Reflections by Naomi Limor Sedek
As seen in the April 8, 2024 edition of Jewish News
The beauty of the Passover Seder is that the retelling is codified. The Haggadoth codifies our shared journey from slavery to freedom, the people and their unique experiences sharing space around the table flavor the retelling. My upbringing in an Ashkenazi household centered around cherished traditions like the lively singing of "Who Knows One." Upon marrying into my husband's Sephardic Persian family 26 years ago, I embraced new customs, such as incorporating rice and playfully whipping each other with green onions during Dayanu.
Last Passover, my husband and I traveled across the globe to Australia to visit our daughter who was studying abroad in Sydney for the semester. We reunited with old friends, the Schach family from Nashville, for the first night Seder, reminiscent of the comfort and familiarity akin to our ancestors in Egypt.
Our second seder was more kismet. The experience began around the shabbat table two weeks before our departure in Norfolk at the home of Rashi and Levy Brashevitzky. I knew that we were going to be in Melbourne, Australia on our way to see the penguins in Phillips Island and knew no one in the area. At Shabbat dinner, Rashi’s brother, Levi, was visiting from Israel and we were playing Jewish geography. It so happens his wife, Aidel, has an uncle in Melbourne and connected us together. I reached out her Aunt Michi to see if there was a communal Seder in Melbourne that she was aware of so we could sign up. She insisted that we join her family as guests around their Seder table. Our second Seder in Melbourne epitomized the journey of the Israelites leaving Egypt. Through a serendipitous connection, we found ourselves welcomed into the home of strangers, experiencing the warmth of hospitality and forming lasting friendships, despite initial uncertainties.
In Sydney reunited with the Schachs, a unique Passover experience awaited at the Great Synagogue—a Chorale concert for the Counting of the Omer. Led by Rabbi Menachem Feldman, the choir's performance displayed a fusion of Western Jewish choral music, offering a soul-stirring interpretation of tradition.
Despite the vastness of the world, our Jewish family remains interconnected and hospitable. I encourage others to embrace the spirit of exploration, as our ancestors did in their quest for freedom. As we say in the Seder, "Next year in Jerusalem."