Passover Seder Trivia -- 5786 / 2026 edition
At our synagogue's congregational seders for the last several years, we have played the following game: I have collected unusual Pesach stories, and shared three such stories with the community: two true stories, and one fictional story. Participants then have to guess which two stories are true and which one is false. (If you listen to Wait, wait, don't tell me, you get the idea, except that only one story is false.) You can see previous editions of this game here http://rabbischeinberg.blogspot.com/search?q=trivia. This is what was presented at our congregational seder in 2025. Two stories are true; one is fictional. Answers at the bottom! (Note: All photos were created by AI, so the photos will not help you determine which questions are true or false.)
STORY #1:
You can find Israeli tourists almost anywhere in the world, as well as businesses that provide for the needs of Israeli tourists. Take, for example, Moshe Abutbul and his cousin Yaniv Cohen. They traveled to Peru shortly after their army service and they fell in love with the people and the society and the stunning natural beauty of Peru. They were especially taken with one of the country’s great tourist attractions -- the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu, the 15th century Inca citadel in the Andes Mountains.
With the numbers of Israeli visitors to Machu Picchu each year, Moshe and Yaniv decided to open a youth hostel and restaurant in the nearby town of Aguas Calientes, to serve felafel and schnitzel and generally to help Israeli backpackers to feel at home. The restaurant is not strictly kosher, but even so, each year during Passover they change over to a no-bread menu. And beginning with their first Passover, in 2013, that Passover menu has included Matzah Pizza.
Moshe said, “It seemed logical because it’s a Passover favorite. Plus, the first time I told my mother I was going to move to Machu Picchu, she honestly thought I was saying ‘Matzah Pizza.’” And they were surprised by how popular it became, not only among the Israelis but among the various travelers to their restaurant. One reviewer wrote: “It’s like the crispiest pizza you’ve ever had.” They kept on making it after Passover was over. And that’s how, for the last 10 years, you can eat Matzah Pizza at Machu Picchu all year round. Also on the menu: the famous Peruvian dish ceviche, served on matzah with horseradish sauce.
STORY #2:
Karpas - the vegetable dipped in salt water at the beginning of the seder. Some communities use parsley, some use celery, some Eastern European communities used boiled potatoes because that was the only vegetable that was available in early spring.
But do you know about the Jewish community that used bananas for karpas?
You might guess this was a Jewish community somewhere in Central America or in the Caribbean. But actually, the community that used bananas for Karpas was located right here in New Jersey. Today Elizabeth, New Jersey is home to a large Orthodox community. In the 1920s, though, the community was just starting to grow. Elizabeth’s Rabbi Elazar Preil was aghast at his community’s low level of knowledge of basic concepts in Jewish law. For example: to his dismay he found that Jews in Elizabeth would say the blessing ‘borei pri ha-etz’ over bananas. But that blessing should only be recited over fruit that grows on trees that survive from year to year. The shoots of a banana plant produce fruit only once, and thereafter they become part of the stem of the plant. So banana plants aren’t “trees” from the perspective of Jewish law, so the blessing over them should be the blessing for vegetables, ‘borei pri ha-adamah.’
So if you’re ever at a seder and someone says, “why is there PARSLEY on this seder plate??!”, chances are good that they’re from Elizabeth.
STORY #3:
What made last Passover (2025/5785) different from all other Passovers?
That was the first Passover in all of Jewish history when Kosher for Passover rabbinic certification is being provided for a cannabis product.
With the legalization of cannabis in most states in the United States, presumably this was just a matter of time. A small company called “Tokin’ Jew” has obtained Kosher for Passover rabbinic certification for their cannabis gummies, certifying that none of the ingredients are derived from Hametz or derived from Kitniyot, additional foods such as corn and soy that are traditionally not eaten by Ashkenazi Jews on Passover.
Tokin’ Jews founder Ben Kraim commented: “This is more than just a product launch—it’s about making sure Jews who keep kosher and follow strict halacha have the same access as everyone else.” And the company has created Passover Seder themed flavors for the gummies, including “Four Cups,” which is grape-flavored, and “Blood Orange,” to evoke the first of the ten plagues.
Kraim also said that cannabis use on Passover should be considered just as normal as drinking wine. But that’s not necessarily how most traditional Jews see it, so don’t expect to see this product on the shelves of your local kosher grocery store.
As one rabbi commented: “Bake the Matzah. Don’t bake your brain.”
ANSWERS BELOW:
Story #1 is false. Yes, there are Israeli backpackers throughout the world, and there are even web sites devoted to planning your kosher visit to Machu Picchu, but matzah pizza is not considered a delicacy there (or anywhere else…).
Story #2 is true (see this account https://havolim.blogspot.com/2021/03/bananas-for-karpas.html and this story from Rabbi Preil’s great-granddaughter https://oukosher.org/companies/the-absolute-collagen/)
Story #3 is true (see this article https://forward.com/culture/696043/kosher-cannabis-marijuana-weed-jewish-tokin-jews/)
Chag Sameach!
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