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Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
Passover Ceremony: A Cultural Learning Experience
Kimberly Sheppard
University of West Georgia
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
Section 1: Introduce the topic, research questions and the location for the observation.
Date: March 11, 2012 from 5:00PM to 7:00 PM
Location: Bethany Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 4 N. Bethany Rd. McDonough, GA 30253
I was offered the opportunity to participate in a traditional Passover ceremony. The opportunity
was introduced that although this is typically considered a Jewish ceremony; there are ties to the
communion service that Catholics and Protestant Christians alike participate in. The event
would be public and they would charge $5.00 for the meal that was being prepared by local
caterers. A rabbi from a Messianic Jewish temple would be coming to teach and explain the
history of the ceremony and the symbolism that was connected to the ceremony. One question
that I had prior to this participant observation was, “How would individuals participate in a
ceremony of a different faith than what they were accustomed to?”
Upon arriving at the center, we were told we could sit anywhere that we would like but to please
not touch anything in the center of the table. The area was well lit and clean. The room itself
was really sparse in extra furniture. There were only tables and chairs. There was really nothing
on the walls of the room. It wasn’t really decorated. I found a seat at a table that had 2 other
families sitting there. One was a couple (man and wife) that were in their mid 50s.The second
family was a couple in their early 30s (man, wife and daughters). They were very excited for the
evening to start. I was a little surprised to see so many children. The girls at the table with me
were around 10 and when I asked which was older, they quickly said that they were twins. They
were very quiet but after a few minutes you could tell they were more nervous than just normally
quiet. They giggled together over most things that the other would say. The last chair was left
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
empty. The table was already set with a simple white table cloth and the center of the table had a
number of items on it.
There is a map included of the room and then a close-up of the table. Each of the five tables
consisted of a maximum of 8 people and most tables were full. The table arrangements were
simple, including: white table clothes, white glass plates, white napkins on the center with
matzah bread in the middle of them, and several food items. The food items consisted of:
carafe of wine, 1 onion, 1 small bone, a seder plate, 2 hard boiled eggs, and small containers of
horse radish, salt water, and haroset. A small agenda and book, The Messianic Passover
Haggadah, were also provided for us to take (Rubin & Rubin, 1989).
Time Section 2: Observation Expanded Field Notes CodesDate: March 11, 2012 from 5:00PM to 7:00 PMLocation: Bethany Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 4 N. Bethany Rd. McDonough, GA 30253
5:00 PM Messianic Jewish Rabbi, Murray Tilles introduces himself and
thanks us for coming and for our interests in learning about the
Passover. He says Shalom – which means Hello, Goodbye, and
Peace. He explained that as Jesus was Jewish he would have
participated in the yearly Passover ceremony. He explains that
Passover is also the most detailed order of service and that
Passover especially points to the prophecies of Christ. He also
states that this is one of the oldest recorded religious ceremonies
in the world that is still used. Biblically, it was also Christ’s last
meal.
Murray explains his own background. He was born in a
Speaker Presented
Significance of why we are here
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
5:15 PM
religious Jewish family. In his freshman year of college he met
someone who introduced him to the Bible and after reading it he
decided that he saw more symbolism of the Jewish ceremonies
and an explanation of who Christ was and he decided to accept
Christ and the Christian faith. His family disowned him for a
few years and since then he has had several other family
members also become Christians. As he was speaking he was
very matter of fact. He was sincere but really just telling the
facts of what happened not thinking about it, as he didn’t get
emotional. As I glanced around everyone was watching him but
without any real expression on their faces. He read Leviticus
26:3 and then showed the correlation between this Old
Testament book and the life of Christ in Matthew 26: 16-19
(New Testament) and in Luke 22:15 concerning the Feast of the
Unleven Bread. He then explained that the Passover relates and
it is no coincidence that the Passover is very similar to the
Christian communion. Many adults are sitting with their arms
crossed showing with their body language that they are either
not comfortable. The room is not cold but comfortable.
He told us to take a minute and decide who would represent the
father and mother of the table. This would typically be the older
family members but it did not necessarily have to be. The
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
younger couple at the table looked to the older couple,
immediately assuming and almost as if they even desired or
expected them to take the role. The older couple said that they
had participated before and that they thought everyone should
have the opportunity to do so. They told the younger couple that
they could do it. The young couple looked immediately wide
eyed and nervous. They even looked to each other but they
couldn’t seem to come up with a reason not to do it. They simply
nodded their head and agreed.
