According to the last National Jewish Population Survey (conducted in 2000 by the United Jewish Communities and the Jewish federation system), about 60% of American Jews hold or attend a Passover seder. Which means that most of us are at least somewhat familiar with what one finds on a seder plate: maror, charoset, karpas, z’roa, beitzah, chazeret, an orange…Wait. An orange?
Oranges have been showing up on seder plates for about the past 20 years. The story goes: a man once said that a woman belongs on the bimah as much as an orange belongs on a seder plate. So, placing an orange on the seder plate shows support for women clergy.
I’ve never actually seen an orange appear at any seder I’ve participated in and the idea kind of makes me feel like bursting into that “Which One of These Things is Not Like the Other” song from Sesame Street. It’s that same childlike curiosity of figuring out which one of these things is not like the other that had me wondering how the orange actually got there. So I Googled.
I stumbled across a 2007 post on Jewesses With Attitude, run by our friends over at the Jewish Women’s Archive. In “What’s in an Orange”, I learned that the story behind the orange started not with an orange at all and not as a symbol of support for women leaders and rabbis. Rather, it started with a crust of bread and a symbol for gay/lesbian solidarity. It’s a fascinating post – with even more fascinating comments – questioning how the story changed over the years and what that means. Well worth the read (Go, click, read).
And if you happen to see an orange on a seder plate tonight or tomorrow, you’ll know how it got there and you can decide what it represents for you.
(Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23727257@N00/ / CC BY 2.0)
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For me the orange is a symbol of inclusion of all marginalized people in Jewish tradition. It is also a powerful sign that Judaism continues evolve in the modern world. Thanks for sharing this, Emily!
I went to a women’s Seder when I as ten.. and ever since my mother and I BOTH put an orange on our Seder plates… I think this is one of the best new traditions in modern Judaism.
em, i *just* read that post at jwa! i loved reading the history and transformation of the symbol and of the message. as my family is piecing together our own traditions, i’m leaning towards miriam’s cup (i think mentioned in the comments that you linked to?). anyway, thanks for bringing the orange and its story front and center! 🙂
I would add Miriam’s cup of water before any orange.
Actually . . .
http://www.ritualwell.org/holidays/passover/onthesedertable/primaryobject.2005-07-08.9776011383
Orange on the Seder Plate
In the early 1980s, while speaking at Oberlin College Hillel, Susannah Heschel was introduced to an early feminist Haggadah that suggested adding a crust of bread on the seder plate, as a sign of solidarity with Jewish lesbians (there’s as much room for a lesbian in Judaism as there is for a crust of bread on the seder plate). Heschel felt that to put bread on the seder plate would be to accept that Jewish lesbians and gay men violate Judaism like chametz violates Passover. So, at her next seder, she chose an orange as a symbol of inclusion of gays and lesbians and others who are marginalized within the Jewish community. She offered the orange as a symbol of the fruitfulness for all Jews when lesbians and gay men are contributing and active members of Jewish life. In addition, each orange segment had a few seeds that had to be spit out – a gesture of spitting out, repudiating the homophobia of Judaism. While lecturing, Heschel often mentioned her custom as one of many feminist rituals that have been developed in the last twenty years. She writes, “Somehow, though, the typical patriarchal maneuver occurred: my idea of an orange and my intention of affirming lesbians and gay men were transformed. Now the story circulates that a MAN said to me that a woman belongs on the bimah as an orange on the seder plate. A woman’s words are attributed to a man, and the affirmation of lesbians and gay men is erased. Isn’t that precisely what’s happened over the centuries to women’s ideas?”
Wait – something happened and it posted before I finished! Sorry!!! I did not intend to put the whole section from the website in my comment.
Okay – continuing . . . my point was . . .
Actually, I think it’s also particularly relevant that it was Suzannah Heschel, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s daughter, who introduced the orange.
That’s all. 🙂 Thanks!
I was told by someone that the whole Heschel story was, in actuality, a myth. Anyone have sources other than the link Amy posted?
And the original story I was told about Suzannah Heschel was in regards to her having a bat mitzvah. An orthodox rabbi remarked, “a woman belongs on the bima like an orange belongs on the sedar plate.”
I did not read Amy’s posts so well. My bad.
I had heard long ago that the orange on the seder plate represented women having equal rights on the Bima. I also read of the “orange on the seder plate” origin in *The Five Books of Miriam.”
As a woman who leyns and daavens [for mixed seating] I embraced this recounting whole-heartedly. Not only do we place an orange on the seder plate, I create ceramic seder plates with the makom (place) for the orange right in the center.
Every year my mom & dad proudly place an orange on their seder plate, expressing pride and support for their Jewishly active daughters.
Today my dad showed me an article in the April 2011 Commentary which has an article stating that the origin of this new tradition had morphed over time. ..and apparently the origin is not as I understood it to be ..oh dear!..
After reading the article, and looking up page 256 in Ellen Frankel’s book* I did an internet search.
….So now I have read multiple accountings of the origin. ..I have read multiple articles claiming to quote Susannah Heschel – I say claiming only because the accounts are not reporting the same information! ..*sigh*
So what do I do with my orange? What do I do with the place of honor on my seder plate?
Inspired by an earlier posting in this commentary thread, my seder plate will indeed have a Makom. A space for all who are excluded. and the “all who are excluded” can be interpreted by each individual in attendance, to personalize &/or to identify.
How appropriate it is that Makom [place] is also another name for Hashem. I have always believed that Hashem intends, as well as desires, for all to have equal access to Torah. As strange as this may sound, I believe that Hashem cries when their is exclusion.
There are many who are excluded. There are many who are denied equal access to Torah and to study.
In my home, on our seder plate, Makom will represent:
~ Women who are still striving to have equal access to Torah & synagogue ritual.
~ Makom will represent my special needs students, who are seeking inclusion and who desire to be treated as respected members of society.
~ Makom will represent my Hebrew School students who deserve to be counted in minyan as they reach the age of majority.
~ Makom will represent the Women of the Wall who desire the right to daaven and leyn AT the Kotel, not off in a hidden area.
~ Makom will represent all Jews who wish their right to exist be recognized.
~ Makom will represent our beloved Israel, who still fights for the right to defend herself.
Joyfully I realize that I have just answered my own question of “Now what do I do with this orange??” The orange retains the place of honor on our seder plate.
I thank my dad, who today inspired me to investigate the Midrash of the Orange. And I say toda raba to all those who contributed in this commentary thread, giving me even more to ponder.
While the Orange will continue to represent my right to Jewish rite, as of today the meaning and representation of our orange means so much more.
Kol tuv and a zissan Pesach,
Bena
Please excuse my typo.. .. of “their” when meant to type “there” ! [don’t look for it!]