Last night, I went to the program organizer’s best friend’s house for a massive Seder. I think it was hands down the most exciting Seder I’ve ever been to. The grandmother and grandfather have 6 grown children who each have 3 kids of their own who span from ages 8 to 22. Most everyone in the family was present and was crammed around two small tables. From the moment I entered the house, everyone was shouting and laughing and dancing around.
To commence the evening’s festivities, the grandfather walked to the head of the table, poured himself a glass of wine and shouted the first blessing. It seemed like no one was listening, but as he finished the last words of the brucha, everyone shouted ‘Amen!’ and the epic Seder began! There were enough Haggadot for everyone and as soon as they were passed out, the speed-reading of the Seder began. You had to be on your toes because as soon as someone finished reading a section of the Hagaddah, a different name would be shouted and that person had to continue reading. Occasionally, the Seder was interrupted by one of the son’s who would butt in by beating his drum and then there would be a few minutes of ruckus song. At one point, the youngest girl, Shirai, began the typical four questions by shouting “Mah!” at the top of her lungs, at which point her father picked up the drum and everyone joined in singing the rest of the questions at the top of their lungs. It was crazy time in the house, but it was so much fun.
Celery, salt water, wine, matzo, maror, charoset and many blessing were almost literally thrown around the table while the story of Passover was being sped through. There was laughing and clapping and loads of merriment. When we reached the halfway point of the Seder, the books were shoved in a corner and the food was put on the table. There was enough food for nearly 3 times the amount of people present. There were easily 10 different types of salads from your traditional potato salad to baba ganoush to Swiss chard salad to pickled veggies. Then there was the meat. There was what I believed to be matzo stuffed with liver, fall off the bone lamb with veggies, chicken stuffed with some other type of meat, potato knish type things with ground beef inside… I was told I needed to try everything, so I did. (Worry not, I dressed appropriately in a billowy dress and had preemptively taken a Gas-X and an anti-acid. So besides being completely stuffed, I felt excellent!)
After dinner, the plates were cleared quickly by a few of the women, while everyone else lounged on couches or the floor. Within 15 minutes, half the kitchen was cleaned and cleared and the desert was presented. The women insisted that I have every desert on the table. I obliged and they watched me eat. Post consumption and at the beginning of what is bound to be a week-long food coma, the drum was brought out again and thus commenced a dance party. We sang traditional Passover songs and then the women danced in a circle in the small part of the kitchen that had been cleared. It was so much fun!
Smadar, the woman who brought be to the Seder, brought me home after that and said I was welcomed at any time. I will certainly be taking them up on that offer and will be making them something delicious as a thank you. I decided upon arriving home that my next Seder is going to be modeled after that one. Obviously, I will be translating it into an English version, but it’ll be just as chaotic and full of love and craziness as that one! You are all welcomed to my crazy Israeli-style Seder next year. What wonderful people they all are and what a phenomenal Israeli experience! I wish I had pictures and videos to show you!
I hope you all had lovely Seders and are enjoying full bellies! Sending lots of spring love, Marissa
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