Modern day midrashim have influenced some Jews to put an orange and a
(shellacked) challahBraided egg bread eaten on Shabbat and holidays. Reminiscent of bread eaten by Priests in the Temple, of manna in the desert, and sustenance in general. Plural: Hallot on our sederLit. Order. The festive meal conducted on Passover night, in a specific order with specific rituals to symbolize aspects of the Exodus from Egypt. It is conducted following the haggadah, a book for this purpose. The mystics of Sefat also created a seder for Tu B'shvat, the new year of the trees. plates. Suzanna Heschel heard the story that a
rabbi responded that women in Judaism are like an orange on the seder plate (i.e.
irrelevant and not needed) when she was speaking at Oberlin in the 1980’s. She
started adding an orange to her seder plate each year after that as a symbol of the
importance of women’s place in Judaism. She repeated the story often enough that
many people wrongly think that the comment was said to her. She told me that,
although it is not a true story, it is a worthy midrashA rabbinic method of interpreting text, often through the telling of stories. and a good reason to have an
orange on one’s seder plate.
Another story quotes an Orthodox rabbi who was asked “Rabbi, do you think
lesbians have a place in Judaism?” He answered: “A lesbian belongs in Judaism as
much as challah (which would be considered unthinkable because it is chametz )
belongs on the seder plate.” And, so tonight, our seder plate contains a miniature
(shellacked) challah. This is a symbol of the Queer “in your face” pride that we
must express to the rabbis and other homophobes that don’t believe that we
belong on the bimaThe stage or platform on which the person leading prayers stands. or elsewhere. I created this midrash in response to hearing
Rabbi Yoel Kahn’s drash at Congregtion Sha’ar Zahav in the mid 1990s. He
explained that the rabbis understood the cleaning out of chametz from our homes
is symbolic of clearing away our puffed up egos as we getA writ of divorce. Traditionally, only a man can grant his wife a get. Liberal Jews have amended this tradition, making divorce more egalitarian. in touch with the
mitzrayimLit. Egypt. Because the Hebrew word for narrow is tzar, Mitzrayim is also understood as "narrowness," as in, the narrow and confining places in life from which one emerges physically and spiritually., narrow places, we need to leave behind in our spiritual exodus.
Chametz is not intrinsically bad. PassoverPassover is a major Jewish holiday that commemorates the Jewish people's liberation from slavery and Exodus from Egypt. Its Hebrew name is Pesakh. Its name derives from the tenth plague, in which God "passed over" the homes of the Jewish firstborn, slaying only the Egyptian firstborn. Passover is celebrated for a week, and many diaspora Jews celebrate for eight days. The holiday begins at home at a seder meal and ritual the first (and sometimes second) night. Jews tell the story of the Exodus using a text called the haggadah, and eat specific food (matzah, maror, haroset, etc). is an opportunity to introspect about the
coping mechanisms that we use in our everyday secular lives. We put a shellacked
challah, that has no crumbs, rather than a real one out of respect for the need to
clear away our puffed up egos at the same time as making decisions about what to
stand up and speak out against in protest.
Tonight as we share this round, succulent, and juicy orange, let its sweet taste
provide us with nourishment from the Jewish communities and Jews who have
already accomplished a lot towards addressing sexism, misogyny, homophobia,
heterosexism, and other forms of oppression. Let the bitterness of the orange zest
help us find the zeal needed to continue working towards ending all forms of
ignorance and hatred that plague the world. Passover teaches us that no one is free
until all who are oppressed are free. Let us pray together that soon all people will
be able to shed their thick skins that protect them, expose their vulnerabilities, and
delight in each other with appreciation instead of fear.
בְּרוּכָה אַתְּ יָהּ אֱלֹהֵינוּ רוּחַ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדַּשְׁתָּנוּ בְּמִצּוֹתֶיהָ וְצִוַּתְנוּ לִרְדֹּף צֶדֶק וּלְכַבֵּד כָּל נֶפֶשׁ וְשֻׁתָּפוּת
B’rukhah At YahA name for God, as in "halleluyah" – praise God. Some people prefer this name for God as a non-gendered option., Eloheinu, RuachLit. Spirit. Some new versions of blessings call God "Spirit of the World" (Ruakh Ha’olam), rather than "King of the World" (Melekh Ha'olam). ha-olam, asher kidshatnu bemitzvoteha
vetzivatnu lirdof tzedek, u’lchabed kol nefesh v’ shutafut.
You are Blessed, O God, Spirit of the World, who makes us holy with your
mitzvot and commands us to pursue justice and honor all people and connections.
Hebrew assistance from Rabbi Jane Litman in honor of Queer MinyanThe group of ten adult Jews needed to read from the Torah and to recite some of the most important communal prayers. In Orthodox communities, a quorum of ten men is traditionally required. Today, most liberal Jewish communities count all Jewish adults as part of a minyan. and Pardes Rimonim
