Seder - Perhaps My New Tradition

So, Charles is in Morocco this week for business and I have been whining about it since Sunday because I wanted to go with him so bad. I tried very hard but he didn't know if he was going for sure until the very last minute and then tickets for me (for the next day) were too pricey and it would have been a big pain to drop everything and go. So to occupy my mind and help me not to go into a deep depression because I could be sitting on the beach right now in sunny Morocco, I focused my mind on leading a seder instead. I have been reading everything I can get my hands on. I find the tradition all quite fascinating. I have been to a few seders when I lived in New York. A Jewish friend of mine from NYU would invite Charles and I every year. It is fun and a great way to remember the exodus of the Jews, which is nice for everyone to remember and re-read each year. In fact, I have enjoyed preparing for this seder so much that I am thinking of starting a tradition in our family of doing a seder each year. I even bought a children's seder plate and made matzo ball soup and matzo pudding using matzo meal. And as one of my books advised me, I did not eat any matzo prior to the seder, "so as to heighten my taste for matzah and for the mitzvah of eating it."

Anyway, my seder went well and I think all involved learned something from the experience. I know I certainly did. I came home last night and told my Jewish neighbor that I had just done a seder at my church and she was thrilled. She then asked why I didn't have her do it. She said she would have put on a lovely seder for us. (She said this even though it is the middle of Passover for her and her husband has been in hospital for the last several days and is not doing well. I think she has enough to worry about. How incredibly nice of her to offer though.)

Well, Happy Pesach (Passover) from Golders Green, London!