The National Council of Jewish Women of Australia will conduct a Women’s Interfaith Model Passover Seder at the Eva Besen Centre, Caulfield North on Wednesday, 21 March. This is a women-only event, an interfaith event and has been a fully booked out program when it has been provided in the past.
A Passover Seder is a commemoration of the day when the Jews escaped from slavery in Egypt led by Moses. More than 90 women and girls from diverse faiths, cultural and ethnic backgrounds met at the Eva Besen Centre. A community leader – Melinda Jones – will guide participants through the proceedings by sharing the meaning and history of each meal, the story of the Exodus from Egypt, traditional blessing etc.
The Seder Plate comes with bowls of salt water and six types of food including parsley, charoset (a ground up sweet mixture of nuts, apples, sultanas, of various recipes), shank bone, hard boiled egg, bitter herb, lettuce. For example, parsley represents the season of spring- the rebirth of nature and birth of Israel. Bitter herb symbolises the bitterness of the life of Israelite slaves in Egypt. And salt water represents the tears of the slaves.
A symbol of the Passover holiday is matzah, an unleavened flatbread made solely from flour and water. It seems so simple, plain and flat, we were told.
‘But for a symbol of Freedom, it is impressive. Matzah is not only the dough which our ancestors did not have the time to let rise as they left Egypt- the bread of liberation; but it is also the bread of poverty and persecution which our ancestors ate when they were slaves.
The central theme of the first half of the Seder is their past liberation from slavery. The second part has its central theme of the future. It is all about faith in the coming of the Messiah and the Messianic Age of peace on earth. Elijah, it is said, will precede the Messiah, riding into Jerusalem announcing the arrival of the Messianic Age. So we poured a cup of wine for the prophet Elijah and opened a door through which he can enter..
Event Details
Program: Women’s Interfaith Model Passover Seder
Date: Wednesday 21 March 2018
Time: 5:45pm for a 6pm start
Location: The Eva Besen Centre, 131-133 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield North
Cost: $25 per person | $15 school students
RSVP: 7 March 2018 for catering purposes | For online booking, click here
Further information: 03 9044 5401 during business hours
Facilitated by: Melinda Jones
We encourage you to please bring a friend or relative from the same or different faith with whom to share this experience.
Please note: This is a women only event
Includes a specially prepared ‘Seder’ type meal, take home booklet and packet of matzah.
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