Once there was a Seder headed by a female Rebbe. On the Seder plate was a crust of bread. A disciple asked, "Why...?" She told the story of Puah, a girl from a family of women, asking her Rebbe "Is there room in Judaism for a lesbian?" He said, "There is as much room for lesbianism as there is a crust of bread on the Seder plate." That is why this Rebbe had a crust on the Seder plate. -- based on the Oberlin College Haggadah.

Susannah Heschel discovered that Haggadah and agreed with the Midrash, but she could not put a piece of bread on the Seder plate. It was against the concept of the bread of affliction. So she substituted an orange. It was originally for us Jews that were GLBT. As the story spread it became a symbol for those of us that were "outside the norm" which also included, but was not limited to the widow, orphan and those of us who were not born Jews.

So if you are running the Seder, please include the orange.

Shelly Lewin

Notes: From “Orange on the Seder Plate" pgs 70-77 by Dr. Susannah Herschel, Eli Blach Associate Professor of Dartmouth College in the book: The Women’s Passover Companion: Women’s Reflections on the Festival of Freedom edited by Rabbi Sharon Cohen Ainsfeld, Tara Mohr & Catherine Spector

Susannah Herschel is the daughter of the late Abraham Joshua Herschel, rabbi, teacher, civil rights leader who assisted, taught and learned from Dr. Martin Luther King.

Puah was also the name of one of the two midwives who saved the Israelite male infants from being killed. (Exodus 1:15-21)