Reader: Robin P. Stone
Respondent: Ginger Cridland
Recorder: Regina Richardson  

"The Seder"

By Enid Dame

Unsettling America, pp. 323-4

There is no previous web sites coving this poem, so I am on my own on this.

The objectives are:

Literary Objective 2b - Setting: The setting is in America--the homeland as it has become to the 2nd+ generations. Because the Jewish people are wanderers, most have the mentality that where they lay their hat is their home, however, they will always have that link to the "old world" through their religions rituals such as these. This actually keeps them constantly linked to that original homeland--but more importantly, to the Promised Land.

Cultural Objective 2- The immigration and assimilation on American cultural units or identities is seen in the way the Jewish people have preserved their culture and religion while assimilating, by holding their religion apart while including the gentiles and teaching them, so that their way of life is not foreign. This not only aids in their being accepted, but it also brings the rest of the world into their way of life so that they CAN keep their religion and way of life as separated as they do. They move up the socioeconomic latter without assimilating new values and language patterns completely-because of their religion. The Jews are considered assimilated even when wearing tzit-tzit, talit, and yarmulke.

The stages of the Immigration Narrative are: Stage 4 - assimilation to dominant American culture and loss of ethnic identity, which is shown primarily in stanza 4 by the forgetting of ritual elements being okay. And stage 5 – the rediscovery or reassertion of ethnic identity-usually only partial-however in this case it is a little more complete due to the nature of the religion and the ceremony. No matter what you have done all year, the holy days are looking back and getting in touch with who you started out to be—a descendant of Israel/Jacob.

The questions I have are: Do you think the reason the Jewish people are able to assimilate and yet retain their separate identity as a people, culture, and religion is due to the fact that it is religion based? Do you believe that the opening of their religion to outsiders has aided or hindered them culturally in America?

The word Seder is the order of service observed at home on the first night of Pesach, or Passover, in Israel. It is observed on the first 2 nights of Passover outside of Israel. Passover lasts 8 days and is really 2 festivals in one: Passover, followed by seven days of the Festival of Matzos (unleavened bread). Passover begins at sundown and celebrates the freedom of the children of Israel from the bondage Egypt.

In stanza one it lists many nationalities: Being Jewish is a religion and can encompass any nationality, but this is speaking of the fact that the Jewish ceremony has been opened up to gentiles as shown in the last line of the stanza: "Most of us are Jews" (323).

In stanza two, three Socialists (state ownership of industry) are listed: Bundists - The Jewish social-democratic party; and the Communists (abolishing private ownership and a classless society) must be kept apart due to opposing views. "Uncle Joe" is referring to Stalin. The familiarity of the term usually connotes a love of the dictator. The Anarchist (all governments abolished) sits apart and glares.

 In stanza three Dayanu means, "It would have sufficed"-in other words: "Enough already!" and is a traditional song. Go Down Moses is Alan Eder's arrangement of the traditional African-American spiritual. This shows the lack of orthodoxy here as well. Solidarity Forever is a labor anthem was written in 1915 during the coal strike, by songwriter and union organizer Ralph Chaplin, using the music of Julia Ward Howe's Battle Hymn of the Republic. This song, when used in the Seder, commemorates G-d decisively and willingly entering into solidarity with a group of helpless people whom He chose.

In stanza four, line two shows it is not an orthodox service or they would use a traditional Haggadah. Haggadah is the book from with the Seder services are conducted. The word Haggadah literally means “Telling” referring to telling the story of the Exodus. Line three again shows non-traditional elements with the stress of the Universals- or less offensive concepts such as impressive leaders/priests, sacred space, and pilgrimages. Line four shows non-traditional views and assimilation by having a female host-person: The host person is usually a male head of household. The fact that the hard-boiled eggs were forgotten and that it doesn't matter shows assimilation and loss of ritualism in the ceremony. The hard-boiled eggs in the Seder represent life as well as the hard-headedness of the Jews. Interesting that that was what was forgotten and it doesn't matter. Ritualism and orthodoxy view these symbols almost as commandments thus they become assimilation markers when absent. Horseradish is morar, a bitter herb and represents the affliction the Jews suffered at the hands of Pharaoh. The pain and tears brought by the horseradish is a memorial of the pain and tears of the Jewish nation in Egypt. Apples and honey is Charoset, an apple, and nut mixture resembling mortar and represents the mortar the Hebrew slaves used in making bricks. It is made of apples because legend has it that Jewish mothers gave birth in the secrecy of apple orchards to save their babies from the decree of the pharaoh. Spice, nuts, wine, and honey represent G-d's loving kindness.

