Seder Dinner by Zoom – Wednesday April 8, 2020

Topic: RUC Seder Dinner by Zoom
Time: Apr 8, 2020 07:00 PM Mountain Time

To Join the Seder Zoom videoconference gathering:
https://zoom.us/j/6743740884

Meeting ID: 674 374 0884
or by phone only by calling 1-587-328-1099 in Canada

Questions? jcurd@shaw.ca or dlspaner@shaw.ca

“Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” Luke 22: 7-8

Every month in the United Church of Canada, we celebrate the sacrament of communion, in remembrance of the Last Supper, the meal that Jesus ate with his disciples the night before his crucifixion. The gospels tell us that this meal was a celebration of the Passover, the ancient Jewish holy day of Pesac, which Jews have celebrated for centuries to mark the delivery of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. Jews celebrated the Passover in Old Testament times, in Jesus’ times, and to this day.

Join us on Wednesday as we experience a celebration of Passover, acknowledging our faith’s Jewish roots. Led by Doug Spaner, we will tell stories, sing, pray, and eat the ritual foods of a Seder meal.

There are many roles to be played during the Seder dinner so if anyone is willing to do a reading or if there is a child willing to ask the 4 questions, please let Doug know at: dlspaner@shaw.ca

Preparation in advance

In order to experience this meal in our own homes, we suggest some advance preparation. We will be making our way around the Seder plate which includes six different items of symbolic significance. Jewish families would have a special plate used for this purpose. Any family or individual who would like their own Seder plate can let us know and one will be delivered to their doorstep!

It is not expected that you will make a special trip to the grocery store for the purposes of this meal, so various alternatives are offered below.

  • Maror and Charazet – bitter herbs to remind Seder participants of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt. Typically this would be a teaspoon of horseradish – feel free to substitute any spicy sauce of your choice for the horseradish (cocktail sauce, wasabi, hot sauce – be creative!) and a romaine leaf (but could be any leafy green).
  • Karpas – The vegetable used for Karpas is usually either parsley or celery. Early in the Seder process, the Karpas is dipped in salt water and eaten,
  • Salt water – to symbolise the tears shed by the Jewish people during their slavery.  Prepare a small bowl of salt water for dipping.
  • Beitzah– a hardboiled egg, peeled. this is meant to be a reference to the Korban Chagigah, a special sacrifice offered during Jewish festival periods.
  • Zeroah – Usually the shank bone of a lamb, but perhaps you have a chicken bone to add to your plate. This represents the Passover offering – in the Temple period in Jerusalem, Jews would bring a lamb as an offering, later eating it at the Seder.
  • Matzah – unleavened bread. If you are shopping, you might find this in the cracker section.  An alternative would be any cracker.
  • Charoset – this is a paste-like substance, usually made out of a mixture of fruits, spices, nuts and wine. It is meant to represent the mortar used by the Israelites to build edifices for the Egyptians during their slavery.  If you are so inclined you could make charoset – an alternative would be a slice of apple.
    • 3 large apples
    • ¼ cup coarsely chopped pecans
    • 2 Tbsp sweet red kosher wine (or grape juice or port)
    • 1 Tbsp Sugar
    • ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until coarsely chopped.

  • In addition, you should have a glass of wine/grape juice/water on hand during the ceremonial meal.

The Seder Dinner

Our virtual Zoom meal will just include the ceremonial portion above, but if extended family and friends gathered, a full meal would follow. Most Jewish families would wait until after the ceremony to have supper (much to the displeasure of the children). This would be a typical menu for the supper:

  • Matzah Ball soup (this can be purchased in a jar at Andy’s IGA on 142 Street or a mix for matzah balls served in a chicken broth).  Campbell’s Chicken noodle soup would also work!
  • Gefilte Fish (also available at Andy’s IGA in a jar) or some tuna on a plate.
  • Brisket (Doug’s Mom’s Recipe)
    • 4-5 lb. beef brisket
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup ketchup
    • 11/4 cup vinegar
    • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
    • 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
    • 1 Bay Leaf crumbled
    • 1/4 tsp pepper

Rub meat with salt, place in ungreased backing dish (13 1/2 x 9 x 2).  Stir together remaining ingredients; pour over meat and cover tightly.  Bake @ 325 for 3 hrs.

  • Vegetables (potatoes, carrots, parsnips can cooked around the brisket however watch for drying and add water)
  • Dessert (Go crazy…however Passover desserts shouldn’t contain flour)

Enjoy!