Special Passover Traditions

By Julius L. '16
Passover is a special time for families to gather around and spend time with each other. For whether you get rid of all the chametz in your home or not, the meaning of Pesach goes far beyond the intricate rules and regulations. Though the Pesach story occurred over 3,300 years ago, its significance withstands the test of time because of the moral, religious, and ethical lessons that can be found within. To commemorate this portion of Jewish history today and teach the lessons anew to each generation, Jewish families around the world enjoy a variety of unique family traditions. As the holiday slowly creeps up on us again, BT students and staff share some of their own unique Passover traditions.

Inviting family and friends over for the second Seder every year, Mrs. Steinberg fondly recalls her best friend’s “mouthwatering apple matzah kugel,” which all her seder’s participants eagerly await each year. Mr. Green, on the other hand, shares a different sweet treat of placing a huge bowl of all different kinds of candy for the kids to eat when they “ask a good question, offer insight or give a meaningful dvar Torah.” Mr. Green also shares that he “uses the very same Haggadah that [his] grandfather used,” a special heirloom since “it even has his [grandfather’s] name and all of the notes he wrote inside.”

Sharing traditions which their families use to make the night a little more interactive, BT members also provide some unique ways to keep the children awake for the entire Seder. Mrs. London can’t help but smile as she remembers the giant Playmobil replica of Jewish life in Egypt that her brother-in-law uses “to make the Pesach story come to life for the kids.” Morah Fisch, on the other hand, recalls her tactic of  “hiding Cheerios or candies around the house and turning off the light” so her children would have to search for the Bedekat Chametz with a flashlight like a scavenger hunt.

Lastly, Alex R.’16 considers Pesach an opportunity “to spend a lot of time with [his] older sister, who is away at college for the majority of the year.” He states that, “although this isn’t something that people would normally classify as a ‘tradition’, it is special for [him] because the entire family comes together.”

Check out Mrs. Steinberg’s Apple Kugel Recipe below!

Ingredients
4 large apples, Granny Smith or any tart apple, cored and cut into medium dice
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
6 plain matzahs
8 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup dried apricots, medium, chopped
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into small pieces, for casserole topping

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. Toss the apples with the brown sugar and orange juice, set aside in a medium bowl.
3. Break the matzoh into 2- to 3-inch pieces and soak in 1 cup of warm water until soft but not mushy. Set aside.
4. While the matzoh soaks, beat the eggs with a wire whisk in a large bowl until blended. Add the salt, sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, raisins, and apricots.
5. Squeeze the liquid from the softened matzoh and add the matzoh to the egg mixture with the apples. Stir the kugel well and pour into a lightly greased 2 1/2-quart casserole dish or a 10x14-inch pan. Dot the top of the kugel with the 4 tablespoons of butter or margarine.
6. Bake the kugel for 1 hour. Cover the top with foil if the top begins to become too brown early in the baking. Remove the kugel from the oven and cool to room temperature.