyone was informed that if they were not in the mood for fun,” said Julie, “they did not have to stay.”

She turns the Silverman family room into a mini-ballroom for 40-50 family members and friends. The invite list includes anyone who wants to join. No one is ever turned away. Julie says, “This is a tradition that was passed down from my mom.”

Julie collects Passover-themed videos and photos from everyone ahead of time. Julie’s contributions, primarily from YouTube, usually include 6-8 short cartoons and a clip from an a capella musical group called The Maccabeats. These fun videos are shown on a large-screen TV throughout the Seder. Julie says, “Because of the fun we have created, those attending are more engaged and know more about Seder.”

She fills her table with toys to represent the Passover rituals and symbols. These are used throughout the service.  At the end, she shows a montage video of everyone’s photos.

Members of the Spitzberg family schedule fun into their annual Passover Seder observances.

Susan Spitzberg also likes fun, and short, Seders with her 30 family members from three generations. Each person reads, and Susan has created an attention-grabbing way to assign each participant a part. She puts numbers into balloons, which are inflated and given to all attending. Taking turns, each person pops a balloon, releasing a number corresponding to a reading. 

The children put on a puppet show about Passover. Each selects one of 10 plagues, calamities that, according to the Book of Exodus, Israel’s God inflicted upon Egypt to persuade the Pharaoh to release the ill-treated Israelites from slavery.

In the past, guests have written Passover-themed limericks and put them into a book, and they have played a “Guess Who?” game of Jewish actors and actresses. Jewish Sudoku, Jewish crossword puzzles, and jokes also play a big part of the evening.

Susan inserts special items in the Haggadah to keep everyone interested. “A Haggadah for a male might include photos of pretty women, while one for a female has included photos of flowers. Each page turned brings a surprise and laughter to everyone.”

This type of observance is a far cry from the long, adult-focused Passover Seders of my childhood. The ones I now share with my family are full of laughter and great food. Happy Pesach, however you choose to celebrate.

More creative-Seder ideas

This article on memorable Passover Seders was so fun to write.

I learned that one family inserts a raisin inside some traditional matzo balls, with the winners getting a prize at the end of the evening. Another had a Seder using no food but chocolate for a sweeter-tasting celebration.

Past Seders had the Scheinthal family passing out 10 “plague bags” to every guest. (The 10 plagues are calamities that, according to the Biblical book of Exodus, Israel's God inflicted upon Egypt to persuade the Pharaoh to release the ill-treated Israelites from slavery.) Inside the bag was a doll to represent the first-born, red food coloring for blood, toy frogs, Styrofoam balls for hail, confetti eggs for lice, plastic bugs for locusts, sunglasses for darkness and animal masks for beasts. They also sang Passover songs to the tune of popular TV theme songs, like The Flintstones. They invited teachers from middle school and high school to join their Seders each year. Many of the teachers were not of the Jewish faith, so the family says it was fun to have them come and join for their first Seder.

Seders from my childhood were of a more serious nature; however, the memory of my father enthusiastically singing his annual solo version of the Passover song, Chad Gadya (One Little Goat) is a lively tradition we always just have to repeat.

Here are some videos the Silverman family watches at their Seder:

Editor’s note: We’d love to hear about your Seder traditions. To share, leave a Comment below.