By Garry Fabian
MELBOURNE, Australia — Every year for times immemorial one of the features of a Seder is the parting of the seas, when the Children of Israel left Egypt.
One year our Seder also featured the seas, but with a difference. We were on a cruise on the Queen Mary 2, sailing from Melbourne, Australia to Cape Town in South Africa and our voyage coincided with Pesach.
We celebrated the seder on board, sharing the evening and festivities with about 50 fellow passengers, the evening being conducted by a Rabbi from Chicago, Rabbi Sharon Morton. Most of the traditional songs, some with adapted lyrics were sung, the story of the Exodus retold, an impressive seder plate gracing the table, and a traditional meal served.
A copy of the menu is below
Melon & Fresh Berries
Gefilte Fish with Chrane
Chicken Soup with Knaidlach
Whole Roast Chicken with Carrots, Asparagus, Sweet Potato and Potato Kugel
Or Roast Prime Rib of Beef, with the same vegetable selection
Honey Sponge Cake, or Macaroons,
Lemon Tea, Coffee
While the door was opened for Elijah as it customary, he did not appear as it was a bit difficult to cross the ocean to come aboard the ship
The whole evening was a very enjoyable, if quite different from the traditional family gathering one is used to.
No the seas did not part; we still managed to cross them without getting our feet wet.
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Passover begins the evening of Monday, April 14, 2014 and ends the evening of Tuesday, April 22
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Fabian is a freelance writer based in Melbourne. He may be contacted via garry.fabian@sdjewishworld.com