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passover
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Mar 29, 2010

Happy almost Passover!

Passover is the day we commemorate the Hebrews' escape from enslavement in Egypt.  I wouldn't call myself a super Jew, so it's good to have a little reminder of what we're celebrating before we make it to the Seder.  Every year, on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan, Jews commemorate the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt by celebrating Passover.  The story is that after 410 years of slavery in Egypt, Moses told Pharaoh that he must "Let My People Go." Each time Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites, God brought another plague upon the Egyptians. After 10 plagues, the Pharoah let the Jews go.  They left Egypt so fast that they didn't have time for their bread to rise (which is why they ate matzo) and Passover commemorates the Jews being released from slavery.  Granted, the exodus from Egypt is a whole different bag, but it's a good reminder to think about how forms of slavery are still happening today like human trafficking, forced labor, etc. and to find ways to help if we can.  People are in a form a slavery everyday when they are not living their truths or when they are doing things they don't really want to, and not believing there is a way out.

So many animals are enslaved too, the ones being raised for food, ones being sold and traded as if they are products and not Godly creatures, horses who are pulling carriages in New York City, animals in all the zoos....all these situations come to mind, along with all the ways we can end their suffering and make their own exodus happen.

I'm not going to a Seder this year and actually can't remember the last time I went.  Most of the Seders I have been to have been at my friend Guy Oseary's house.  They were so great!  When I was little, we used to go to the Synagogue as a family.  I remember the charoset, the matzo, the 4 questions, the gefilte fish.  I used to love gefilte fish!  How weird is that?

Here are some great ways to make your Passover more planet-friendly:

Go for organic wine and yes, ideally kosher wine.  The grapes in kosher wines are picked like every other wine, but once they reach the winery, the process is under strict rabbinal supervision. From crushing through bottling, the wine is handled and processed by Sabbath-observing Jews. Barrels and tanks are deemed kosher for use. The rabbi or Kashrut trained supervisor oversee the whole process and no work can be done on the Sabbath.  I think this is a silly process, though....sorry!  Jewish police?!  There are many "kosher" meats out there and they are all so barbaric.  I will do a blog on this soon, but just knowing how terrible the kosher meat deal is makes me feel  It is silly and not spiritual, as it is intended to be.  I think a great kosher wine definition would be one that is eco and vegan, that way it is spiritual in that it is kind to our fellow creatures and kind to the planet.



I love all of the great veggie temples that have been bursting through.  They get it, that our desire to be good, spiritual Jews must include being respectful of the Earth, each other and ALL creatures.  It's really beautiful.  Do a little search to see what veg temples are in your area.  Ikar is a great one in the LA area. 

Get these Veg-friendly Passover books from Micah Publications.  They have a Haggadah for the Vegetarian Family and a Vegetarian Pesach Cookbook that has recipes with no animal products:  http://www.micahbooks.com/jewishvegetarianbooks2.html

Go organic.  Grab organic matzo, organic horseradish, organic parsley, etc. and make your own charoset with organic ingredients.  There are lots of charoset recipes out there.  It's so yummy!  I like the look of this one from the Food Network website (and to make it vegan, use maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or agave instead of the honey): http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cooking-live/haroset-recipe/index.html.

Always try for reusable plates, cups, and utensils, but if you're going to use disposable ones, go for recycled or biodegradable ones.  You can usually grab these from specialty stores like Whole Foods, and if you don't live near a Whole Foods Market, ask your local grocery store to start carrying these types of products!  You can also order biodegradable supplies from www.greenpartysupply.com.  I like these EATware plates: http://www.greenpartysupply.com/EATware_Biodegradable_Compostable_9_Plates_p/eat09.htm. They are reasonably priced here and you can buy in bulk if you need to. 

Now, I can't vouch for these, but they look pretty good, especially the kugel (love a good kugel)....vegan Passover recipes from PETA: http://www.peta.org/feat/passover/PassoverRecipes.html.

Check out Debra Jill Mazer!  I want to play with her, she seems awesome!  See her blog post here and check out the recipe for raw vegan gefilte "wish" (haven't tried it, but it's worth a shot!): http://girliegirlarmy.com/blog/20100325/something-juicy-on-the-seder-plate/

Please share your veg-friendly recipes and stories with me! Happy Passover everyone!


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Happy Passover Alicia! You are welcome to join us next year for our seder...We enjoyed a delicious and beautiful vegan Passover seder with guests who appreciated every dish, what a pleasure...from grapejuice made from real grapes in the juicer which the children made fresh right before the seder, to soup, salads, homemade dressings, rice & lentils, sauce, tofu crumbly, veg. pate, stir fry, sweet potato/carrot, so many healthy and yummy treats...and homemade ice cream (banana-based)  for dessert  - vanilla, carob, and mint vegan chip! Today we are enjoying leftovers...
our passover wasn't completely vegan, but it was vegetarian:http://theactorsdiet.wordpress.com/2010/03/30/lynn-and-christy-passover-ish/
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  • Mar 30, 2010
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Earth Balance buttery spread tastes just as good on matzo as it does on bread. :)
happy passover! alicia i wanted to tell you about a great organic,vegan,raw,nongmo cafe in conneticut ,if your ever in the north east let's say new york city , it's about 2 hr's north. it's called the alchemy cafe, and it's yummy!!!raw fudge,is soo good! i will be getting that for my 2 boy's for easter! the name of the owner is imani and she will treat you great!
Hi Kristy
I live in Ct where is Alchemy??
Katerina-- I know, its amazing when you see butchers and farmers who are veggie.  It definitely says something about what they see everyday.  I wonder if there are any veggie Texas ranchers out there, they do love their steak.  I bet there are plenty of vegeartians who work on CFO's or poultry farms.  How could you eat the animals after seeing the cruel treatment and smelling that awful smell!

So my family is very observant and stick to all the kosher rules for Passover.   I thought I'd share a little about how we I did it for the first few days, including two Seders.  It is not vegan, the chicken I buy for the soup is organic and kosher (the best I can do).  Even the matzoh balls were whole wheat.  I made a box of quinoa (it's considered a grass, not a grain!) and my family loves it.  I roasted root vegtables (as in The Kind Diet).  I use ume vinegar as the main condiment since soy sauce is not allowed.  I roasted walnuts and cashews and added raisins for snacks and desserts.  And I made a couple pressed salads.  The rest of the week we continue to observe the dietary restrictions.  But, actually, it's an opportunity to eat wholesome, natural (yes, vegan) foods and not the processed stuff. 

I will be very excited for brown rice when it's all over, though.  :)

Alicia!!  Just seeing this now!  Thanks for the mention!  I would love to play together soon!  & I need to send you a book!!  :)  (Open-Eyed Heart-Wide Haggadah)  xox
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