The Seder table reflects the festive nature of this holiday. The more special you make it, the more special it feels! Each participant will need a cup for wine/grape juice. We will share four cups of wine...good wine is highly recommended! At the center of the table is the "Seder Plate" (see the illustration on the back cover). This plate contains the symbolic foods we will use for "props" as we tell the story. These include:

  • Bitter Herbs. Most families use horseradish. You will need enough so that everyone at the table can have about a teaspoonful.
  • A green vegetable. Parsley is commonly used, although any green vegetable is acceptable -- lettuce, celery, green peppers, etc.
  • Salt water. We will be dipping the greens in salt water.
  • Charoset. This is a sweet "relish" made up of chopped apples, nuts, and sweet wine. Everyone will need about a tablespoonful. (But you'll probably want lots more!)
  • A roasted shankbone, or any bone, to represent the Passover offering that was made at the ancient Temple of Jerusalem.
  • A roasted egg. This represents the holiday offering in the ancient Temple.

 


haggadah Section: Introduction
Source: Valley Beth Shalom Haggadah