You may already know the foods that go on the traditional seder plate: shank bone (zeroa), egg (beitzah), bitter herbs (maror), vegetable (karpas) and a sweet paste called haroset. You may also be vaguely aware that an orange is increasingly being added to those symbolic foods. Do you know why and what the orange represents? You will after you click on the links below.
Quote: “Many have incorporated new rituals as part of the Passover seder. Many seder plates include an orange, which is attributed to Susannah Heschel, professor of Jewish studies at Dartmouth College. Heschel included an orange in recognition of gay and lesbian Jews, and others who are marginalized in the Jewish community. In her ritual, each person takes a segment of the orange, and before eating it, says a blessing over the fruit. The seeds are spit out as a rejection of homophobia.”
— Rabbi Victor S. Appell
Sources: Wikipedia, ReformJudaism.org
Learn more about the traditional items on seder plates (plus the orange) on Wikipedia. ►
Watch “Orange on the Seder Plate” [1:23]. ►
Read “Why do some people include an orange on the seder plate?” ►
Read “Orange on the Seder Plate” ►
Photo: Reform Judaism
We welcome your comments. Click here.
Amazing Jews
In Celebration of the Jewish People
