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Andrew Ordover's avatar

Passover to me is all about connection to the past. The ancient story, yes, but also: my aunt Cissie's brisket recipe, which we only make once a year even though it's so simple and so good; my mother's chicken soup, which my wife now makes; my mother's way of making charoset--by hand, in a wooden bowl with a hand chopper; the hagaddah I stitched together from all the sources my parents liked, with certain key phrases that I remember from all of my childhood seders.

That's the thing: every time you do it brings back all the other times you've done it: with your parents, with your college friends; in the set of a play with your theater company, as a parent yourself. It's a time machine

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Marnie Rapaport's avatar

No small task to weave those three topics together so beautifully. This week has been tough for those of us who sat through hours of con law fighting sleep. Turns out I didn’t actually need to stay awake since so much is no longer relevant. Anyway. Here’s something I came upon a few years ago re my peeps. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/05/11/jewish-practices-and-customs/. We are a pretty diverse group. And while we don’t believe in hell, guilt is a pretty strong component of Jewish life, and in the hands of strong Jewish women, not to be underestimated as a motivator.

Growing up, my Seder was at my aunt’s house, mother’s side. There might have been a Haggadah there, but not likely. But there was a Sedar plate and all the traditional foods, and we gorged Thanksgiving level. Great non religious time had by all. When I attended my husband’s family Seders, led by his maternal grandfather (most amazing man who fled from Poland and ended up in a Siberian work camp), the meal was pretty much secondary to reading the Haggadah in Hebrew and lots of atonal singing. I miss David terribly, but don’t miss those Sedars. JVL should link to this essay. Just saying.

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