My Theme for this Year's Seder: Social Protest

My late father had several wonderful Passover customs. I've already told you about his bringing home strangers to our seder table. Another custom of his was connecting the seder with current events. This is not a kiddie oriented custom, but let's face it -- adults also need a picker-upper so that they won't feel it's "same old, same old" when the Seder rolls around.

I've tried to continue this custom (sometimes successful, sometimes not) and this year I'm saying to myself, it's a no brainer. All the social protest that has been going on in Israel and America is a natural segue to the Haggadah and the story of Passover.

So that's my theme for this year and I'm going to do it through visuals that are going to prominently stand on the seder table -- without taking away from the significance of the seder plate, of course. To begin with, I'm going to make a a small hand-written poster shouting "Let My People Go." Next, if a picture is worth a thousand words, try these 4,000 words worth of pictures out for size.

Along with my hand written placard, this reminder to Pharaoh:

Seamlessly moving to current events, when today we're not slaves, but many of us are feeling downtrodden. Remember the social protests in Tel Aviv last summer on those sizzling, summer nights?

If you'd like to put up some photos with Hebrew protest banners, try this or another option.

Closer to U.S. shores, here are some images for you, especially if you feel you belong with the 99%:

Get the picture? This year the story of Passover and the reading of the Haggadah speak to us loud and clear. Give photos the opportunity of getting that message across.

Wishing all of you a meaningful and memorable Seder.


Egyptian Slaves Photo Credit
Tel Aviv Social Protest Photo Credit
99% Photo Credit
Wall Street Protest Photo Credit

A Purely Persian Purim

Meet Queen Esther. At least that's who I'd like to think this lady is, for who else would be depicted on a 17th century tile made in Isfahan, Iran, depicting an Iranian Jewess?

I have been fascinated by Iranian Jewry for over eight years -- from the moment I discovered Esther and Mordechai's mausoleum while surfing the net. It is located in the Iranian city of Hamadan, also famous for its Persian carpets. The  minute I landed on this Jewish tourist site I began to look at Purim in a purely Persian light. No longer did it seem a mythical tale meant for a carnival celebration. So serious is this holiday that most Jews living in Iran -- secular and religious alike -- observe the Fast of Esther. Nothing is closer to home for them than Purim, with Esther and Mordechai part of their persona.

You can imagine the culture shock Iranian Jews experienced after the 1979 revolution, when many sought safety in the United States and Purim rolled around. Little of what they witnessed was recognizable. Costumes? Certainly NOT a Persian custom. Same for Mardi Gras type merrymaking. Drowning out the name of Haman during the megillah reading through a cacophony of noise? Yes, but only one of their Haman traditions. While hanging effigies of Haman in backyards and burning them was no longer widespread (I assume for reasons of political correctness), some families wrote and sang their own songs about the insidious villain. Haman aside, giving children gifts and coins was a commonplace tradition, providing Purim with an atmosphere we associate with Hanukkah. Finally, Mishloach Manot came in only one form, and it wasn't a basket full of goodies. Homemade halva (much like these Israeli varieties) presented on a plate was the Persian preference, and the most widespread symbol of Purim.

Today, Iranian Jews have successfully assimilated into the American way of life, leaving "the old country" and much of its ways behind. Last year I met a group of American-Iranian Jewish teens studying in Israel. Sadly, they barely knew about these traditions.  How unfortunate in this multi-cultural age.

Hopefully this post will help bring Persia back into Purim. To make it even more authentic, take your students and children on this virtual tour of Esther and Mordechai's mausoleum. Like Jerusalem's Western Wall, it was the place Iranian Jews went to pray, cry and make special requests.

Enjoy your Persian Purim. Make it meaningful and merry at the same time.

Tile photo credit
Halva photo credit

Many Generations Back Jews Living in Jerusalem's Old City Gave Each Other Mishloach Manot on Tu B'Shvat

One of the things I love about writing this blog is discovering how customs normally associated with one holiday have been adapted by different Jewish communities to another. Take the Purim practice of giving Mishloach Manot.  Who would think that this custom would apply to Tu B'Shvat? A seventh generation Israeli whose forebears originally lived in Jerusalem's Old City reports that way back when in the Jewish Quarter, people sent trays filled with fruits, nuts and seeds to one another.

I can only give an educated guess as to why. There has been a continual Jewish presence in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter since the 8th Century BCE. The Tu B'Shvat Seder dates (forgive the pun) back to the 17th century. The term Mishloach Manot literally means "sending portions" -- ensuring that everyone has enough food for the feast. Let's connect the dots. Seven generations back leads us to somewhere in the mid-19th century. Jews living in Jerusalem back then were not exactly wealthy. In all probability, they observed the ritual of a Tu B'Shvat Seder. But what if they didn't have enough money for fruits and seeds? Aha! Mishloach Manot, of course.

As I said, it's only a hunch, but there's no guesswork as to what fruits are eaten on Tu B'Shvat. All you have to do is bite into 5 of the 7 Species: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates are all native to Israel. I say let's expand the list and teach our children about other fruits Israel is famous for (I know that Zvuvi has provided you with the latest innovation).

Let's start with prickly pears, commonly known in Israel as the Sabra fruit. Yes, it's the best way to explain the Israeli personality -- tough and thorny on the outside, sweet and soft on the inside. Please don't forget lovable and loyal.


Need another juicy Israeli fruit tidbit? Try our oranges.

I know that oranges and Florida are synonymous to you, but Israel put oranges on the European market map with its famous Jaffa brand. When Spain and Portugal started to heat up the competition, we branched out by developing unusual citrus varieties.

Finally, how about a new Pitaya hybrid Made in Israel?




Have I helped you make seder -- order -- about fruits for Tu B'Shvat? I hope so. Happy New Tree Year. Enjoy all the fruit that they bear.








Dried Fruit & Nuts Photo Credit
Prickly Pear Photo Credit
Oranges Photo Credit
Pitaya Photo Credit

Iraqi Jews Connect Weddings with Tu B'shvat

Once upon a time Jews living in the Land of Israel planted trees for babies born the previous year. Cedar trees were earmarked for boys, ensuring the infants develop into  tall, upright citizens. Girls on the other hand were assigned cyprus trees because of their grace and fragrance. On wedding days these two trees intertwined, with branches from both used to make the huppah, wedding canopy -- a theme continued on modern-day huppot.

But what about the actual connection between Tu B'Shvat, trees and weddings? Ask Iraqi Jews who call this holiday Chag Livluv HaEtzim -- Holiday of Tree Blossoming. One of their special customs is taking the bachelorettes of their community to the forest and assigning a tree to each as a "husband." One month later they return to the forest, checking which trees have begun to blossom. These symbols of budding romances mark upcoming marriages during the coming year.

You can say this custom is quaint or sweet, but let's put it in today's ecological terms. After all, Tu B'Shvat is the original Arbor Day and by Iraqi Jewish lights one could say that in order to protect the environment, they wisely husband their energy.



Photo Credit