What is on the Table

Leader:

We place a Seder Plate on our table as a reminder to discuss certain aspects of the Passover story. Each item has its own significance.

Reader 3:

Z’roa – For some a roasted bone, and others a roasted beet, that represents the Passover sacrifice offered while the Temple stood in Jerusalem.

Reader 4:

Maror – The bitter herb, horseradish, which reminds us of the bitterness of enslavement.

Reader 5:

Charoset – A mixture of apples, nuts, sweet wine, and spices that represents the mortar used between the bricks of the many buildings the Jewish slaves built in Egypt.

Reader 6:

Karpas – A green vegetable, usually parsley, which is a reminder of the green sprouting up all around us reminding us of hope and renewal.

Reader 1:

Beitzah – An egg, to remind us of the cycle of life.

Reader 2:

Matzah – The matzah is the unleavened bread we eat to remember that when the Jews fled Egypt, they didn’t even have time to let the bread dough rise.

Leader:

Orange – The orange on the Seder plate originally symbolized the inclusion of women and members of the LGBT community, but it has come to symbolize full inclusion in modern day Judaism.


haggadah Section: Introduction