"A woman belongs on the bimah as much as an orange belongs on the seder plate!"

Several new Passover seder rituals are being adopted by Jewish families to honor the role of Miriam, Moses' sister and the Prophetess in the Exodus, and to highlight the contributions of women to Jewish culture, both past and present. A second cup, called Miriam's Cup, is being added to the Passover dinner table along with Elijah's Cup. Miriam's Cup is filled with water and symbolizes the miracle of Miriam's well, which sustained the Israelites during their long journey in the desert.

The addition of a orange to the traditional Passover Seder plate is another new ritual. The reference of the orange to Passover was inspired by a comment made during a speech given at a synagogue by the Jewish scholar Susannah Heschel. During her speech she made a reference to the recent ordination of the first reform women rabbi. A man in the audience was heard to remark:

"A woman belongs on the bimah as much as an orange belongs on the seder plate!"

To which Heschel responded:

"Women bring to the bimah what an orange would bring to the seder plate: transformation, not transgression."

The symbol of the orange was first adopted by women's groups in their Passover celebrations. These "feminist seders" began during the mid 1970's and were the first to celebrate the women's role in Jewish life. Over the past 25 years the idea of celebrating and acknowledging the importance of Jewish women to their culture and heritage has been adopted by many families as part of their holiday celebration.