Orange On Seder Plate Origin

Now the story circulates that a man said to me that a woman belongs on the bimah as an orange on the seder plate.

Orange on seder plate origin. Each year come passover there were always two explanations provided for the orange at the center of. She offered the orange as a symbol of the fruitfulness for all jews when lesbians and gay men are contributing and active members of jewish life. As heschel tells it the idea originated from an early jewish feminist practice she came across while speaking at oberlin college where some people would put crusts of bread on their seder plates turning on its head the assertion that there is. To support women s rightful place in jewish life people put an orange on their passover tables.

According to heschel the orange represents not the inclusion of women but of gay and lesbian jews. Heschel felt that to put bread on the seder plate would be to accept that jewish lesbians and gay men violate judaism like hametz leavened food violates passover. According to sarah roth writing for pride the origins of the seder orange are often mistold. So at her next seder she chose an orange as a symbol of inclusion of gays and lesbians and others who are marginalized within the jewish community.

The story you may have heard goes something like this. After a lecture given in miami beach a man usually orthodox stood up and angrily denounced feminism saying that a woman belongs on a bima pulpit the way an orange belongs on a seder plate. Each year come passover there were always two explanations provided for the orange at the.