Shalom

Photo by double blind









Last night I was privileged to experience my first Passover Seder in Philadelphia at the Congregation Mikveh Isreal, the second oldest congregation in the U.S. I was treated to the full-fledged Seder that continued past midnight.

The service and meal was quite an experience for a gentile like myself. It made me feel very special to glimpse someone else’s traditions. I witnessed many traditions and rituals, and ate food I have never eaten before.

My favorite food of the night was the charoset, a sweet mixture of nuts, fruit, spices, and wine. How the charoset was eaten was the most interesting part. Jews are now twiddling their thumbs and rolling their eyes, but this is all new and exciting to me.

Charoset is eaten in my new favorite sandwich – the Hillel sandwich.

The Hillel sandwich is charoset and horseradish squished between two pieces of matzah bread. At first I was wary of putting horseradish in my sweet charoset, but who am I to go against tradition. Surprise! - or maybe not, really. The sweet charoset balances the spicy horseradish. This spunky combo manages to make matzah bread quite palatable.

Apparently, I’m no sandwich history buff. Rabbi Hillel is credited with creating the first sandwich during the first century B.C. I know nothing – or at least not every thing. That’s why experiencing new things can be so awesome.

I do know that if I had to eat matzah for a week I’d make loads of charoset and have lil’ Hillel sandwiches every day.

Charoset recipes (Epicurious)