Passover Passover (April 02, 2004)

The Jewish holiday of freedom and food
by Deborah Grossman

Spaghetti and meatballs or steak sandwiches were typical mealtime fare for my family when I was growing up in Delaware. But every spring, we tumbled into the Chevy station wagon for an eagerly awaited trip to my grandparents' home in Philadelphia. We were on our way to Passover Seder service and a most unusual dinner.

My sisters and I cheered when Passover arrived. This was one holiday when we weren't ensconced in our synagogue seats for a long sermon. Along with our Philadelphia cousins, we listened to Poppy, our soft-spoken yet stately, Russian-born grandfather, narrate the ancient Passover story of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. We lent our loud voices to my father's melodic lead tenor in songs of rejoicing about our many freedoms.

On this night, there were no breads, noodles or TastyKakes at the table. But we didn't mind a bit.

We ate unusual foods like matzo and charoset - and learned their symbolic link to the Passover story. Cracker-like matzo represented the Jews' hurried exodus before their bread had time to rise. Charoset, the crunchy mix of apples, wine, nuts and cinnamon scooped onto matzo at the end of the service, looked like the mortar the Jews used while in captivity to construct the Pharaoh's buildings.

After the storytelling, the main Seder meal was served. We devoured Bubbie Elka's golden chicken soup flecked with carrots and fluffy pillows of matzo balls, potato kugel (pudding) and brisket.

My favorite Passover food was charoset. I assumed all Jews made charoset the way my Mother Goldie and Bubbie Elka prepared it. Like other Eastern European Jews who immigrated to America, Bubbie cooked in the Ashkenazic style, using familiar, old-country ingredients like apples and walnuts in her charoset.

But as I've celebrated Passover in a variety of locations and in the Tri-Valley, I've encountered many different delicious styles of charoset. And I've continued to reflect on the freedoms we celebrate during the weeklong holiday.

While living in England, I favored tart-sweet charoset prepared with Essex Pippin apples; in Mississippi, I embraced my friend's Southern pecan-studded charoset. When my cousin married an Israeli, I admired her husband's Sephardic charoset made with dates and almonds, Mediterranean produce familiar to Jews of Spanish and North African heritage.

On Monday, April 5, my husband Michael and I will join his family in the East Bay for the first night Seder. But to kick off the Passover season, I attended a charoset tasting and competition sponsored by Congregation Beth Emek, the Tri-Valley's Jewish community, held at a member's home last weekend.

Rabbi Richard Winer, spiritual leader of Beth Emek, said he is particularly fond of charoset made by his wife, Rabbi Laura Novak Winer.

"For our Seder, Rabbi Laura makes three styles of charoset: a traditional, Ashkenazic recipe, another similar batch without nuts, and then a Moroccan recipe which is rolled into balls," said Rabbi Richard Winer. "That one is my favorite and it makes good, finger food leftovers for the rest of the week."

Several years ago, Rabbi Winer and others launched a friendly competition at the annual charoset tasting and recipe sharing event. The winner received the "Golden Trowel" award, a gold-painted, garden trowel with a brick attached, representing the idea that charoset was the mortar for the bricks of our ancestors' slavery.

At Saturday's tasting, Rabbi Winer mingled with the 35 adults and 20 hungry kids, then approached the charoset bar. His eyes lit up at the Moroccan charoset balls, one of five entries in the contest.

"Just like Rabbi Laura's recipe," he said with a grin and reached for another ball. I, too, popped another sweet-tart ball onto a matzo cracker.

Elainea and Stanley Cohen of Pleasanton hovered at the counter, chatting with friends and sampling the charoset. Elainea entered a traditional chunky apple charoset and was surprised at the variety of the competition.

"I think this tasting is a great idea because I wasn't aware there were so many ways to make charoset. It's the first time we've tried the Moroccan style and we really liked it," said Elainea.

The Moroccan charoset and the unusual Yemenite entry spiced with cayenne, coriander, ground ginger and sesame generated quite a buzz. But the "Golden Trowel" award went to a more traditional Ashkenazic style by Jack and Judy LeWinter of Livermore. Their secret ingredient?

"We used Bogle Petite Sirah Port instead of the usual sweet Passover wine like Manischewitz," revealed Jack.

This year, with nations stepping toward democracy, Rabbi Richard Winer said the Passover story is ever more relevant. "At the end of the Seder, we say that we've been slaves, but next year we will live in freedom. We pray that everyone in the world will have freedom."

At our Seder, we'll pause with Jews around the world to reflect on how to help others separate from tyranny. And we'll each silently recall cherished memories of previous Seders. I'll recall Poppy's sweet smile, Dad's melodic harmonies, and Bubbie's elegant chicken soup. Then we'll savor new and classic renditions of once-a-year food delights and warm camaraderie.

Sharing the Passover table Sharing the Passover table (April 02, 2004)

On the second evening of the Passover holiday, Jews traditionally invite guests to their home for a Seder. During the Seder, participants retell the story of the Jews' exodus from Egypt and share a meal of symbolic and festive foods. Congregation Beth Emek, the Tri-Valley Jewish community, is sponsoring a "Host a Family for Passover" on April 6.

If you have open space at your Seder table for a few more guests or if you would like to attend a home Seder on Tuesday evening, contact the Beth Emek Events Hotline at 606-0822 or the synagogue office, 443-1689, today, April 2. The congregation will endeavor to accommodate your request.

Rabbi Richard Winer, spiritual leader of the congregation, discussed the background of the program: "We successfully ran the 'Host a Family for Passover' program two years ago," he said. "Rather than hosting a large Community Seder for the community this year, we are matching small groups. This allows people to get to know each other in a smaller, more intimate atmosphere. The Community Seder we've hosted over the years has averaged over 100 people and this makes it difficult to get to know everyone. But there is interest in both, so we may rotate the two formats."

The congregation, currently located in Livermore, is moving this summer to a new synagogue in Pleasanton under construction at the corner of Nevada Court and Bernal Avenue between Stanley Boulevard and Vineyard Avenue. -Deborah Grossman

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