Published: Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Residents at SpringMeadow Assisted Living enjoy a Passover Seder
By Linda Stein
HATFIELD — The appetizing smell of chicken soup with matzo balls wafted through a dining room at SpringMeadow Assisted Living where residents enjoyed a Passover Seder Tuesday.
The Seder, a word that means order, is the traditional meal at Passover when Jews celebrate their exodus from Egypt as recounted in the Bible. Dawn Mason, the director of activities, led the Seder for about 17 residents. She retold the story of Moses leading the Israelites from slavery under the pharaoh into freedom and pointed out the Seder plate with the symbolic foods.
These include charoseth, an apple and nut mixture meant to remind of the mortar the slaves used to build; a hardboiled egg, a symbol of renewal; a shank bone that symbolizes the 10th plague; bitter herbs, representing the bitterness of slavery; and a sprig of parsley, that’s dipped in salt water to remind participants of tears.
Joel Axe, 72, chanted a blessing and also the Four Questions in Hebrew. The Four Questions, a part of the Haggadah or book read before the meal begins, are usually asked by the youngest present who queries: Why is this night different from other nights? Why do we eat matzo? Why do we eat bitter herbs? Why do we recline?
The leader then answers.
“I think it’s a very good idea as long as I’m in charge,” Axe joked, when asked how he was enjoying the Seder. “I saved them the trouble of calling in a rabbi.”
Several people praised the soup but Axe, a former teacher from Philadelphia, said, “My mother’s matzo balls used to be soft.”
Mason said Axe has helped with the Seder since he moved into SpringMeadow about 11 ½ years ago.
“I thought it was very nice,” said Ruth Miller, a former homemaker from Jenkintown. Miller gave her age as “old enough.”
“This is the way the food was done in the desert,” said Sydney Young, 93, a retired truck driver from Philadelphia. The reason matzo is unleavened is that the Israelites had to leave Egypt in a hurry and had no time to allow bread to rise.
Chef Matthew Berger prepared the meal, working with the residents’ council to determine the menu. Because it was served at mid-afternoon, the menu was limited to a few cherished dishes.
Any resident who wished could attend the Seder at the assisted living facility, which also featured matzo kugel (pudding) and wine, Mason said. About 85 residents with a median age in the 80s live in SpringMeadow, said Rick Stephan, one of the owners.
“It’s nice they’re able to enjoy whatever religious faith they are,” Mason said. “It’s important for us as a facility for our residents to take part in it. Our goal is to lead a Seder, even a smaller version of the celebration, in order to give our residents the opportunity to enjoy the holiday in the comfort of their home at SpringMeadow.”