He then brought everyone back in and explained the importance
of waiting for instructions and explanations of the traditions. He
explained that a traditional Passover lasts for 4 -6 hours but that
this Passover ceremony would only last 2 hours. It was really
interesting because as he was saying this I was looking around
and mostly men at the tables were antsy. I wonder if it was more
because they felt they should be doing something but didn’t know
what to do.
He then told us that we would be filling our glasses four times
that evening but to wait until he blessed each cup. He suggested
that we only barely fill the cup to not go overboard with it.
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
5:25 PM
5:30 PM
Murray then explained the Haggadah – or the telling. This is the
story of the Passover that has been passed down for generations
as a promise of God’s faithfulness. The ceremony starts with the
lighting of candles by the woman of the house. The younger
woman at our table stands up and picks up the matches on the
table. She then shakily lights the candle. He then asks the
women to repeat after him the traditional blessing in Hebrew.
He says the blessing in English first and then says it slowly in
Hebrew to allow them to have time to repeat it. This would have
naturally been known to an Orthodox Jewish woman.
He explained that the youngest children would typically ask the
meaning or the purpose of the Passover in questions but that
typically Jewish children would have been trained on what to ask
but the children this evening would not have been taught what to
ask so he would be asking the questions and then explaining.
The first question was, Why is this night different from all the
other nights? He asked if anyone could answer that but no one
even raised their hand. He answered that because of what the
Lord did for me is the appropriate Jewish Orthodox answer.
God redeemed the ancient Jews from enslavement in Egypt (He
reference Exodus 12). Many around the room were writing
Ceremony begins with the Lighting of the candles.
1st Blessing Prayer in the form of a rhythmic chant
1st Question
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
5:35 PM
5:40 PM
down notes or looking in their Bibles at the reference. He also
said that the ancestors were told to put the blood of the lamb
over the door to protect the first born son. God would protect
and “passover” their home, hence the name of the ceremony.
For followers of Christ, he said God protected/saved all with the
lamb of God (Christ).
The second question was, Why do we eat our meal in a relaxed
position? Now we are all sitting in chairs not reclining so I am
assuming that he means in a traditional service. He said that
that in the middle east only the free can recline and eat. It is an
expression of their freedom. Murray said that although we were
not reclining as in a typical ceremony, they would typically be
reclining to symbolism that the first Passover was celebrated by
those that were slaves and now we are free of that bondage. A
few at the table (mainly the men) reclined back in their chair.
Before they had been sitting up right.
He comes to the third question. On every night we can eat any
bread, why tonight can we only eat unleven bread? Murray
explained that the Jewish ancestors could only take unleven
bread with them when they fled from Egypt because they didn’t
have time for the bread to rise. They called it the afikomen
2nd Question
3rd Question
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
5:45 PM
because in Greek it means He who comes later. The father at the
table takes the middle piece of bread out from between the
Matzah Toash. He broke the piece in half and put one half in
between the Matzah Toash and left one half out on top. Murray
explained that putting the piece in the middle symbolized Christ
being killed and buried.
The fourth question was, Why can we eat all veggies every other
night but tonight we can only eat the bitter veggies? Murray
explained that this was to remind of the bitterness of slavery.
Murray then held up and empty Seder plate and said that each
piece of food held important significance.
The parsley was the first and it represented life. We dipped it in
the salt water on the table to signify that life has tears of
bitterness mixed in with it. I found it interesting that some of the
adults at the table would not eat the whole parsley twig but they
would eat only a small leaf. It really didn’t taste bad just
different.
The onion (kasari) is the root of the bitter herb. This represents
that the root of life is better. Fortunately we did not have to bite
into the onion but it would be expected by an Orthodox Jewish
person.
The horseradish (maror) reminds us how bitter life is without
4th Question
Participates start tasting food as symbolism of food is explained.
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
redemption. It brought tears to my eyes. The other adults at the
table instructed the twins not to take a lot. Most adults took a
small taste on a spoon.
The next dish that we tasted was the sweet apple (kharoset).
This represented that the children of Israel toiled to make cities
for Pharaoh, working in brick and clay. It was brown with
apples, nuts, and cinnamon. We were instructed to put some
kharoset and maror together onto a matzah bread. This was to
symbolism that even the most bitter of circumstances can be
sweetened by the hope we have in God. I really enjoyed this
dish. I actually wanted another taste but there was really only
enough on the table for each person to taste it. The twins
seemed afraid to taste it after that. Typically children are
unafraid to try new things so it was interesting that after the
adults seemed to scare them about the horseradish they were
fearful of other new items. Everyone did try the dish though.
