Seder Reflections
Wood-fired Ceramic - 20” diameter
Raw. Organic. Archaeologic. I sculpted this Seder plate with the aesthetic of a Judaic artifact infused with an essence of identity, heritage, and roots. The overall form is reminiscent of shmurah (“watched”) matzah, the round individually hand-shaped matzah similar to what was baked by the Children of Israel as they left Egypt. The Hebrew letters were individually sculpted in an attempt to emulate in 3-D, the process of hand-scribing Hebrew letters in a Torah or mezuzah scroll. Suggestive of a relic of Biblical stories and the past, it’s actually a contemporary Judaic art piece, ready to be used in retelling the story of the Exodus at the Passover Seder.
I’m writing this post Wednesday evening after just having completed two evenings of Seders. The Passover Haggadahs we used, have been in my wife’s family ever since she was a young child. They date back 60 odd years to the early 60’s. The Haggadah books, with their slightly discolored and food/wine stained pages, ooze with a feeling of history and tradition. Every year, we read from these same books. We read the same words in the same order — the same story, the same instructions, the same explanations and meanings. This year however, the words and experience hit me quite differently. The words were more than echoes of the past. They were reminders for the present — they were words that describe what I’m now experiencing and feeling in a very real and palpable way. I learned later, I wasn’t alone.
One excerpt from our Haggadah:
(All raise their cups)
Leader: In every age oppressors rose up against us, To crush our spirit and bring us low.
Assembled: From the hands of all these tyrants and conquerors, The Lord did rescue and restore us.
Leader: Not in Israel alone did Israel face, The threat of total annihilation.
Assembled: In many lands and many ages, The flame of Jewish life faced the fierce winds of tyranny.
Leader: In all these battles and desperate struggles, G-d’s help and guidance assured our survival.
Assembled: Our hope is strong and our faith unshakable, That no enemy shall ever triumph over Israel.
(Cups are put down)
“When do we get to drink?!” was the cry that rang out from the kids as we all set our cups back down on the table.
Happy Passover! “chag same’ach” (pronounced CHAG sah-MAY-ach)
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