Passover with a PowerPoint

When Jill and Amir S. invited me and my family to their house for Passover, I knew it was going to be a great experience. Given Jill's entertaining and Jewish education prowess, Amir's height and Israeli heritage, we were bound for something special.

What I was met with on Wednesday night in the party room of Jill and Amir's U Street apartment building was an environmentally conscience, delicious, huge, spirited, accessible, fascinating, and truly memorable Passover experience. Not only did Jill and Amir go to tons of effort to ensure the Seder was accessible to everyone around the table (those who grew up speaking Hebrew, those with Rabbinical ordination...and my family), they also put together a graceful dinner party that would have been an elegant experience even without the liberation overtones.

Jill was at ease as she facilitated a green Seder for 20+ guests, not a plastic fork or paper napkin in site (in stead, Jill used biodegradable flatware and cloth napkins). As opposed to printing paper haggadot for everyone, Jill created a Passover PowerPoint presentation (complete with Seder themed Jeopardy questions, related graphics, and entertaining animation) that involved the group and really kept us on our toes. Because I was seated next to and across from lawyers, my team decided to call ourselves the Seder Superstars LLP. We must be in Washington.

The music was a mix of traditional Seder tunes (Dayenu) with the Hebrew words transliterated then projected onto a large sheet of butcher paper... and some more modern additions including URJ camp melodies and Miriam's Song--all under the excellent musical direction of one Rabbi Adam A.

There was fabulous matzah ball soup and chopped liver from Wagshal's which Rebecca G. fully endorsed. I loved the sweet and savory kugels and quinoa sides (Susie Fishbein, author of Kosher by Design and many other kosher cooking classics assures us this iron rich grain is truly K for P). Our tables were adorned with chartreuse mums in beautiful white vases accompanied by the smallest and shiniest salt and pepper shakers I have ever seen.

I can understand why Jill decided to become a Jewish educator--she made our Passover experience so fun and I left having learned so much (did you know that theories suggest Moses' parents were related?)! A big thanks to the extended Jill and Amir families for welcoming mine to your Seder table and making our Passover experience so rich. Next year...on U Street again?




P.S. I can't help but showcase the Passover video I created after I hosted a Seder last year (Passover 2008: The Musical). It is to the theme of Funkytown and I am sure you will enjoy it.