The lists below provide the recommended supplies in preparation for an at-home Seder, to include table-setting items, food items, and items that might be helpful for younger children participating in the event. With that in mind:
- Plan ahead so that you have time to find/obtain and prepare what’s needed.
- The items listed are suggested; feel free to adapt it based on what you have available.
Table Setting:
• Wine/juice glasses filled (or ready to be filled) at the start of the dinner
- There are four different “cups” that are celebrated during the seder. The “leader” at your table should be prepared to hold up each cup when the time comes and share it with the other people around the table.
- You can use 4 different glasses/cups or use a single glass/cup and re-fill it (top it off as needed) each time.
- Alternatively, you could give each person their own cup (or cups) to drink from when instructed.
• A candle to be lighted when instructed at the start of the seder
• Bowl of water and a towel for dipping/washing hands
• Plate or basket with some matzah bread
- If you have enough, 1 piece of matzah for each person is ideal.
- Otherwise, you can use what you have and break it into smaller pieces for sharing when the time comes during the seder
- You will also need another piece of matzah to be hidden as the “afikomen” (see below)
• A place at the table for the traditional “Seder Plate” (in the center or near the “leader”)
- The contents of the plate are listed below.
- This will be the focus of several explanations and activities, so make it visible and accessible to the people at the table.
• Since this will be a “streamed” event, consider a table arrangement that includes a place for a laptop or similar device (something bigger than a phone) where everyone can see what is being shared on the screen.
Seder Plate Items:
• Parsley (enough for each person to have a sprig)
• Small bowl of saltwater
• Horseradish
• Charoset (recipe provided below)
• “Shank” bone (this can be any bone since it is for visual purposes only)
Notes:
We are omitting the portion of the seder involving the hard-boiled egg. Include it if you want to, but it will not be discussed as part of the planned activities.
For the parsley, horseradish, and charoset, enough is needed to let people sample them (if they want to) when the time comes.
- The charoset and horseradish are usually eaten by putting some on a small piece of matzah
- You can also put lettuce on the plate for sampling the horseradish and charoset
Charoset Recipe: Mix the following ingredients
5 apples (peeled, cored, and diced)
1 ¼ cup walnuts (chopped)
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup red wine
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Hiding the “Afikomen:”
One of the major activities in a Seder is when the children are sent to find the hidden “afikomen” – a piece of matzah wrapped in a napkin
- Prior to the Seder, wrap a piece of matzah (full or half-sheet size) in a napkin and hide it somewhere in the room or area where you will have your seder as a family
- It should not be in plain sight, but your children should be able to find it in 1-2 minutes
Suggestions for young children:
The seder is designed to involve families with children by providing activities you will do together around the table. There is a separate outline of the seder event (below), including when family activities will occur, which you should look at ahead of time. Depending on the age of your children, you might consider some additional supplies to help keep them engaged.
• Since this is not a meal, consider some snacks that they can have as we progress through the different seder “events”
- Goldfish or candy they can have every time someone new shows up on the screen
- A juice-box they can sip from every time we pass and drink from one of the seder cups
• Coloring pages and crayons to use if needed