Scottish Seder Faces Challenge

By COLlive reporter

Organizing a communal Pesach seder requires advance coordination, kashering the kitchen and utensils, inviting guests, ordering wine and matzah, preparing remarks and cooking the lavish meal.

In Glasgow, they had another factor to consider: The late hour.

The earliest time to start the seder this year was 9:20 PM, said Shliach Rabbi Chaim Jacobs, Director of Lubavitch of Scotland. “In view of this, the Seder schedule was adjusted to accommodate the late hour.”

Rabbi Jacobs and his wife Sora Jacobs resorted to telling their 120 guests to come one hour before sundown and spend the evening in an unconventional manner for a seder night.

First, they were served a festive meal prepared by Sora Jacobs. From sunset until nightfall there was an interval which included Seder explanations, favorite songs and candle lighting.

The actual seder, led by Rabbi Chaim and Mrs. Sora Jacobs and their son Rabbi Mendel Jacobs, with the kitchen organized by Leible Sziewicz (of Melbourne, Australia), began at nightfall and ended after 11:00 PM to the delight of all the men, women and children who participated.

Following reading the Hagaddah and eating Matzah, Maror and the Korech sandwich, there was Shulchan Orech which included the traditional egg in salt water, fruit platters and dessert.

They then continued with Tzafun, Barech, Hallel and Nirtzah.

“The atmosphere was tremendous with many people already pre-booking for next year,” Rabbi Chaim Jacobs told COLlive.com.

Other Chabad Lubavitch Sedorim were held in Edinburgh and organized by shluchim Rabbi Pinny and Gitty Weinman who run Chabad on Campus in Edinburgh with a large crowd attending both nights.

Photos taken before the holiday