חספ גח
A SEDER plate for every table
BARBARA SHAW
ETSY ISRAELI JUDAICA
The seder plate is the centerpiece of the Passover table. It holds at least six of the ritual items spoken of during the seder: the zeroah, karpas, maror, chazeret, charoset and beitzah. ZEROAH (SHANK BONE) A roasted lamb shank bone symbolizes the lamb sacrifice made as a special offering the night the ancient Hebrews fled Egypt. A roasted beet may be used as a substitute.
KARPAS (VEGETABLE) Karpas is a green vegetable, usually parsley (though any spring green will do). It represents new growth and the coming of spring.
MAROR AND CHAZERET (BITTER HERBS) Any bitter herb will work, though horseradish is the most common. The herb is meant to bring tears to the eyes and recall the bitterness of slavery. Often romaine lettuce is used as the second bitter herb.
CHAROSET A sweet concoction of apples, nuts, red wine and cinnamon that represents the mortar used by the Hebrew slaves to make bricks.
BEITZAH (EGG) A roasted egg stands in place of one of the sacrificial offerings that would be offered on every holiday (including Passover) when the Temple stood. The roundness of the egg also represents the cycle of life and renewal.
Some Jews add additional items to the seder plate to symbolize modern liberation struggles. The most common new item is an orange, which honors the role of women or gays and lesbians in Jewish life. The orange symbolizes the fruitfulness that these previously marginalized communities bring to Jewish life.
BEATRIZ BALL
34
MARCH/APRIL 2020 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE
