Jewish Seder At St Rose—

A Symbolic Feast Tells Story

Of Escape To Freedom

 By Kendra Bobowick

Celebrating the Passover Seder earlier this week, St Rose of Lima eighth grade students prepared the holiday’s traditional Jewish meal for the second year in a row. Parent volunteers Mandy Monaco and Alice Walsh set the table with items used during the Seder’s primary focus — retelling the Jewish people’s story about their flight for freedom from Egypt. The Seder marks the beginning of Passover.

The story explains how Moses entered Egypt to free the Jewish people from slavery.

The Jews fled with few belongings, including unleavened bread dough, which they laid out to cook in the sun. The Seder table is set with Matzos, unleavened bread, and other symbolic foods. One plate holds five of these foods, all significant to the story of the flight to freedom by the Jewish peoples.

Ms Monaco explained that the school students were learning about the similarities between their religion and the Jewish faith. Noting one overlapping event of great significance in both faiths, Ms Monaco explained that the first Seder was in fact The Last Supper, where Jesus sits surrounded by disciples.

Significant reminders of Jewish beliefs also accompany the symbolic feast. Student Chelsea Martens dipped her pinky into “wine” and pressed drops onto her plate to remember the ten plagues visited upon the Egyptian Pharaoh who persecuted Jews.

St Rose students celebrated their Seder meal Tuesday morning, which was a convenient time. Passover (Pesach) begins on the eve of the 15th day of the month of Nisan according to the Jewish lunar calendar. The date varies from year to year according to the English calendar, falling in March or April.

This year, Passover begins on April 12. By the Jewish calendar, this is year 5766. The festival lasts for eight days, incorporating the tradition of the Seder family meal on the first two nights.

Also contributing authenticity was math teacher Ryan Woodcock, who recited parts of the Seder in Hebrew. He also lit candles alongside the centerpiece — the plate with five symbolic foods.