Want to learn how to lead a Seder?

I have to admit that I am very privileged when its comes to having been exposed to many different kinds of Seders.

As a young child, I remember the Seder being the highlight of the Jewish year for me. Looking back it’s not only the great food that I enjoyed, but the abundance of singing together with family and friends.

I would wait with anticipation for the Ma Nishtana and the Dayenu. Just before we ate, we would sings psalms from Hallel and then enjoy the food, and there was lots of it!

I blame the abundance of food at these Sedarim for my current weight issues!

After the food, I remember the Afikoman being hidden and us kids having to find it which reminds me of a family story.

A family member of ours had hidden the Afikoman and the kids went to look for it. About 10 minutes later a kid returned beaming all over; he had found what he thought to be the Afikoman but instead had found a “significantly” large amount of cash which had been hidden under a mattress. You should have seen the father of the house’s face. It was red and white at the same time. Needless to say some negotiation took place and the kid swapped this for a chocolate box. He recalls his stupidity years later.

The other topic of conversation was always around the Matzah Balls or “Kneidlach” as they are better known to mavens.

Would you ever have thought that this topic could contribute at least another 30 minutes to the seder? They are too big, too small, not round enough, not soft enough etc. One thing for sure is the reflux that lingers for days to come.

Once the Afikoman was found, we would then carry on with the Haggadah reading and singing which began with the Grace after Meals and the rest of the Hallel psalms and then different prayers and end off with lots of songs.

I remember waiting to sing the “Chad Gadya” at the end of the Haggadah. I had staying power because of the songs unlike other guests who had politely excused themselves for the marathon affair.

So why all this nostalgia?

I would like to get together with you and teach you how to lead a Seder. Why we do things, different tunes and different foods.

So please join on on the 1st April where I hope to show you a bit of what this Seder is for me.

Please contact the office if you are interested in attending.