The Seder Symbols

To help us remember that we were not always free, we make our Seder table very different from our regular dinner. There is a Seder plate with special foods on it: charoset, bitter herbs, shank bone, parsley, and roasted egg.

Charoset, made with apples and nuts, looks like the mortar or cement used by the Jewish slaves to build Pharaoh’s cities and palaces.

Bitter Herbs help us to remember the bitter lives of the Jewish children and their families when they were forced to be slaves in Egypt.

Shank bone from a lamb is symbolic of the power of God to protect all those who believe in him. It also represents the very first Passover celebration when the Jews roasted a lamb and ate it with matzah.

Parsley represents springtime when the sun shines, trees sprout new green leaves, flowers bloom, and the Passover celebration begins.

Roasted egg reminds us of new life --  a new beginning for the Jewish people.


haggadah Section: Rachtzah