In stanza five, the four glasses of wine represent the 1st of four promises G-d made to the Israelites and are called

1.      The cup of sanctification

2.      2. The cup of judgment

3.      3. The cup of redemption

4.      4. The cup of praise.

Each glass must be at least 4 ounces of wine. A fifth cup of wine is poured in a silver goblet and placed on the Seder table at a place setting. This is the Cup of Elijah, the Prophet who is to herald the coming of the Messiah.

The ritual flowing and the starting to connect is a desired effect of the service and is produced by the common denominator of being the chosen, among all of the participants, except the curious few. The wine doesn't hurt any either.

In stanza 6, Secular relatives are non-religious and therefore not present. They would shake their heads unapprovingly. Washing the hands over an unnecessary fire is a metaphor for wasting their time in the ritualism.

In stanza seven, the orthodox relatives are very religious people who would leave out of disapproval. The heresies are the things like the woman leader, the liberal Haggadah, and the forgotten symbol of the egg in the service. The bad pronunciation is an assimilation marker in that they do not observe holy days often therefore they are unfamiliar with the pronunciation. Some Jews only celebrate the High holy days and not all holy day like some Christians only go to church on Christmas and Easter.

In stanza eight, at a specific time in the service, the door is opened to invite Elijah in to herald the good news. The narrator is nervous that the person playing the role of Elijah will be disapproving of the liberal service. This also ties in with Stanzas six and seven in that some of her relatives are very lax while others very devout and wondering how the Real Elijah would react.

In stanza nine, "Elijah" enters smiling at the honor of being chosen for the part and drains the wine cup. This signifies that Elijah has been welcomed and the Messiah is awaited.

In stanza ten, “Elijah” is her father, he assures her that regardless of the lack of ritual, and stray from tradition, they will keep going. They always have and always will.

So again, my questions are: Do you think the reason the Jewish people are able to assimilate and yet retain their separate identity as a people--as a culture, and as a religion-is due to the fact that it is religion based?

Dr. White: The thing I remember from "Who Should Get In," is that religion is the longest lasting element to change. Secular Jews are assimilated but maintain an element of religion. Look at the first stanza. It reminds us that until 40 to 50 years ago there wasn't a Jewish state.

Robin: Jewish state is different from nation of Israel. The Jewish people are descendants of Jacob who was renamed Israel—that is the Jewish Nation, or the Nation of Israel. The Jewish state is what we refer to as the country of Israel.

Dr. White: Good distinction.

Ginger:  Jews are adamant about retaining/maintaining the difference between state
and nation being different.

One student mentioned their being referred to as a race.

Robin: The Jews do not like to be referred to as a race. That originated in Germany from the Holocaust. Jews do not want to be equated by race only.

Dr. White: A term used in the past was tribe. Judaism was a tribal religion. Think of them as a tribe not a state. Jews lived in Poland, Russia, Germany, Iran, and Iraq and were citizens of other nations but retained their nationality.

Robin: And many still do. Many Jews are going back—making aliyah.

Dr. White: Yes, back to Israel.

Do you believe that their opening their religion to outsiders has aided or hindered them culturally in America?

Dr. White: I want background on that. I know that Madonna studied the Kabala. Is Judaism becoming accepted among non-Jews?

Robin: With the reform movement, secular Jews becoming more public, and non-Jews converting, you see the sacred works of Judaism becoming more available to Gentiles.

Ginger: So you are saying "once a Jew always a Jew.”

Robin: Yes, once you are a Jew, you are always a Jew. There is nothing you can do that will change that. Even if you convert to another religion

Julie: So it's not a religion? In orthodox circles, when people convert to another religion, they say the Kaddish for you, and you are dead to them, if you don't practice the religion.

Robin: Yes, you are a dead Jew, but you are still a Jew.

Lynn My uncle who is South African Moor Dutch, his mother registered him with the local synagogue and if you are on the books, you are considered a Jew. You are on the books even if you are 1/8th Jew. Once registered you remain Jewish.

Dr. White: Can't get unlisted? One of the affects of World War II is the heightening of Jewish identity. Hitler marked the Jews and if a person is marked, it draws attention to them. The constant retelling of the story of the Exodus story in different forms, and you see it in African American culture in "Go Down Moses.” Martin Luther King and Harriet Tubman are like Moses, but they never make it to the Promised Land.

Valerie: I mentioned in my paper, Jazz Singer, how the main character struggles between his Jewish roots and his desire to be a singer. In the movie, he is dressed in black face and sings, "my heart cries for Israel.”

Dr. White: He's famous for Swammy. One other convergence is on page two, third stanza; line four-communion is in lower case.

Julie: It is significant because it's a take on redoing it
as the Last Supper conducted by the Jews.

Dr. White: One point of class is you keep seeing the Exodus story emerge in different cultures.