PHOTO BY GLENN TRIEST

From A Woman's
Perspective

out, "A woman belongs on
the bimah as much as an
orange belongs on the
seder plate!"
Since then, some
women have added or-
anges to seder plates as a
symbol that women be-
long wherever Jews car-
ry on a sacred life.
"The idea behind hav-
ing an all-women seder is
rather interesting," says
increased emphasis on the im- Mrs. Nelson. "In today's
portant role that women have world, where women's is-
played in Jewish history. The sues are not represented
Beth Shalom "Seder Nashim" is in a lot of the traditional
an opportunity to celebrate, as forms, a women's seder
women, a holiday that documents can focus on women's con-
our people's Exodus from Egypt tributions.
to the Promised Land," Mrs. Nel-
"If you think about the
son says. The seder observes old story of Passover, Moses
rituals while creating a few new
leads the people
ones.
Alicia Nelson: A through the water
One new ritual which women's seder to and as they come
has shown up at many
out he sings a
talk about
seder tables across the
song. Miriam goes
women's
country is placing an or- contributions. through the water and
ange on the seder plate,
leads the women in dance,
inspired by Susannah Heschel- and the midrash [says] God was
author of On Being a Jewish angry at Miriam; He chastises
Feminist and daughter of the Miriam, says she can't dance be-
great Torah scholar Rabbi Abra- cause she should be sensitive to
ham Joshua Heschel.
the fact that lives were lost, even
Traveling in Florida, 'the land though they were Egyptian lives."
of oranges," Ms. Heschel spoke
"When Miriam and Aaron go
about the emerging equality of and chastise Moses because he
women in Jewish life. After she marries a woman who is not a
spoke, a man in the crowd called Jew and Miriam gets leprosy, the

*
tr. #

•.—

An all-female seder is an opportunity to highlight the
women behind the men of the Passover story.

LYNNE MEREDITH COHN STAFF WRITER

licia Nelson, wife of Rabbi
David Nelson of Congre-
gation Beth Shalom in
Oak Park, first got the
idea for an all-female seder from
her daughter, Reva.
At the University of Michigan,
Reva and some friends had
planned an ad-hoc women's
seder, to which Mrs. Nelson was
invited. She was so impressed by
the idea of emphasizing the
women who are important to the
Pesach story, she planned a
women's seder of her own for the
synagogue last year. The second
annu21 women's seder, sponsored
by the Beth Shalom Sisterhood,
will take place Thursday, April
24, from 6-9 p.m. at the Maple-
Drake Jewish Community Cen-
ter, due to ongoing construction
at the synagogue.
"In recent years, groups of
women have begun holding
women's seders as a way to place

A

next question is what happened
to Aaron? And the answer is
nothing. [In the story of]
Passover, which is really a
women's holiday because all the
preparation is done in the
kitchen, women are never high-
lighted, never recognized, never
acknowledged. By having a
women's seder, we talk about
women's issues," says Mrs. Nel-
son.

The Haggadah the women will
use has changed some terminol-
ogy from masculine to feminine
pronouns. A kosher-for-Passover
meal will be served. 0

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