Jewish Seder meal open to all Sabers Published March 31, 2010 By Staff Sgt. Aaron Kazer 726th Air Mobility Squadron SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- On behalf of the Jewish community of Spangdahlem, Sabers are invited to attend Passover Seder 4 - 5:30 p.m. April 1 at Club Eifel. Passover culminates both the remembrance and traditions from the life of the Jew in Egypt in or around 1445 B.C. At this time, Jews were slaves in Egypt and were treated harshly by the Pharaoh. A well-known man in Egypt, known as Moses, found out he was a Jew too. He decided to endure the hardships of a slave, as well. He eventually asked the Pharaoh to "let his people go." After nine plagues, the Pharaoh let the Jews go. Today, the Passover meal and its traditions symbolically remind Jews of the hardships of being a slave and the happiness of freedom from slavery. Such traditions today include the absence of bread for seven days to remind us we had no time to add flour to the bread to rise before we left Egypt. This is why we eat Matzah instead, or unleavened bread. Salt and bitter herbs are eaten to remind us of the sadness and pain of being a slave. We also carry on traditions that remind us how important family is, including games for children and singing celebratory songs. Furthermore, we bring a pillow behind our chair to become comfortable and to remind us we are now free. People attending the Seder meal will notice being seated in a family setting. A book, called the Hagadah, is a short story that explains what happened in Egypt. The story takes you on a journey through a family atmosphere and symbolic traditions of a Jew in and out of Egypt. This Passover Seder meal will help answer questions about some Jewish tradition. Chaplain (Capt.) Michael Bram, a Rabbi from Ramstein, will be leading the service. If you have any questions regarding this event please contact Staff Sgt. Aaron Kazer at DSN 452-8831.