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Wait, the First Seder? There's More Than One?

In addition to being tied to nature, the Jewish calendar is also connected to Jewish history. It was the custom in the Second Temple period to start the new months in the Jewish communities in Babylonia (present-day Iraq) and elsewhere when the new moon was sighted in Jerusalem. Because of the uncertainty surrounding when the new moon appeared in Jerusalem, it became a Jewish custom outside of Palestine to observe all holidays for two days. Some Jews still do this, and hold a seder on both the first and second night of Passover. Others hold only one seder, on the first night.

The Guide to Passover for Interfaith Families is also available in PDF and Word formats.

The spring holiday commemorating the Exodus of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. The Hebrew name is "Pesach." Reform synagogues are often called "temple." "The Temple" refers to either the First Temple, built by King Solomon in 957 BCE in Jerusalem, or the Second Temple, which replaced the First Temple and stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem from 516 BCE to 70 CE. Hebrew for "order," refers to the traditional course of events, or service, surrounding the Passover and Tu Bishvat meals.
InterfaithFamily

InterfaithFamily is the premier resource supporting interfaith couples exploring Jewish life and inclusive Jewish communities. We offer educational content; connections to welcoming organizations, professionals and programs; resources and trainings for organizations, clergy and other program providers; and our new InterfaithFamily/Your Community initiative providing coordinated comprehensive offerings in local communities.

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