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Vegetarian Seder Plate
Contributed by Kady Bourn

  • TOP HAGGADAHS FOR 2023
Vegetarian Seder Plate

The Passover Haggadah demands that each person see him or herself as having personally come forth out of Egypt. Accordingly, the seder is one of the most sensory-heavy rituals of the Jewish year. During the seder, we don't just tell the story of the Exodus, we see, smell, feel, and taste liberation.

The foods on the Seder plate help us remember the story of Passover.

Zeroa - For some a 'roasted bone', but on our plate a roasted beet that represents the Passover sacrifice offered
while the Temple stood in Jerusalem (before 70 CE)
Beitza - For some a roasted egg, but for on our plate to honor our home's mixed religious backgrounds, we have dyed eggs. The egg symbolizes the continuity of life. It can also represent the rebirth that comes after mourning. It reminds us that even amid devastation, we can overcome tragedy, turn our lives around, and start anew —stronger than before.

Charoset - A mixture of fruit, nuts, wine and spices, which represents the mortar our ancestors used to build the structures in Mitzrayim (Egypt)
Karpas - A green vegetable, which symbolizes hope and renewal.
Chazeret - A second bitter vegetable (often romaine lettuce), again reminding us of the harshness of slavery

and a few additions that are not traditional, including:

an Orange - Various stories are told about how an orange was initially added to the Seder plate and who it is intended to symbolize. For some, the orange acknowledges the role of women in Jewish myths, community and society overall. For others, the orange is a symbol of "the fruitfulness for all Jews when lesbians and gay men are contributing and active members of Jewish life. In addition, each orange segment had a few seeds that had to be spit out - a gesture of spitting out, repudiating the homophobia that poisons too many Jews." Regardless of how the orange first wound up at a Seder, it represents the ability to honor tradition by adding new elements to the old. The orange also announces that those on the margins have fully arrived as coauthors of Jewish history.

Olives and a Banana...
haggadah Section: Karpas
Source: Susan Walker/Anita Diamant

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