How to Prepare the Passover Seder Plate
From your Judaism Guide

The Passover Seder is not a Passover Seder without a Seder Plate in the center of the table.

Difficulty Level: Average    Time Required: 45 minutes

1. The plate itself can be as fancy as a purchased specialty Seder Plate or as simple as a styrofoam plate on which your children have drawn the Passover symbols. 
2. Seder Plates contain the following items: charoset, baytzah, zeroa, karpas, maror, and chazeret (optional). 
3. At the grocery store, buy the following kosher for Passover food: apples, walnuts, red wine, cinnamon, sugar, shankbone or poultry neck, egg, parsley or potato, celery, horseradish root or prepared horseradish.
4. Charoset, a mixture of apples, nuts, wine and spices, symbolizes the mortar the Jewish slaves made in their building for the Egyptians.
5. Zeroa, a roasted shankbone or neck of poultry, reminds us of the "mighty arm of G-d." It is also symbolic of the Paschal lamb offered as the Passover sacrifice in Temple days. Roast the shankbone in the oven for about 30 minutes.
6. Baytzah, a hard-boiled egg, symbolizes the festival sacrifice brought in the days of the Temple. Some interpret this as a symbol of mourning for the Temples as the sacrifices were no longer offered after the Temples were destroyed.
7. Karpas, generally parsley or a potato, is dipped in salt water to represent tears. The custom of serving karpas dates back to the 1st and 2nd centuries when formal meal began by passing around vegetables.
8. Maror is bitter herbs. Horseradish root or prepared horseradish is generally used. Maror represents the bitter life of the Israelites during the time of their enslavement in Egypt.
9. Chazeret is a bitter vegetable. Celery or lettuce can be used. Those who do not put chazeret on their Seder Plate sometimes put a dish of salt water in its place.
   

Tips:

1. Prepare the Seder Plate long before the Seder meal so you are not pressured to get it ready at the last minute.
2. Allowing children to help you prepare the Seder Plate is a fun and effective way to teach them about the symbolism of the food and their connection to the Passover story.

Related Information:

• Passover
• Jewish Holidays
  

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