The next dish that we tried was the egg (khagigah) was added to
the seder to remind us of morning and that it has no beginning
and no end. The mother of the table took the egg, cracked it, and
pealed it. Then she cut it and passed around pieces. Everyone
then took their piece of egg and dipped it into the salt water to
again remind of the bitterness of life. Again, the children did not
try the whole egg. One of the girls even seemed to gag and then
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
6:00PM
6:05 PM
apologized that she didn’t like eggs. I was impressed that they
tried it without their parents saying anything.
The last piece on the seder was the shankbone of a lamb to
remind us of the lamb whose blood marked the houses during
that first Passover to protect the first born sons, showing
obedience to God. This was purely for show and we left it on
the seder plate.
We then took the second cup of wine. This was the cup of the
plagues. He explained that Israel does not want war only peace.
He explained that with this prayer the Jewish prayer for those
that have suffered that we might have peace and survive. We
then were instructed to follow Murray and recited in English and
then Hebrew the 10 plagues: blood, frogs, vermin, beast,
pestilence, oils, hail, locust, darkness, 1st born,. As each plague
is said we took and dipped our finger into the wine and touched
the plate in front of us so that a drop was left.
The Hebrew prayer is said and followed by all saying Amen.
The Passover Banquet commences. There is genuine laughing
and talking. It is obvious that the families at the table did not
know each other before as they start asking questions about
2nd Cup
Hebrew Blessing over all
Passover Banquet commences
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
6:35PM
where they work and generally get to know type questions. I
found it interesting that the adults did not ask each other what
they thought of the ceremony but they did ask the twin girls what
they thought so far about the ceremony. Generally the questions
were how are you enjoying this but they also asked more specific
questions about what they thought about certain parts. The
meal continues to take place. It really feels like a big
Thanksgiving or family get together, type of celebration. There
is brisket and lots of fresh veggies in a family style presentation.
After everyone has finished they clear their plates for the next
part of the ceremony.
Murray brings everyone back by excitedly explaining that at this
part of the ceremony the children play an important part. The
children will be looking for the afikomen. He said that often
times, the head of the family will have taken the middle piece of
matzah bread from the middle of the table and hid it somewhere
in the room. He told the children that he had already hid the
piece and that they could go and look. The children’s faces were
priceless. The twin girls looked to their parents first with large
smiles on their faces, as if saying, “Can I go.” The parents
smiled indulgently. The room chaotically erupted in the sound
of children running and squealing. It was similar to an Easter
Children’s Hunt for the afikomen
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
egg hunt or treasure hunt. The children were looking
everywhere until one of them found it. I was surprised because
one of the twins actually found it but they shyly gave it to a
younger child of about 5. The youngster took it up to Murray
and he patted their head affectionately and the child smiled and
went back to her seat.
Each head of the table takes the afikomen and breaks it into
small pieces. Each person gets a piece with the third cup. This
is the pretext for the Lord’s supper. For the Christian and the
Messianic Jew, the unleven bread symbolizes Christ because he
was scared and pierced and the bread has holes in it and darker
marks where it has been cooked.
Murray also mentioned that for some in the Jewish faith the
unleven bread represents Abraham, Isac, and Jacob. He said no
one can explain where the poach for the afikomen came from but
today it has become a game to keep the children anticipating and
paying careful attention. Several people at the table looked at
spouses or other people that they knew well giving them a
questioning look. Murray further explains that for the Christian
there is further symbolism in the afikomen in the middle of the
table. There are three pieces and looking at the center carefully,
I am able to see that there are. The top, he says, represents God
3rd Cup and similar to the communion aspect
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
6:45 PM
6:50
the father. The middle represents Christ (this is the piece that is
broken and buried in the middle and then now reappears towards
the end of the ceremony – just as Christ in the Bible is killed,
buried and reappears). The bottom is the Holy Spirit which
came after Christ is not seen. I thought it was interesting that no
one could explain where in history that the poach for the matzah
bread came from. In a religion that has been recorded so
carefully and uses rhythmic prayer chants to remember the
order of the ceremony, some that plays such a large part cannot
be traced.
