Saturday night marked the beginning of Passover, one of my least and most favorite holidays. I have always loved the idea of the seder, a meal and service run by the family in the home. Growing up I was always so excited to help set up the seder plate, help make gefilte fish or charoses, set the table with my mother’s good china and silverware, set up all the kiddush cups and take part in all the other traditions surrounding the Jewish festival celebrating the exodus of the Hebrews out of Egypt.
The only thing I don’t like about Passover is the 8 days of no leavened bread products. It’s not even the food that I mind so much (although 8 days of matzah in all of it’s variations does get pretty boring after the first four days) as the result of eating an increased amount of bleached, proccesed flour with very little fiber to compensate. From the time I was 7 or 8 and tried to keep with the tradition until I went to college I ended up popping Correctol like Tic-Tacs for the last 4 days of every Passover. Ahhh, memories.
Anyway, I no longer typically keep in the Passover diet tradition beyond the first day or two and this year I didn’t keep it at all. This is the first year I can remember missing a seder with my family, though. I’m actually writing this on Sunday evening, knowing that my family is getting ready for their seder right now as I type. I’m going to miss the banter while we go through the haggadah page by page with everyone reading parts fo the service out loud. I’ll miss my mom scolding people for licking the wine off their finger when we do the ten plagues (the wine cup can’t be full when so many Egyptians felt the pain of the ten plagues during the final days preceding the Exodus, so we remove a drop of wine for each plague from our “cup of joy” to recollect that others suffered so that we could be free). I’ll miss my brother’s 18th annual rendition of the Four Questions. The youngest child in the family has to sing the questions during the seder. My brother was the youngest in the family until 3 years ago when my cousin Cheese was born, but she won’t be old enough to do them for another couple years so the 24 year old, next to youngest child still gets the Four Questions mantle for yet another year.
I’m not a religious person. Truth be told I’m pretty much an Atheist and a Buddhist (Buddhism is a philosophy, not a religion). I do, however, maintain a very strong sense of pride and identity with my Jewish roots. I come from a line of people who have been mercilessly persecuted for thousands of years and that continue to survive, despite all of the odds that are often stacked against us. Is it some god that has allowed us to continue surviving for all of these hundreds of centuries? I don’t think so. I think it’s the strength of the traditions and the pride of a people who are taught to appreciate the beauty of this world and all of the things in it. So today, for Music Monday, I give you a song taken from one of my favorite animated movies as well as my favorite interpretation of the story of Exodus: The Prince of Egypt. The images, storyline, and music in this movie are beautiful and I’m moved to tears every time I watch it. If you haven’t already seen it, I definitely recommend giving it a glance.
When You Believe - Michelle Pfeiffer/Sally Dworsky
Many nights we’ve prayed
With no hope anyone could hear.
In our hearts a hopeful song we barely understood.
Now we are not afraid
Although we know there’s much to fear.
We were moving mountains long before we knew we could.
There can be miracles when you believe.
Though hope is frail,it’s hard to kill.
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe.
Somehow you will,
You will when you believe.
In this time of fear,
When prayer so often proved in vain,
Hope seemed like the summer birds
so swiftly flown away.
But now I’m standing here(Now I’m standing here)
With heart so full I can’t explain
Seeking faith and speaking words I never thought I’d say.
There can be miracles when you believe.
Though hope is frail,it’s hard to kill.
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe.
Somehow you will,
You will when you believe.
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12:53 am
Like you, I’m now removed spiritually from my Jewish/Christian roots, and this is one of the first years we didn’t have a seder of any sort, which has felt odd. But at the time Prince of Egypt was getting ready to open, one of the first viewings was at the annual CAJE conference, and I was attending. Watching this amazing film in a setting of mostly young people fired up about their Judaism was truly a miracle in its own right. It’s very hard for me to hear this song and not feel the power of seeing our prayers being brought to the mainstream in a respectful manner.
May you enjoy your NEW traditions in your new home with CB.
2:54 am
I can’t watch that song without getting all sniffles-y. Seriously, just thinking about it is making my nose tingle.
The other song in that movie that screws me over in the tears department is ‘Through Heaven’s Eyes’. Bawling. Seriously.
Anyhow, this is an awesome post, and I loved hearing about your family traditions.
3:31 am
you have moved me to tears as well! this time of year, we remember what our ancestors have done for us and I thank you for moving me in that way once again. I know your family is thinking about you and are very proud of you whatever your beliefs! take care and be well, judie
6:05 am
Ah, you WERE with us throughout the entire sedar…Specs…..your kiddish cup was front and center with the sedar plate…sitting there for Elijah to come and take a sip…the matzoh balls were exceptional this year and the company all asked about you and CB…your ‘little’brother did himself proud singing the questions yet again this year…we are trying to get Cheese primed for the job….Cheese’s dad was the ‘Simple Son’ this year, dad was the wicked son, grandpa was the wise son, and gramma Ro was the one who didn’t know how to ask (teehee)…
There are some things that time and distance never change, traditions…you have held on to them well (regardless of your current religiosity) and as you said, that IS what makes the Jewish people so special….and YOU too…..
12:37 pm
Well, I was going to say that I’m sure your family felt you with them at your seder, but your mum beat me to it!
I’ve never watched The Prince of Egypt but that is a beautiful song and a great recommendation.
8:43 pm
philosophy schmilosophy. i’m going to practice it as a religion and YOU CAN’T STOP ME!!! oh yeah. they’ll so be looking at me with their incenseful ways and going “you will heart jebus!” and i will be going “eat my dust, i’m on the way to nirvana, dusteaters!”
oh wait - i’m more taoist than buddhist. i think my point is still valid.
although i would, under taoism, be sitting there letting the tao carry the incense past me. and then i would smile as the tao carried me toward … whatever the tao is carrying me toward.
i so messed that up, didn’t i? it is what it is….
8:45 pm
okay got it. i am starbucksist. i let the starbuckstao carry the iced chai of happiness to me, while i smile and tip the guy with the scone. he too brings happiness. and then we all just *are*. in starbucks.
9:34 pm
I really liked the lyrices of that song! Thanks for sharing your powerful traditions with us.
I actually thought that Passover was celebrated in the same week as the Christians celebrate Easter? Apparently not.
1:38 am
Goofball–the Passover sedar WAS the last supper, so it does usually fall around the same time as Easter…but the Jewish holidays follow the lunar calendar so sometimes the holiday is before or way after Easter.
3:19 am
I feel exactly how you do. I am very connected to my Jewish ethnicity. Not so much the religious part but the tradition part. My daughter has learned so much about Passover and watches that animated Moses over and over. I felt sad this year to have such a small seder because Passover is my favorite holiday and it’s the people that make it. This year was my husband, my kids and my mother in law who graciously embraced it between her trip to Mass and watching the Papal visit. It felt sort of odd to be the only Jew at my seder this year. I suppose technically my kids are Jewish but they are half Irish Catholic too. Basically, me and Elijah got pretty shitfaced on the manichievitz.