Yes, Virginia, there is a Matzoh Claus

I was rescued from the sadness of a Seder free spring by the woman who answered my mail to the synagogue in Graz.

“Yes, there’s an event you can go to, you just need to email the synagogue, but why don’t you come to our house?” she asked.

How could I refuse such a kind offer? I roasted some veggies and then, after husband came home, we trundled off to to join 6% of Graz’s Jewish population for Seder.

I could chronicle the whole thing here, but it wouldn’t do it justice. If you have been to a Seder, you will understand when I say that this one was just like any family Seder. And I mean that in the best possible way.

The littlest one sang the “Four Questions” and we sang along. Accommodating grown-ups read out loud when asked. Sometimes, a smallish person got a bit restless but then, tackled the text with gusto when it was his turn. The food was delicious, the company charming and the story, well, it was the same. Only the language was different and the particular Haggadah that we used seemed a bit heavier on the praising than I’m used to. (Husband says no, that it was just like the book we used at home, it’s only the language barrier that kept me from understanding the story telling bits.) The kids made the adults laugh like crazy when they kept overlooking the exact spot where the Afikomen was hidden, and when it was all over we sat back, sated, and talked about, oh, everything.

I felt completely at home. It was perfection.