The 3rd cup is the Cup of Redemption. This is the cup that
Catholics and Protestants use as the cup for communion or the
Lord’s supper. The father of the table broke the afikomen and
the mother of the table poured the 3rd cup and Murray lead the
family tables in chanting the prayer in Hebrew. By this time,
everyone wasn’t looking around at others at their table
chuckling. They were paying close attention to what Murray
said and did.
Everyone then took the Cup of Hallel or Praise. The mother at
the table poured everyone their last cup. It is still the same small
amount and this time she did not appear nervous nor were her
3rd Cup
4th Cup
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
PM hands shaking. Murray stopped everyone at this time. He
actually paused for a minute to gain everyone’s attention
because he said he wanted to make a point that scripturally,
Jesus did not take this cup because he said he would drink with
them in Heaven (reference: Matthew 26:29). People were
intently listening, not only with respect for the speaker but also
leaning forward. Almost as if in anticipation of what he would
say.
Murray explained that at each table one complete place setting
was left empty. I thought they were all full but as I glanced
around, I noticed that indeed there was an empty space at each
table. This would have been the seat that was set aside in
anticipation of Elijah. He said that at this time the children
would go to the door, singing and calling for Elijah. He
explained that those that believe in Christ believe that Christ was
Elijah so he has already come. Therefore the empty seat is set in
honor of Christ. Throughout this explanation he is getting more
and more excited. Waving his arms widely with great
enthusiasm. He then starts to get quiet as he finishes explaining
how many miss the true meaning of the Passover.
Many at the tables have their chins resting on the palms of their
hands. The children are starting to get restless. The girls in
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
7:10 PM
front of me are squirming in their seats but as I glance around
the room other children are doing the same. Murray closes with
the hope that everyone has enjoyed themselves and that they
have learned much about their strong, shared roots with the
Jewish community and Israel. He asks everyone to repeat after
him as he says the closing prayer. He says it in English first, and
then repeats it in Hebrew saying it slowly with pauses so that
everyone can repeat the prayer. As everyone was leaving the
atmosphere was anything but solemn. Everyone was very
friendly and even happily wishing others well and saying that
they were glad for the opportunity to have met. Many even
stayed around talking and cleaning up. Rabbi Tilles had several
books available so I did purchase one, Jesus in the Passover ().
Section 3: Reflective Essay
My purpose was to observe how people would participate in a ceremony of a faith, religion, or
culture that they were unfamiliar with. Through this process, I acted as primarily participate but I
did take notes throughout the event. Merriam suggested narrowing the lens on observing. My
first instinct was to note everyone at all tables and several times throughout the observation, I did
note that I was looking around at other tables but I found that I was more scattered and almost
not focused as when I was just observing and participating at my table (2009). If we were
sampling something I would wait until he started to explain again and then in short hand, write
down basic notes of what we did. I have participated in other observations and this one was
extremely enjoyable as I was able to sample food that I would not have normally tried,
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
participated in a ceremony that I have not had an opportunity to participate in before, and I was
able to listen to the beautiful rhythmic prayers that were offered. I noticed that as each prayer
was chanted and each cup event was taken, the people around me were more comfortable in
participating. I made note in the right column of the cups and food samplings because these
were not only the times were we were actively participating but also the times for each so point
out how quickly events flowed and whether or not the participates were comfortable. The
banquet seemed to help people become more comfortable with their surroundings. Most people
obviously wanted to be there, as it was $5.00 for the meal, to participate in the event. That does
not mean that they were comfortable or that they would feel comfortable participating. Many
were originally sitting back in their chair with their arms crossed to begin with but as the
ceremony progressed and especially after the banquet, there was a familiarity and higher level of
comfort that was exhibited. The participates were leaning forward paying close attention and
their body language was no longer tense. Looking over my field notes, I wrote quite a bit more
than I was going to but this was a two hour observation versus the required 20 minutes. I did
think about only using 20 minutes of it but the problem was choosing which 20 minutes to
include. I have found that writing in the columns and adding times to one side and observations
to another helps me to keep track of times and events. Next time, I would probably bring a tape
recorder and get permission to record. I would not transcribe word for word but I would use it to
help me remember the events in order if I could not take notes (Merriam, 2009). Two hours is a
long time to account for with memory. Also, as this was a public opportunity and many were
taking notes, I did not ask or bring permission slips. Kawulich said, it was difficult to get
permission at times and this venue was not only open but they were wanting the participates to
take notes and share what they learned from the experience (2005). So even though it was a
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
religious ceremony, I did not feel like I was sharing anything that was private or that would hurt
anyone.
