08 Minneapolis Jewish Federation | Spring 2013

The Seder table is a place where memories are made and traditions are handed down. It’s a place to celebrate, remember and honor our freedom. Passover is ALL about the table.

After enduring months and months of shades of gray and white, Passover comes along to help us celebrate spring. It is important to use the table and items on it to capture both the celebratory mood and the religious significance of the holiday.

The Seder plate is, of course, the centerpiece, but the whole table should be a festive feast for the eye and inspire your guests to slow their pace and take the time to retell the Passover story once again. So pull out your family’s heirlooms and remember to tell their stories too.

It doesn’t have to cost a lot to add beauty and meaning to your table. Here are some ideas from local designer Cher Harris of Cher Design to enhance your Seder table.

SeDer TABLe:

Think Color! Don’t just focus on the top of your flower displays – use the whole space. Try taking inexpensive glass vases and surrounding the flower stems with bright vegetables and fruit. For example: Evenly cut asparagus or slices of lime and use them to line the interior of the vase as a comple-ment to the pastel colors of spring flowers (pink and lav-ender tulips, hydrangea, and crocus). Or if you prefer daf-fodils and yellow tulips, try lining your vase with miniature red, yellow and orange peppers, kumquats, or slices of oranges. The brilliance of these colors changes the mood from traditional spring to warm and vibrant. Don’t forget about green! It’s a neutral color that goes with anything… and a great way to use your excess parsley.

Think Layers! With so many items taking up space on the table (Seder and Matzah plates, bowls of charoseth , Kiddush and Miriam’s cups), one way to add interest without taking up space is to layer the table. Start with a basic table cloth then add one or more of the following: a sheer overlay to add sparkle and elegance, a complementary colored napkin poking out between your dinner and salad plates, a colored or sheer runner down the center of the table.

Think Texture! Don’t be afraid to mix patterns and texture to add interest to the table. Strew colorful, glimmering or sheer ribbon in and around the symbolic and religious items on the table. The effect adds whimsy and color. If you’re really adven-turous, you can take artichokes, limes or sprigs of bloom-ing branches as a support for place cards on your table. You can simply layer them on one another, or insert a slit or toothpick to hold the card.

Remember the Kids! If you have youngsters at the table, don’t forget to pro-vide items that keep their interest and keep them at the table for as long as you can (someone has to ask the four questions!) Passover coloring books and crayons, word finds and other activities will keep your youngest guests engaged while allowing their parents to take part in the Seder.

This year, the first night of Passover falls on Monday, March 25th. Make this night different from other nights with new crafts, treats, and a special Passover drink for the adults.

fEATuRES

The Seder table is a place where memories are made and traditions are handed down. It’s a place to celebrate.

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jewishminneapolis.org 09

Four Cups oF…sangria!We’re obligated to drink four cups of wine at the Seder – why not make it the good stuff? Wesley gagnelius, Young Leadership committee member and mixologist/bar manager at Parma 8200, offers a welcome alternative to Manischewitz.

make it yourself or order it at Parma! 5600 W. 83rd Street, Suite 100 Bloomington, MN 55437 www.parma8200.com

SEDER SAngRiA (makes a pitcher)

1 Bottle of Binyamina reserve Zinfandel2 oz Cointreau (optional)3 oz orange juice4 oz Yarden Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine 2-3 cups chopped fresh or frozen fruit of your choice

Set a festive mood at your Seder with this uplifting playlist. Get it free on Spotify – search for Minneapo-lis Jewish Federation Passover playlist!

R GO DOWn, MOSeS Louis Armstrong | Louis & The Good Book | 1958

R MA niSHTAnAH Yaffa Yarkoni | Jewish Holiday Songs Volume 3 | 2009

R DAYeinu Craig Taubman (Featuring Laurence Juber) | Celebrate Passover | 2000

R KADeSH ur’CHATZ Deborah Ktchko-Gray | Passover Seder Songs | 2012

R ADir Hu Shira Kline | ShirLaLa Pesach | 2006

R CHAD GADYA Paul Zim | Passover Seder Sing Along | 1996

R MiriAM’S SOnG Debbie Friedman | And You Shall be a Blessing | 1989

R LeT MY PeOPLe GO Rich Recht | Knockin Holes in the Darkness | 2008

R AvADiM HAYenu Craig Taubman | Passover Lounge | 2006

R One DAY Maccabeats | Voices from the Heights | 2010

R eLiYAHu HAnAvi David Broza | Best of the Celebrate Series | 2006

R eLiYAH Craig Taubman | Inscribed | 2005

passover playlist

In many homes, once the afikomen is found, it’s the Seder leader’s job to bargain its return so that the Seder can continue. Prizes, silver dollars, and good old fashioned cash are often the fare. Why not encourage the kids to pay it forward? Instead of a prize for themselves, give them “tzedakah dollars”, representing a donation made in their honor by you to provide relief for suffering Jews – just like Pharoah’s slaves in Egypt – around the world. To print tzedakah bucks for your Seder, go to jewishminneapolis.org/tzedakahbucks.aspx

So you found The afIkomen…

a Child’s introduCtion to pesaChThere are so many books about Passover – it’s a good thing it lasts eight days! If you’re looking for a great book to teach your youngest Seder guests about this wonderful holiday, pick one from pJ library’s list! This month, as they do every month, PJ Library members will receive one of these fun and informative books to share Jewish culture and heritage with their children – for free! For a list of this month’s books, or to sign up for PJ Library, visit www.pjlibrary.org

PJ Library is locally funded in part though the Louis Herman Memorial Fund, a designated fund of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation's Jewish Community Foundation, a grant from Harry and Sandy Lerner, and Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis. A program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library nourishes Jewish life from the start.