Published April 20th, 2016
Ritual Foods Like Charoset Mark Passover
By Cathy Dausman
Making the Charoset, from left Vivian Poettgen, Tricia Zucker, Heidi Benenson Photos Cathy Dausman
The Jewish holiday of Passover begins the evening of Friday, April 22 and ends the evening of Saturday, April 30.

"Passover is my favorite Jewish holiday," said Heidi Benenson, explaining that it is "food, drink and song over a hard topic."

Passover is an eight-day festival celebrated in early spring that commemorates the Israelite emancipation from slavery in Egypt.

As with most holidays in most religions, it is celebrated with ritual and special foods. Benenson recently joined organizers Vivian and Valerie Poettgen making charoset for the Temple Isaiah Women's Seder service. The ritual meal features matzo (unleavened bread), parsley, signifying spring, salt water for tears, lamb shank for sacrifice, horseradish as a bitter herb, wine as a blessing and a roasted egg which represents new life.

This charoset was made of apples, nuts and honey; it signifies the mortar which binds everything together.




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