By Marisa Young | Reporter
In the wake of Passover, discussion has been rising regarding the Jewish practice of Seder. Particularly, students and scholars alike debate if it is appropriate or spiritually correct for Christians to celebrate Passover with a Seder meal.
In her article, “Christianizing Judaism? On the Problem of Christian Seder Meals,” Marianne Moyaert states that, “Jewish Passover brings redemption to a particular ethnic group.” The tradition of Seder is held in remembrance of God’s salvation of the Jews from their historical enslavement in Egypt.
Boerne senior Aaron Rivera described Seder as an act of remembrance on Jews’ behalf for the slavery and persecution they have faced historically.
“It’s supposed to be a happy festival because it shows that people were enslaved for 400 years, to be specific,” Rivera said. “It’s this idea of remembering that God has remembered the Jewish people.”
In addition to the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt, which is recorded in the Bible, Rivera said Seder serves to remember all of the eras of persecution Jews have endured over centuries. He said the meal commemorates the persecution, slavery and resilience of the Jewish people in light of surviving extreme opposition, such as that seen in the book of Exodus and during the Holocaust.
In addition to the act of remembrance, Rivera said Jews also hold the tradition because they are faithfully called to.
“It’s not just a symbolic meal — it’s a commandment given exclusively to the Jewish people with laws and blessings and customs that are meticulously followed,” Rivera said.
In regards to the topic of Christians celebrating Seder, Rivera said he doesn’t see why Christians would feel the need to hold the tradition, since it did not originate with their culture.
“My personal opinion is I don’t care, I think they can do whatever they want in their house,” Rivera said. “From my point of view, I definitely don’t think there’s any spiritual significance for a Christian to hold [Seder].”
Moyaert’s article attempts to explain the reasoning behind the emergence of Christian versions of Seder; she states that some Christian scholars believe that Passover is not solely about the liberation of the Jews, but also about the eventual coming of Christ, and thus worthy to be celebrated in all Christian traditions.
“For Athanasius, the Jewish Passover was but a shadow of the real Passover as established by Christ’s sacrificial offering for all humanity,” Moyaert writes.
To this perspective, Rivera would say people are missing the point of the Passover and the subsequent Seder celebration.
“It’s two completely different Passovers,” Rivera said. “To us Jews, we are told that you shouldn’t take things from other cultures and apply them to yourself.”
Port O’Connor sophomore Morgan Abel practices non-denominational Christian faith. While she said her family was never raised practicing Seder, she upholds Jewish solidarity in practicing Seder as a specific cultural event.
“I don’t believe it’s appropriate for Christians to celebrate Seder because they neglect the story from which it originates,” Abel said. “I don’t believe that you can throw a name on a celebration that has deep cultural meaning to others.”
Moyaert writes that some of the Christian arguments cling to a similar but contrasting cultural meaning of Passover within the greater context of the biblical story.
“Early on in the Christian tradition Christ came to be compared to the Passover lamb that was slaughtered as a sign of the liberation from slavery, a comparison also expressed in the statement by John the Baptist at the beginning of John’s gospel,” she writes.
The division over Seder speaks to a much older conversation about Judeo-Christian reconciliation at large. In this season of Holy Week, Abel said she hopes people continue to commemorate “the greatness that God has” in their individual ways and walks of faith.
“I think it’s important for certain groups to remember where they came from and why they were raised the way they were,” Abel said.
