Rucha Laya
THE FIRST SEDER NIGHT
The Gathering
‘Twas
the night of the Seder
When all through our home
The candles were lit,
How brightly they shone.
The
table was set
With the greatest of care,
And Passover fragrances
Circled the air.
Aunt
Dora in her house dress,
Uncle Harry with his cap,
Had to waken dear Bubby
From her afternoon nap.
As
outside the children
Were coming to stay,
And celebrate Passover
The traditional way
With
new clothes and new shoes
That were polished so fine,
The family was gathering
At the usual time
There was Steven and Gail,
Cousins Robert and Grace,
Larry and Randye to
Keep up the pace.
And
when they assembled
They made such a clatter,
Bubby bellowed a scream
To see what was the matter.
“It’s
only us kids” was
The resounding reply,
As they greeted each member
With an exuberant “HI !”
And
each little face gleamed
With conscience delight,
A truly special occasion
‘Twas the first Seder night.
Poem by Rucha Laya
Jacob
Sharon
Phyllis Apple
Tzachi Gadish
Lawrence A. Gottfried
Passover has always been my favorite holiday. The memory of changing the
dishes, burning of the humitz and preparing for the first Seder night
lingers long in the recesses of my mind. The house took on a different
aura. The aroma of traditional holiday cooking enveloped every corner
of every room as the anticipation of the first Seder night drew near.
The new crisp, white damask tablecloth adorned the long dining room table
set with china that had been stored away for a year. This was a special
"Passover" set of dishes accompanied by silverware and crystal
glasses that glistened at each family member's place setting. It was soon
that Bubby's [Grandma's] new white tablecloth became soiled by little
hands that missed the plate as they dipped their fingers into the wine
cups commemorating The Twelve Plagues as we read from the Haggadah. My
cousins grew restless and giggled until Uncle Harry, Aunt Dora's husband,
insisted on respect for the occasion. He occasionally smiled and gave
the youngsters a bit of latitude. This was a happy time because all the
family was assembled.
The food started to envelop the table as Bubby and Aunt Dora, our devoted chefs and servers bombarded us with courses of homemade gefelte fish, chicken soup with matzo balls, and pot roast with potatoes and carrots immersed in a gravy that one would die for. Our soaring cholesterol levels competed with our rising calorie counts which would probably surpass all numbers on the charts, but who would care. We waited all year for this night.
After we stuffed our faces the reading of the Haggadah continued along with the melodies and chanting by the elders. The giggles and groans from the restless children quickly stopped as Uncle Harry nodded sternly at them, though often allowing them to leave the table for personal reasons or until order was restored. Respect for the service was very important. The highlight of the evening for all the children was to find the afikomin [matzoh] that Uncle Harry secretly secured somewhere in the room. So, after the house door was opened to let Elijah in, the children scrambled about in search of the object that would net the lucky finder one whole dollar. A lot of money in those days. Dessert time was approaching which was evident by Bubby and Aunt Dora, in processional fashion, bringing platters of nut cake, honey and sponge cake, chocolate covered jelly rings and an abundance of delicacies too numerous to remember. By this time my head was spinning from the amount of food I had consumed. But everything was oh, so good. Along with the platters of calories tea was served in a shiny silver teapot that was placed on the sideboard and joined by beautiful antique tea cups and saucers that were used by generations of times past.
The hour of 11 PM which usually was about when the Seder would be over, give or take a few minutes, was drawing near. Little darlings with bulging tummies and drooping eyelids were ready to visit the land of nod. They were carried upstairs and tucked into neatly made up beds, a typical end to a very wonderful evening. For Bubby and Aunt Dora the daunting task of cleaning up was just beginning and it would be about two or three o'clock in the morning before Bubby and Aunt Dora would lay their weary heads down and recuperate. The volume of dishes seemed overwhelming but were neatly stacked in the sink, ready to be scrubbed while the messy pots and pans lined the counters. Care packages of leftovers where neatly wrapped and given to those who were going home. The work had just begun. The kitchen must be spotless before Bubby went to bed with anticipation of the next day and the second Seder night.
I always wondered as I grew older, where Bubby and Aunt Dora got all this energy from. Eventually, as the years went by I figured it out. It was a labor of love, LOVE of the family and LOVE of tradition. My wonderful memories of times past and the holidays shared by my family have been memorialized in my head. I am now a Bubby although my grandchildren call me Grandma. I have continued the tradition my Bubby and Aunt Dora lovingly gave me. Their special present is near and dear to my heart. However, I have a dishwasher now so cleanup will be easier. Exalted to the ranks of Grandma, holidays with my children, grandchildren, and family are very important to me. I'm so happy to be Jewish.
Have a wonderful Passover,
The Gathering
By Ruchel Laya