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The Seder Plate – רדסה תרעק

The Seder Plate And What It Represents ‐ Shoshana Braun (9th Grade)

The seder plate consists of six spots in which six foods are placed in each of those spots. Throughout the Pesach
seder, we have an order in which we use these foods in different ways. Starting with the bitter food, which in
Hebrew is Maror. This food in many traditions is also known as horseradish, green onion or celery sticks. This
food represents the bitter times of slavery and cruelty that the Jewish people had to go through, and we eat this
to remind us about these terrible times. The next food on the plate is Charoset. This brown colored sweet food,
is a mixture of shaved apples, chopped nuts, cinnamon and wine. This food represents and is used to remind us
about the cement that the Jews used to build the pyramids and houses. The next food on the plate is Karpas,
which is generally a hardboiled egg or potato, but celery can also be used. This vegetable is then dipped into
saltwater. This is eaten to remind us about the tears from the Jewish people when they were enslaved and to re-
mind us about the pain that they felt. Zeroa,
also known as the shankbone, which can be a
chicken wing, chicken neck, etc. it is used to
represent the Korban Pesach, or the sacrifice
made which was offered in the Temple. The
last food on the plate which is Beitzah or egg,
is used to represent the festival sacrifice. Even
though it was a meat sacrifice, the egg is used
to be a sign of mourning of the destruction of
the Beit Hamikdash. From the seder plate we
can learn that each food on the plate is not just
food to eat but, has a meaning and represents
something.

Charoset ‐ Benjamin Chorn

(6th Grade)
Shir Tzion Carmel—3rd grade

True or False: We eat Charoset in memory of Moshe? False, we eat Charoset in memory of the bricks we built
in Mitzrayim and of apples that the Jewish women gave birth in secret under apple trees in Mitzrayim.

True or False: Charoset comes from the word cheres meaning clay? True! One of the reasons we eat Charoset is
because it reminds us of mortar (a cement-like material) and straw, which is what we used to build bricks in
Mitzrayim.

Charoset, a tasty dish made of fruits, nuts, spices and wine, may be the tastiest traditional food on the Seder
plate, it’s origin is debatable. The Torah does not command us to eat it, and, in fact, never mentions charoset at
all. Nor is there a blessing for it in the Haggadah. Yet its connection to Passover is ancient. Many believe, that
the origin of Charoset was under the influence of the Greeks, but why? Why the Greeks? What possible connec-
tion could the Greeks have with eating a blend of fruits nuts and red wine on Passover? The Greeks held meet-
ings where the free men consumed large amounts of wine, lounged around, and dipped various foods in mix-
tures of nuts and fruits while debating about philosophical issues. We can learn that we should eat Charoset
even if it is not mentioned in the Torah. I learned that Charoset comes from the word cheres which means clay.
Also, that we should remember Mitzrayim and the hardships as well as the miracles.