And – even more to the point: at our Boston second night seder, no one there – even the 60 year old – didn’t recognize it. I don’t know a lot about Gemmarah, the numbers stuff in Judaism, but I’m a little scared about what I’d find if I did study it. And then I also think, is finding a pattern in numbers any different than finding a shape in a shroud or a piece of french toast?

Anyway, enjoy your holiday and family, Jill

As you may know, God is spelled many ways and said many ways in hebrew and the Bible (Old Testament), but the most often seen, I believe is the yud hay vahv hay, which Jews aren’t supposed to pronounce except the high Kohane priest in the Jerusalem temple that no longer exists. It goes with the Star Trek sign, you know what i’m talking about?

Anyway – in hebrew, we usually substitute Adonai for the sounds of those letters together. But no – those aren’t the hebrew letters on the seder plate.

As for the gefiltefish – I’m totally with you! I can’t stand the stuff and yet when I lived in Israel, I had to eat it pretty much every Shabbat I attended, because I was usually a guest in someone’s home and they all serve homemade. Almost makes me wonder if I’m not Jewish, but then I don’t eat lobster either, and I know I’m from New England and lived in Maine for many summers.

One Shabbat in Jerusalem,I was the guest of a very poor family with a zillion children and relatives. We ate at a long wooden picnic table-style table, splintered wood and all. With my lefthand fingernails firmly implanted into the wood in the underside of the table, I made myself eat every last bit of the fish.

When I remember this, I think how ridiculous – that I am describing myself forcing myself to eat something I hated. How spoiled of me. And then I think, but people are allowed to not like certain foods, right? And then I think, well, if you grow up like that, no, you eat what’s given to you.

Anyway, this episode floats to my consciousness not infrequently.

Have a good holiday, whatever you celebrate, and thanks for reading and commenting.

Well – the reddish-pink stuff? That’s the horseradish condiment. Then the root is well, just the root. Some folks don’t include both – depends on the plate setup.

The egg is roasted, like the lambshank bone. Yeah, the parsley is a bit weak, we probably had to conserve so we had enough for everyone to dip the rest in the salt water.

The problem with the picture is that the plate is actualy upsidedown – the hebrew letters are upside down – they spell Pesach, but looking at in the picture as is, it’s backwards.

My older brother was a Jew for Jesus for a while in college – traveled around in Godspell and everything.

Did you read the PD column about Martha Stewart and chocolate easter eggs today? That was pretty funny. She is nuts.

also, is that a hard-boiled egg? are you a Jew for Jesus? aren’t Easter eggs non-Jewish items?

also….that sprig of parsley looks mighty lame. we used to do a big leafy endive or escarole bitter herb, but then again, we were catholic, so who am i to say.