Passover Seder at the Lubavitch Centre

We attended the free (donation of $18 per adult suggested) Passover Seder at the Lubavitch Centre (5750 Oak St., 604 266 1313) tonight.

It consisted of a brief 20 minute religious service followed by the Seder.

For the service, we were given prayer books in Hebrew and English. The interesting thing about the service for Barb and I was the singing and the fact that it was segregated with the men on one side and the women on the other.

We found the entire event informative, enlightening and inclusive. And the food was good. As part of the Seder, we first had matzah and the Seder plate which consisted of bitter herbs, haroseth, a hard boiled egg, lettuce and a roasted chicken neck. The symbolism behind of each of these foods was explained.

Finally, we had the main meal. This consisted of Gefilte fish, chicken soup, roast chicken, a savoury matzah pudding, vegetables and salad . The Seder was accompanied by 4 cups of wine. The symbolism behind this was also well explained.

Everything was explained in a friendly fashion and accompanied by traditional prayers, singing and dancing! And in a twist, the traditional prayers were read not only in Hebrew, but also in English, Russian and Spanish.

Recommended for anyone with an interest in other cultures! In other words everybody!