SUN CITY – As they broke matzah with one another and observed solemn traditions laid out in the Passover Haggadah, a group of about 120 people gathered for a Seder dinner held in Drendel Ballroom on April 19.
The Seder table features symbolic items such as bitter greens, a shankbone and a roasted egg.(Mason Souza/Sun Day Photo)
Shalom Group members, along with their invited friends and family members, met for the holiday, which commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt. The ceremony included several symbolic foods, like unleavened matzah bread, which the Jews were unable to let fully rise as they quickly fled from Egypt.
Four cups, or in this case, sips of wine were taken to mark the four corners of the universe, showing that Jews seek freedom in all places.
To symbolize their loss of joy at the troubles the Egyptians faced from the 10 plagues cast upon Egypt, attendees removed 10 drops of wine during the second cup. Shalom Group President Dave Rosenfeldt said the drops could also symbolize 10 more contemporary problems society faces, including poverty and racism.
Despite the difficulties remembered during the Seder, the evening and meal represented a joyous time for those in attendance. Young children participated in the ceremony, reading passages in Hebrew and singing traditional songs along with their parents and Sun City residents.
Attendees of the Seder dinner read from the Passover Haggadah (Mason Souza/Sun Day Photo)
Sun City’s Seder featured a bounty of food, most of which was catered by Jameson’s, including gefilte fish with horseradish, matzah ball soup, chicken breast, potatoes, and beef brisket.
The Shalom Group is open to all, and its 100-plus members represent the spectrum of Judaism.
