A Tunisian Passover Custom Ties in with This Year's Oscars

Two hundred+ years a slave(s). That's how long it took the Children of Israel to be free of their bondage.

To remember this fact, Tunisian Jews refined the Moroccan custom of holding the Seder plate on top of each person's head. Instead, they touch the head of each person with the seder plate in order to remind him/her of the unimaginable oppression and hardship slavery entails.

How does this custom tie in with this year's Oscar winner 12 Years A Slave? During the American Civil War a song was composed in 1862 called "Oh! Let My People Go." Its purpose was to serve as the anthem for Contraband -- escaped slaves who joined the Union army. At the same time church and church services served as a center for hope and solace for the slaves, who often used Gospel songs as a means of expression. The Biblical story revolving around the enslavement of the Children of Israel, and their savior Moses helped provide a feeling of faith and trust in the future. As a result "Oh! Let My People Go" evolved into one of the most popular Spirituals sung by the slaves. It's name was changed to "Go Down Moses" and it is still widely sung today by Gospel choirs.

So here's an idea for reprocessing the Tunisian custom. As the leader of the Seder touches the head of each person with the Seder plate, how about everyone singing the first stanza of "Go Down Moses."

1. When Israel was in Egypt’s land,
   Let My people go!
   Oppressed so hard they could not stand,
   Let My people go!
   • Refrain:
     Go down, Moses,
     Way down in Egypt’s land;
     Tell old Pharaoh
     To let My people go!

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Before Rosh Hashanah Begins Tunisian Jews Get Ready for Yom Kippur

For Tunisian Jews Yom Kippur is not for the Faint-Hearted! That's precisely why they have developed a unique pre-Rosh Hashanah custom. It will remind you of the post Succot tradition of tacking full cloves into the Etrog in order to turn it into a creative Havdalah spice.

Here's the deal. Tunisian Jews are mindful of the fact that fasting can affect one's physical well being, to the point of dizziness and fainting. Therefore, before Rosh Hashanah they take a quince fruit, roll it in ground spices, wrap it in a towel and let it sit covered until Yom Kippur. By the time Yom Kippur rolls around the same beautiful yellow quince is now brown, and let's face it, pungent! The strong odor helps people get through the fast day, and makes the day go by fast.

I have no idea what becomes of the quince once the fast is broken. Perhaps it becomes part of a pile of compost? Maybe it's used for Havdalah? But that's not the point. What's wonderful about this custom is that it can provide children with a meaningful and fun activity. It will make them feel part of the Yom Kippur tradition, even if they are not fasting. Seeing that they are creating a home-made "revival" fruit for the adults they love so much -- be it parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles -- they will also inadvertently tap into the ancient tradition of viewing a quince as the fruit of love.
You gotta love this custom. Happy quince hunting.



Quince photo credit

Tunisian Jews Remember Moses through an Unusual Seder Plate Custom

How many times have we heard that Moses -- the hero of our Passover story -- is never mentioned in the Hagaddah? Apparently Tunisian Jews try to rectify this situation through an unusual Seder plate custom. Instead of adorning their table with a variation of the Seder plate familiar to all of us, they use a reed basket (since I'm not sure of the size, I'll let you pick). They put all the Seder plate symbols inside the basket. Before reciting Ha Lachma Anya -- "this is the bread of affliction" --  the woman of the house takes the basket, and circles it over the head of each Seder participant while saying "we quickly left Egypt." The participants answer by reciting these words: "Yesterday we were slaves. Today we are free. This year we are here. Next year we will be free people in the land of Israel."

I think this subtle remembrance of Moses as a baby in a reed basket is brilliant. Similarly, so is the subtle reference to his mother Yocheved and sister Miriam by having the woman of the house take on this role. Finally, doesn't this custom complement the Bukharan Seder overture that I discussed two weeks ago? Start putting all the customs together that I have brought up and you have the makings of a Passover play.

Enjoy your Seder and Bravo to all the actors!

חג שמח

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For Tunisian Jews it's Back to Basics on Seder Night

I'm back to Tunisia, this week for a Seder custom that is truly back to basics. Say the word Seder and most of us immediately associate it with a beautifully turned out table, including masterful pieces of Judaica – the seder plate, Elijah's cup, the Seder leader's Kiddush cup, a finely embroidered afikomen cover, not to mention beautiful china and cutlery.

Say the word Seder to a Jew of Tunisian descent and you get a description of pure home-made fun. To begin with, there is no table. Everyone sits on the floor. As my good friend's granddaughter explained: “we sit on thin mattresses laid out on the floor in the shape of a square.” I must have grimaced at the thought of getting up after sitting on the floor for so long, because she quickly added: “we make sure to have sofas nearby for older family members.” A seder plate? Think again. Tunisians use a large reed basket in which they place eggs (according to the number of children in the family), a leg of lamb for the shank bone, charoset, romaine lettuce for bitter herbs and shmura matzot wrapped in a large cloth napkin. Once the contents are neatly packed inside, the basket is covered with a large, beautiful cloth.

I am certain that a classroom model seder like this would be lots of fun. There's no doubt in my mind that the reed basket symbolizes baby Moses floating down the Nile – so make sure you point that out as well. Combine this with the Passover play custom that so many Sephardic Jews have adopted. It's about as playful as you can get. You may remember that I brought it up when I first started this blog over two years ago. A member of the family discreetly leaves the table before the seder begins, dresses up to look like one of the Children of Israel (make sure to include a walking stick) and sneaks out of the house. Just as the reading of the Haggadah is about to begin s/he knocks on the front door and the play begins. The head of the house gets up, saying: “Who could that be?” Opening the door, he sees a stranger. “Who are you?” he asks. “I am one of the Children of Israel.” “Where are you coming from?” continues the Seder leader. “From Egypt,” answers the stranger. “But how can that be? Aren't you a slave?” asks the Seder leader. “I was,” answers the stranger, continuing with a proud smile. “Now I am a free man.” “Where are you going?” continues the Seder leader. “To Jerusalem,” answers the stranger. “Then you must join us,” insists the Seder leader, “and tell us what it was like being a slave in Egypt.”

Sitting on the floor to eat a meal seems like a logical part of a slave's life in ancient Egypt. Let everyone take a turn and describe the slavery experience. You'll find that your students have some pretty keen insights.

Chag Sameach...Tami