52 | APRIL 18 • 2024
to theirs as they go.
It’s a chance for everyone to get together,
retell the story and remember where they
came from, she says. This year that’s extra
important as well, she says, given the
current climate in Israel. “We fought and
fought and fought, and we were free,
” she
says. “The story of Passover is one of the
significant stories we tell every single year,
about getting out of Egypt.
”
TRADITIONS OLD AND NEW
Heading for Teri Falcon’s seder means
taking part in a traditional seder for 20
that might last up to five hours, but with
some twists. “If you’ve never been to a seder
before, you have to look for the afikomen,
whether you’re a kid or you’re 70,
” says
Falcon of Oak Park, adding that Passover
is her favorite holiday. They use the classic
Maxwell House Haggadahs that have been
in her family since she was born, duct tape
and all.
At her seders, they aren’t afraid to be
silly, she says, from watching Passover
parodies before the seder starts to adding
hand jives for the blessing after the meal.
And on a serious note, she adds, after they
lost somebody close to them a few years
ago, Robert Krosnick, they added an empty
chair. “It’s a very different group every year,
”
she says. “Let all who are hungry come and
eat — I can always add a few more chairs.
”
Some guests also RSVP a year ahead, she
says. “When people come to my seder, they
say ‘OK, count me in for next year.
’”
Meanwhile, Marissa and Daniel
Sternberg are getting ready to play a game
at the seder that’s been in Marissa’s family
for several generations. “For me, I just really
like handing these things down because
they’re fun and unique,
” says Marissa
Sternberg.
After the blessings for the seder plate
and before they eat the egg, everyone gets
a hard-boiled egg and they knock the eggs
against the other guests’ eggs, she says.
The last person to break their egg wins a
prize. “It’s something we look forward to
every year,
” she says, adding that there’s one
competition for kids — hers are ages 6, 4
and 4 months — and one for adults.
One memorable year a mix-up over
which eggs were raw and which were
hard-boiled got egg everywhere. “I’ll never
forget it,
” she says. “We started playing and
everyone was just getting covered in eggs. It
was probably at this point 15 years ago, but
it feels like yesterday.
”
Even during COVID, she says, when they
had a small seder just with their son, they
made sure to continue the custom. “Even
though we had an infant and a 3-year-old,
it was fun to do.
”
continued from page 51
Teri Falcon’s seder guests Merrilee Spry and
Kevin Berger.
The Falcons keep an empty seat at their seder table to remember their friend Robert Krosnick.
Wishing You a
Joyous Passover!
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