Our thoughts go back two years to Passover when we noticed in the Jewish Bulletin that the S.F.-based Jewish Family and Children’s Services was looking for seder invitations for Russian immigrants. Result… Maria, Mikhail and their son Alex joined us for their first seder in America.
We had four questions. How would we communicate with Russian-speaking guests who had been in this country for less than three months? How would we explain what Passover meant? What Haggadah should we use? What food should I serve?
During the seder our questions were answered. We communicated with some English, some Yiddish, a lot of hand gestures and a lot of laughter. JFCS supplied us with haggadot that were in Russian and English, and the service explained Passover. Leaving Egypt and beginning life in a new country was a concept they understood better than we did.
The food during the dinner was an interesting experience for our guests. Matzah ball soup was a new dish to them. They had never had asparagus, but politely they all tried it. While we were eating rack of lamb, three deer walked by our window, and our guests looked startled. We immediately made “baa-ing” sounds and tried to eliminate their apprehensions. I think we succeeded.
We did succeed in having a delightful Passover and developing a warm relationship that continues to this day. We see Maria and Mikhail almost every Friday to help them practice their English and understand our country. And this year, they were again invited to our Passover table.