Israeli Embassy to UAE hosts its first-ever Passover Seder

• Published date: 30 March 2021
• Author: LAHAV HARKOV
• Date: 30 March 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Israeli Ambassador to the UAE Eitan Na'eh and Canadian Ambassador to the UAE Marcy Grossman planned an "Abrahamic Family Seder," inviting Muslims and Christians from their countries, the UAE, the US and UK to attend the traditional Passover event, as they celebrated outdoors at a desert resort in Abu Dhabi.

Na'eh said on Tuesday that they held an "inclusive Seder," in which Jewish participants explained the significance of the texts in the Haggadah and the attendees "celebrated together to find what we have in common."

"We had shmura matzah that Chabad brought us and Haggadot in Hebrew and English, we asked the four questions and discussed the holiday and its sources," Na'eh recounted. "Some of the texts are in Aramaic, which is in between Hebrew and Arabic, and the term b'nei horin, a free people, that is used in the Haggadah has a similar root to the Arabic word for freedom. It was interesting for the Emiratis."

The Seder was a full one, that continued to the middle of the night, and attendees learned to sing "Who Knows One," which Na'eh pointed out is easy to teach because it is repetitive, and features major concepts in Jewish life and history.

On the menu were brisket and schnitzel breaded in matzah meal, as well as matzah and haroset made from locally-grown dates.

Na'eh said the event was "uplifting" and "the most exciting Seder I have ever attended."

"It was clear to us...