The Seder Plate: used as a discussion starter; each object on the plate is there to remind us of an important aspect of the Passover Seder.

Maror  (bitter hebrs) - the bitters herbs are on the Seder plate to remind us of the bitterness of life of the enslaved Jews in Egypt.

Charoset - a mixture of apples, cinamon, wine, and nuts to symbolize mortar used in the bricks Jews built as slaves.

Karpas  (green vehetable) - we use parsley to remind us of green growth during the spring, a symbol of perseverence. We balance this by dipping it in salt water to symbolize the tears of slaves.

Zeroah  - typically a roasted lamb bone, we are using the vegetarion version of roasted beets. There are 2 reasons for this: (1) to represent the Paschal sacrifice at the Temple and (2) to represent the lamb's blood that was put on the doors of all Jewish households so that the plagues would pass over (Passover, get it?!) their houses.

Beitzah  - this boiled egg has 2 meanings: (1) eggs are a symbol of spring and therefore a symbol of rebirth and hope and (2) eggs are traditionally offered to a family in mourning after a funeral and represent the destruction of the Holy Temple.

Matzah: we eat Matzah during Passover to remind us of the hasty exit of the Jews from Egypt. The Jews fled, and did not give their bread a chance to rise, instead letting it bake on their backs, giving us the flat matzah we eat today.

Elijah's Cup: this cup of wine is not drank by anyone in attendance of the Seder. It is left in honor of the prophet Elijah, who Jews believe will be the Messiah to bring peace to the world. Later in the Seder we will open the door to leave room for Elijah to enter our sacred space.

Miriam's Cup: this cup is filled with water and placed next to Elijah's cup to remind us of the importance of Miriam, Moses' sister. Miriam brought water to the Jews while they were wandering in the desert. It is meant to honor the role that Miriam played in the survival of the Jewish people.


haggadah Section: Introduction