Illustration by Julie Z. Russo
The first seder night of Passover begins this year on April 14, 2014, and continues through April 22. The preparation of the table includes three plates; in one is matzoth; another the seder plate holds a shank bone, egg, some horse-radish “bitter herbs” and celery and parsley, also a mixture of nuts, fruits and wine (Haroseth); and in a third, vinegar or salt-water. The flat Matzoth is eaten to remember the bread of affliction in the land of Egypt when the Jewish people were slaves of Pharaoh. Bitter herbs dipped into salt water remind us of the tears shed during slavery. There was not enough time for the dough of our ancestors to become leavened before the Jewish people were thrust out of Egypt. The bitter herbs are eaten to recall the bitter life of hard labor the Jewish people led. The Haroseth symbolizes the bricks and mortar of the buildings they built and the fields where they worked. The egg and shank bone are symbols of the two Jewish temples lost, and the 13th plague that passed over the Jews. Matzoh and herbs are eaten together to follow the words in the Torah. Every generation must look upon his or herself as if he or she had personally come out from Egypt. The Passover Haggadah (prayer book) tells the story of how the Holy One brought us out from "slavery to freedom, from anguish to joy, from sorrow to festivity, from darkness to great light," said Rabbi Nathan Goldberg.
Recipe for Haroseth:
4 chopped apples
1 cup of raisins
¼ cup of red kosher wine
¼ cup of chopped walnuts
Mix together and enjoy!