photovs / iStock / Getty Images Plus
local two temples in Jerusalem. Many Orthodox
Jews don’t observe Yom HaShoah, not
because they don’t believe in commemo-
rating the Holocaust, but rather because
they believe that Tisha B’Av is a holiday
already designed to encompass dates
of Jewish tragedy. Similarly, additional
foods don’t need to be added to the
seder plate because the items already
there represent broad enough themes
to accommodate the struggles of both
today and biblical times.

“There is a middle ground,” Gross
said. However, traditions and holidays
evolve, Mishkan Shalom Rabbi Shawn
Zevit said. Seder plates and Haggadot
were not always around for the holiday,
and new Passover foods and traditions
are as inherent to the holiday as the
seder plate itself.

“Even the seder plate itself didn’t just
pop into being one night. ... Even the
four questions which we sort of treat as
though they came down with the Big
Bang, they have evolved, too,” Zevit said.

Some Philadelphia-area rabbis argue that additions to the seder plate, such as
oranges or chocolate, can enhance the meaning of the seder to some attendees.

Newness helps keep younger Jews
engaged and, in the case of new seder
plate foods, helps Jews who may not
have felt included in Jewish tradition
— such as Jews by choice or Jews of
color — have a place at the table.

For Har Zion Temple Rabbi Seth
Haaz, whether to add new foods to
the seder plate comes down to the
balance between new and old.

steinsfamousdeli.com Complete Take Out Dinners starting at $26.95 pp
HAND CUT NOVA OR REGULAR LOX
$11.99½ LB (by the half lb)
Choice of (1) Soup; (1) Appetizer; (2) Vegetables; (1) Dessert: Per Person
Matzos Included
Soups (Choice of Once)
Appetizer (Choice of One)
____Gefi lte Fish w/ Horseradish ____Chopped Liver ____Sweet & Sour Meetballs
Entree (Choice of One)
____Brisket w/ Brown Gravy ($1.00 Extra per person)
____Tilapia Encrusted in Almonds
____Stuff ed Chicken Breast w/ Matzo Stuffi ng
____Half Chicken w/ Herb-Matzo Stuffi ng
____Fresh Carved Turkey Breast w/ Gravy
____Salmon w/ Dill Sauce ($1.00 extra per person)
Vegetables (Choice of Two)
____Glazed Carrots
____Sweet Potato Casserole
____Roasted Potatoes
____String Bean Almandine
____Steamed Vegetables
Kugel (Choice of One)
____Spinach ____Salt & Pepper
____Potato ____Fruit
Dessert (Choice of One)
____Chocolate Cake
____Apple Cake
____Honey Cake
____Chocolate Chip Cake
MON-THU 8:30AM-5:30PM
FRI-SAT 8:00AM-5:30PM
SUNDAY 7:00AM-5:00PM
PRICES IN EFFECT WEDNESDAY 3/29 - TUESDAY 4/4!!
Dinners For Under 6 People Start At $28.95 pp
____Chicken Matzo Ball ____Vegetable ____Cabbage Borscht
srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com Hours:
See our website for additional specials
WE DELIVER!
Haaz, like Zevit and Zeff, has had his
seder plate and table change over the
years. He believes that “a traditional
seder is one that evolves.” However,
he still thinks there’s something import-
ant about having those core foods
on the plate. It’s special to imagine
every other Jewish family around the
world having those items on their table,
taking part in the same tradition.

“Our Jewish culture binds us together
as a people on that night,” he said.

Though Rabbi Nathan Weiner of
Marlton, New Jersey’s Congregation
Beth Tikvah doesn’t add anything
new to his seder plate, he takes no
offense from those who do, believing
that any seder plate with meaning to
those around the seder table is good
enough. “I’m all for whatever it takes to make
the seder deeply relevant and personal
to the people who are experiencing it,”
he said. ■
YES WE DELIVER!!
PLACE YOUR
A LA CARTE,
ORDERS OR DINNERS!
WE NOW HAVE
COOKIES AND CANDIES
FOR PASSOVER.

215-673-6000 HEBREW NATIONAL MIDGET SALAMI
$6.99 EA (12 oz)
OUR OWN HOMEMADE CORNED BEEF THE BEST!
$13.99 LB
GARLIC ROAST BEEF
$8.99 LB
SLENDER AMERICAN CHEESE
$5.99 LB
ALL ITEMS CAN BE BOUGHT A LA CARTE
Grant Plaza II: 1619 Grant Ave., Phila., PA 19115
ph: 215-673-6000
fax: 215-676-5927
www.steinsfamousdeli.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
7