The SDMB Virtual Seder

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Inspired by this thread:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=3289841#post3289841

And this thread:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=175932

I’ve decided to host a virtual Seder here at the SDMB this year. Any and all are welcome; there is no required degree of religious observance. Heck, you don’t even have to be Jewish. (That was always one of my favorite parts of Mom’s Seders; we always invited friends, usually non-Jewish ones.)

For those of us who are not so religiously devout, or who aren’t even sure we believe in God (a category which even includes my grandfather, I was very surprised to discover some years back, but that’s a thread for another day), feel free to consider this a celebration of Jewish culture in its many manifestations, as well as a showing of respect for the traditions of our ancestors and a testament to the survival of the Jewish people through all sorts of hardships.

OK, my Hebrew sucks, quite frankly, so who wants to volunteer to lead the service? I’ll handle menu coordination. I’ve been dying to try some new recipes from Claudia Roden’s The Book of Jewish Food: A Culinary Odyssey from Samarkand to New York. My family is Ashkenazic, but some of the Sephardic recipes look really interesting, and they seem spring-ier, what with all the ones involving lamb and fresh vegetables and herbs. I’ll cover the charoses, one of the funky Middle Eastern lamb recipes, and a veggie side dish or two. I’m going grocery shopping now; any requests?

Feel free to volunteer to cover parts of the service, to bring dinner components, music, items required for any favorite rituals of yours, guests, and of course, wine. (Plus, if anyone has a set of Haggadahs large enough to distribute to everyone, that would be great. It drives me bonkers when everyone is trying to follow out of seven different Haggadahs of various vintages.)

Volunteers, anyone? Who’s in? Who’s the youngest, to read the Four Questions? Who volunteers to hide the Afikomen? Who volunteers to hunt for the Afikomen? We can have this thing run for the next 8 days, in case anyone has scheduling conflicts or in case anyone’s real-life Seder ends up not being all that they’d hoped.

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I’ve got three different Haggadahs, one of which I’ve got a pdf of so folks can print it out on their own and come prepared! :slight_smile:

Also, I’m in the process of making matzo ball soup for 25 people, so I don’t see why I couldn’t up the recipe to cover a doper seder.

:slight_smile:

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Can I be the foolish son?

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I was The Wicked Son for a LOOOOOOOOONG time, but I’m very much in a wanting- to- make- up- with- Green Bean -after- last -year’-s awfulness mood so if she wants to be the foolish son, so be it !! :slight_smile:

Eva, you’re the BEST ! Okay, I’m not sure I’m comfortable leading a Seder. I will be very happy to do some responsive reading, tell part of the tale and be the official SDMB Affikomen Security Force :d :d :d :d ;J :d :d :d :d ( notice if you will, how seamlessly the Observant one blends in with the hilarious ones…tee hee ).

I will also provide the Fem-Bot on violin and the Man-Cub on flute and piccolo, to accompany the wonderful songs that are an integral part of any Seder.

It’s 11:45 a.m., EST. Right now I’d be hard at work, fine-tuning the Challah and eyeing the brisket with concern. Too many mushrooms? Not enough mushrooms? Is it even humanly possible to USE too many mushrooms? What would the Rebbe’s of old have said about this quandry?

I’d also be hand-grinding the fixin’s for the horseradish. Yessiree Bob, nothing like horseradish you’ve seen to yourself.

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<----------laughing very hard. Not only was the coding abysmal, but I presumed it would be fine and made a joke about it… oye gevalt.

I’m partial to Onion Matzohs, can we have some of that at the table as well, or just the traditional ones?

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Well, I know absolutely nothing about seders, being brought up Catholic and all - can I sit in the shadows and watch??

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I’d like to sit with *FCM, since I’m Christian and won’t know what to do. That way, maybe I can participate next year!

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I’d like to sit with FCM, since I’m Christian and won’t know what to do. That way, maybe I can participate next year!

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Oooh, oooh! I want to hunt for the afikoman! Please?

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I’d like it to be known that I am undefeated in Hide the Afikomen. This may be due to me being an only child.

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To all: in case it wasn’t clear from the OP, everyone is welcome, regardless of level of Seder experience. All is accepted and welcomed. Onion matzohs, Catholics, lapsed Jewish agnostics, even (gasp!) jokes! (I’m very partial to mushrooms, though; the more, the merrier.)

This is a Seder for sharing traditions, sharing ideas, sharing warmth and laughter, and of course, that most Jewish of activities, sharing of food!

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In that case then, I vote for LOTS of mushrooms.

Do I hafta get dressed up? Like with pantyhose and everything? Or can I just pick out a clean pair of jeans?

And I’ll help set the table, since I have absolutely no idea what the traditional dishes are or how to prepare tham. I’ll even help do dishes after.

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**FCM, ** please wear whatever makes you comfortable. I will definitely take you up on the doing the dishes…I love to cook, but I hate washing dishes! Wanna hang out with me in the kitchen while I cook? We can swap recipes.

I’ll also bring my copy of A Carp in the Bathtub, my favorite children’s Passover book.

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Well, having been lucky enough to be the oldest, I avoided the Four Questions thingy entirely! :smiley: (By the time I was old enough to learn to read, my brother came along, then my cousin Matt.)

Can Aaron be the Young Son? He’s never been to a seder in his life, and hasn’t had Manischiewitz wine since his bris.

And I volunteer to bring the wine. I’ve got two big bottles of the kosher stuff in my car, one concord grape for the purists, and another blackberry for the radical element.

Robin

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Aw, 'Toons, that’s all forgotten. Not to worry.

But I’ll still be the foolish son. :slight_smile:

The best prize I ever got for finding the afikomen was a tree! My husband’s aunt and uncle were moving, and trying to get rid of stuff, so they told me I could have this 7 foot potted dragon tree if I wanted. It’s been 4 years, and it’s very happy in its new home.

p.s. Thanks for the mention of wine, Robin. I mean to bring some decent wine every year, but I always forget. My husband’s aunt and uncle serve Manischewitz only. Gack!

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Oh, and Cartooniverse, one year we found out the hard way that fresh-ground horseradish is perfectly capable of dissolving antique silverplate. So y’all be careful out there!

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The only stuff I could find was Manischewitz. Sorry.

Robin

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I’ll just sit over here with FCM and stargazer, if that’s OK. And I can help with the dishes! FCM, wash or dry?

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I made a very good tzimmes for tomorrow night, I can bring some!

Oooh, and I also have a terrific recipe for… well, sorta like matza Skor bars.

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OK, I’m bringing the latkes. (Latkes are traditional, right?) I’ve got recipes for traditional potato latkes, potato and sweet potato latkes, and potato and parsnip latkes. Actually, I’ll bring the ingredients and we’ll cook them there!

The sweet potato latkes are the best! :slight_smile: