The regular seders take place in people's homes on the first night of Passover, just like in the book of Exodus, but they have these gatherings of up to 600 people to give us non-Jews a chance to experience a something of what it's all about. Not only does it help to demystify Judaism, but it also gives Christians a chance to get a better idea of what the Last Supper was all about.
Well, I'm just back from this year's seder, and I'm exhilarated! Usually I've sat with a table of middle aged or older people, or with parents of small children. But this year I arrived just as they were beginning and the first empty seat I could find was at a table with six young people at it. Four boys and two girls. It turned out they were all freshmen at Gordon College; and they were part of a contingent of 65 who had been brought by Professor Marvin Wilson, a Christian who is a tireless champion of interfaith understanding. One of the boys was Jewish, and the others were Gentiles; and they were all from out of state (Connecticut, Virginia, California, and I don't remember the others).
The organizers had put a couple of tambourines on each table (a new thing) and they encouraged us to play them and to clap along with the music. It didn't take long for me to get into the spirit of it and clap along. The Jewish boy did a few little dance steps during several of the musical pieces, and I even did a bit. But then! After the seder was formally concluded, they had a band perform a lively Jewish number, and the Jewish boy took a tambourine and danced away from the table, with one of the girls dancing behind. A minute or two later, the rest of us walked to where they were. Then they saw a circle of dancers (holding hands and going around clockwise, counterclockwise, toward the center, back out) and the two joined it, followed soon by two more. Finally the last two encouraged me to join them in the circle and I did! The circle had become too large for the space, so several, including our Jewish boy, formed a smaller circle in the middle. Sometimes they'd be going one way while we on the outside were going the other. After several minutes I began to feel a bit winded, and left the circle, and soon the dance came to an end.
Back at our table as we picked up our things we all agreed that we hoped to see each other at next year's seder.
If you ever have a chance to go to an interfaith seder, whether organized by ADL or some other group, I strongly recommend it. We all know the importance of understanding and respect, and these seders are an excellent way of promoting one form of them.
6 comments:
haha sounds like fun.
I just would have been a bump on the log and stayed at the table the whole time.
I love Jewish celebrations. Did my first Hanukah gathering in December on Long Island, and it was a blast! Especially the food and music.
Peter, if I was moved to get up and dance, even you might have been — especially with all of us urging you on.
Blackout, I've never been to a Hannukah celebration, but if they're anything like this, they must be great.
well sounds like fun. never been around jewish celebrations something i need 2 do.
mmm sounds cool like to learn more
Thanks for the further comments. There is so much to the Passover Seder, that it is difficult to know where to begin and where to stop. There is a text, called Haggadah, which speaks of the liberation of Israel from Egypt — the central focus of the Passover celebration. But there are numerous rituals involved, many involving symbolic foods. There are also songs, narratives, and blessings.
Here is a link to what looks like a very traditional text.
www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/661624/jewish/English-Haggadah-with-Instructional-Guide.htm
You'll have to click on the various parts.
But Conservative and Reform Jews often adapt and modify the texts to make them more suited to contemporary circumstances.
You can find a lot more if you google Haggadah.
At the Interfaith Seder, the blessings are generally sung in Hebrew and then repeated in English. Some of the songs may be sung in Hebrew. But the rest is in English; otherwise, we Gentiles wouldn't know what was going on.
I think it is great to have these things, because it demystifies an important aspect of Judaism for us — and this at the point where Christianity is most closely connected to Judaism. And I think it is good for us to be able to become acquainted with Jews and Judaism, so we come to realize that they are not some weird characters (and maybe slightly sinister), but normal people with rituals that connect them to Biblical times.
I was very fortunate to go to a high school with Jews as maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of the student body. On average they studied harder than the non-Jews, but basically in a situation like that you learn that they are just regular people.
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