Seder Dinner

Big cultural week! We had a Seder dinner which is a typical Passover meal that Jewish families share together with scripture reading, singing, and eating.

Maren and I sat together at our table :) There were prayer books and a dish with symbolic food on it that we ate throughout the meal ceremony. 

Here's the Seder plate with bitter herbs, a boiled egg, salt water, a chicken bone, and other mixtures.

Here's our table setting with the prayer book under our napkin. 

There was also grape juice that we were supposed to drink at specific times... maybe I drank it throughout the meal... I'm probably a hereditary alcoholic.

Ophir led us in the scripture reading and prayers along with the students sitting around his table.

I got to sing in Hebrew in a group for part of the meal :)

I ate the bitter herbs (representing the bitter afflictions of the Children of Israel) which I dipped in salt water (symbolizing their tears).

Maren helped break the unleavened bread (reminiscent of the exodus out of Egypt which happened so suddenly that they took their bread dough before it could rise). 

We put bitter herbs and a sweet mixture on the unleavened bread and ate it. 

Before we ate the first course of the actual meal we had to wash our hands as part of the ceremony.

Then we finally got to eat!!! I was also sitting by Grace - she's the best :)

The whole meal with all four courses, prayers, songs, scriptures, and commentary from Ophir lasted three hours. He said they typically last longer and go past midnight! I loved that we got to experience it even though Passover is in the Spring. 

I had a great time at our table with Maren, Ben, Sygni, Christeen, and Grace :)