Seder Preparation Checklist
Items for each table: ❐ Nice tablecloth ❐ Two tall tapered dripless white candles, candle holders, plain white matchbook, & oval paper lace doily or aluminum foil to protect tablecloth from wax drips. ❐ Place settings for each person: Plate, Napkin, silverware, Wine Glass, Water Glass
❐ Seder Plate (10″ or larger plate or traditional Seder plate)—choose organic whenever possible. Parsley, washed and cut into sprigs for each person Horseradish, ground (homemade from fresh horshradish root—recipe follows) Romaine Lettuce, washed and separated Charoset – clay of apples, nuts and honey (recipe follows) Lamb Shank Bone (clean, unbroken and roasted dry—available raw from the butcher/grocer)
❐ Two small serving spoons next to Seder plate (for horseradish & charoset)
❐ Matzoh – the Unleavened Bread (several pieces per table)
❐ Matzoh Cover (traditional Matzo Tosh or plate, covered with white napkin)
❐ Afikomen cover (a white linen napkin)
❐ Passover Wine and/or grape juice (1 bottle wine, 2 bottles grape juice per table, don’t forget corkscrew for wine)!
❐ Small bowl of salty water (you can float a small sprig of parsley in it to identify it)
❐ Pitcher of water with ice for drinking (optional: add thin organic lemon or fruit slices to water)
❐ Haggadah (booklet with Seder service-you can modify an old one to add Y’shua in each place that He has fulfilled the part of the Feast, or you can find one from a Messianic Rabbi)
General items:
❐ Candle (or flashlight), wooden spoon, feather, paper bag and some leavened bread that has been “hidden” to be “found” before the start of the Seder.
❐ Place setting and special cup for Eliyahu/Elijah (use place card with “Eliyahu” saving his spot for him), if you include this tradition.
❐ Pitcher, bowl, liquid soap and towels for hand washing (enough to quickly service your size group)
❐ Tub or large bowl, pitchers for water, liquid soap and towels for foot washing (2 stations set up for men, 2 for women in separate areas)
❐ Prize for child finding the Afikoman (suggestion: if a large group, have enough for all children to receive a reward)
❐ Food for the festive meal. Unleavened Biblical foods only are to be served (no pork, shellfish, or non-kosher gelatin; no yeast, sour dough, baking soda or baking powder). Remember: Serving spoons Coffee, cream & sugar Toothpicks Salt & pepper Butter or butter substitute
❐ Platter, sharp slicing knife, and meat fork to serve lamb roast.
❐ Paper towels for spills
❐ Select a woman (at each table) to light the candles. Provide headcovering (scarf) for her head.
❐ Select and prepare a child (or children) to ask the four questions.
❐ Assign readers for sections of the Seder.
❐ Select servant(s) for the handwashings.
❐ Songbooks, digital presentation or overheads (projector for digital/overheads & screen). Select songs.
❐ Sound system, musicians, iPod or CDs, and area for dancers.
❐ Microphone(s) for leader, readers, singers, testimonies, etc., if needed.
❐ Camera, video camera, tripod, etc. Assign someone to be responsible for photography (you will be busy).
❐ Room decorations, candles, mini-lights, banners, whatever you like.
❐ Remove all items containing leavening (ie, yeast, sour dough, baking soda, baking powder, etc.).
Lamb Roast To prepare (after salting and draining the blood): make many slits all over roast (about 11⁄2 inches apart) and put peeled garlic cloves in holes. Use lots of garlic. Using a syringe, inject roast with dry red wine (such as a Pinot Noir) until it “weeps”. Cover outside with glaze of olive oil, dry red wine, and lots of crushed rosemary blended together. Roast slowly at 200° uncovered. Slow roasting helps hold in moisture and avoid overcooking. Roast is fully cooked at 180°. The roast will take most of the afternoon and evening to cook. A larger roast may cook all day. Allow to cool 10 minutes or more before slicing.
Charoset 4 medium to large tart, flavorful apples (such as Granny Smith)
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup walnuts
8-dates, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sweet Passover wine 2 1⁄4 teaspoons honey
Core unpeeled apples. Chop apples and walnuts together in a food processor or by hand until finely chopped (the size of small peas). With a soft spoon, such as pliable spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the cinnamon, honey and wine until well blended. Will serve 20 people, approximately 1 tablespoon each. You may want to make extra to serve with the festival meal.
Horseradish A blender or food processor may be used, but the end product of the food processor is preferred. Use organic horseradish root from your garden or purchased from a grocery store that carries organic produce. To grow your own horseradish, chunk off a piece of the root and plant it in your garden. Wash and peel the horseradish root(s) and cut into chunks. Put chunked horseradish root(s) into a food processor and chop until paste-like, adding a little water initially to get some consistency so it doesn’t just stick to the sides of the bowl. Let it sit about 5 minutes (makes it “hotter”) then add a little organic apple cider vinegar and a little salt. Keep drizzling in vinegar until it’s the consistency you want. The vinegar taste usually does not come through.
(Use care as the fumes will make you shed tears!)