Section 4: Analytic Essay
In conclusion, I thought this was an incredible opportunity to see another culture and hear some
of another language. I was interested in how other participated. Really, I was curious if they
would fully participate. Would they whole heartily jump into the process or would they just
stand or sit there watching. I was pleasantly surprised that the adults, although at first nervous,
did begin repeating the chanted prayers and following any instructions almost without thought.
The children would glance at parents periodically throughout the ceremony. It was almost as if
to gauge whether they were supposed to follow or not. Most of the time, children have no fear of
a new situation and are the first to jump in. However, the instructions at the beginning from the
Rabbi, to wait until instructions were given might have proved to be a hindrance to this. Also
during the sampling of the symbolic food items, the children were scared after the horseradish
and were timid when trying other things. Both of these were typical reactions of children ina
new environment and although they were hesitant, they were always willing. For me, the book
and pamphlet were particular helpful, as I was not able to write down everything that was being
said, nor was I sure about the spelling of some words. I was able to take notes and there were
several others doing so as well so I did not stand out or look as I was observing. As I was
participating, I was able to follow along with the ceremony with the book and then going back
over my notes it was very helpful to remember what we were doing at that time. I was
particularly interested in the fact that the prayers were chanted, in such a rhythmic and song-like
quality. This would provide a way for those that do not read to learn and remember the
importance and words of the ceremonies. Also the food played such an intrical part in the
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
ceremony. In fact, I didn’t realize that there was symbolism for each piece of food on the table
until we finished. Everything was clearly explained through the food. Similar to the large
cathedrals in Europe that used stained glass to teach those in their faith that could not read. For
the children and adults that participated, it explained further about their religion and the
fundamental roots of why certain traditions are done. It was definitely more in-depth and
interesting that I anticipated. I really expected the rabbi to perform the ceremony and perhaps
give a few explanations but more or less just let us experience the ceremony. I took several
photos, and now have two books which I included within the artifacts. Again, the books were
helpful to me as I wrote up my field notes, as I was able to check the spelling and make sure I
remembered to right down the correct meaning. The photos were a great visual and I would use
those to help others see visually what I was able to observe. I do feel that I experienced an
abbreviated version of the ceremony but the biggest difference was that the banquet would have
taken much longer because it was family and maybe friends. We were largely seated with
people that we did not know. Although we could have sat and talked for much longer than the
allotted 30 minutes or so I could see how this part of the ceremony alone would require several
hours. As an educator, I thought it was fantastic the way that they included the children several
times throughout the evening. The children would have to be on their toes, paying attention to
know when they would participate next and this would cause them to pay close attention to all
that was transpiring. Between the inclusions of the children to the rhythmic chants of the
prayers, it was obvious how important the next generation is to their culture and religion. I have
seen ceremonies in other faiths and cultures and although they will sometimes permit the
children to participate, this ceremony was family oriented. It was used as a teaching tool,
whereas some of the other ceremonies that I have seen sent the children out or the children were
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
told to be quiet if they wanted to witness it. Neither are bad, just different. If I was to continue
to observe in this setting, I would be interested in learning how much the children retained from
the ceremony. Did they truly understand the meaning of the ceremony? Would they be able to
replicate some of the ceremony? For children that did not grow up in the Jewish faith or learning
Hebrew, I wouldn’t expect them to remember the words but the symbolism behind the events
would be important.
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
References
Merriam, S.B. (2009).Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (3rd ed.). San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Kawulich, B.B. (2005, May). Participant Observation as a Data Collection Method. Forum:
Qualitative Social Research. 6,(2), Art. 43. Retrieved from http://www.qualitative-
research.net/index.php/fqs/article/viewArticle/466/996
Resources/Artifacts
This is a picture of the book that we were given at the Passover Ceremony.
Rubin, B. & Rubin, S. (1989). The messianic passover haggadah. Baltimore, MD: Messianic
Jewish Publishers.
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
This is a picture of Murray Tilles holding the Pouch that contained the Matzah Bread or the afikomen on March 11, 2012.
Candles and onion on the middle of the table. This is half way through the ceremony on March 11, 2012.
I purchased a copy of Christ in the Passover book from him after the ceremony.
Rosen, M. and Rosen, C.R. (2006). Christ in the Passover. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.
Participate Observation Kimberly Sheppard
Murray Tilles holding a piece of the Matzah Bread or the afikomen on March 11, 2012.
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