Are you a traditionalist, or are you ready to add a bit of funk to your Pesach? We fall in the middle. I want to hold fast to tradition, but wrap it up with a more upbeat bent. As a result, we started exploring contemporary seder plates. We can add a touch of color and fun to our Passover experience, while still having dedicated spots for everything that belongs, even on a modern seder plate.
If you’re isolating at home with family again this year, a modern seder plate will uplift a modest intimate seder in the same way as it will on a large classic table.
Photo Credits:
Intimate Passover seder table image by Juana Manuel.
Formal Passover seder image by Maryland GovPics.
Both licensed under creative commons Attribution 2.0 Generic.
What’s on a seder plate?
Prominently placed in the center of the table, the seder plate is the focal point of the Passover meal. Simple or ornate, it can be made from wood, glass, metal, ceramic, paper, or just about anything. Whether it is a modern seder plate or a classic style, what’s on a seder plate remains the same.
Much of the traditional readings and ceremony feature the six foods found on the traditional seder plate:
- Roasted egg: represents the festival sacrifice or offering
- Roasted lamb: shank representing the paschal lamb sacrifice
- Karpas: (parsley) to be dipped in saltwater to represent the backbreaking work during slavery
- Charoset: (a mixture made of apples, nuts, wine, and cinnamon) symbolizes the mortar and brick used by the Hebrew slaves
- Maror: (bitter herbs, often horseradish) to represents the bitterness of slavery
- Chazaret: (romaine lettuce) a second bitter herb
Chabad, a pioneer of the Torah, Judaism, and Jewish information on the web, offers a detailed explanation as to the significance of each of the items on the plate.
Modern seder plates
Here is a list of our favorite contemporary seder plates for Passover:
Laser-cut aluminum seder plate with pomegranates and Star of David
Size: 13.8 inches (35 cm)
Artist: Shraga Landesman
This is my favorite contemporary seder plate. The center void is a modern Star of David created when six carefully cut pomegranate shapes collide. Each has a different color dish. Made from brushed laser-cut anodized aluminum, it stands on three legs.
Designed by Israeli artist Shraga Landesman, it is made in Israel.
Cast aluminum seder plate with pomegranates
Size: 12 inches (30 cm)
Artist: Yair Emanuel
Another modern seder plate featuring pomegranates. This one is a thick and solid cast aluminum plate with six pomegranate shaped bowls, each painted red. In the center are the words Pesach Matza Umaror, which translates to (Passover (lamb), unleavened bread, and bitter herbs).
Designed and crafted in Israel, in the Jerusalem studio of Yair Emanuel.
Stained glass seder plate
Size: 13 inches square (33 cm)
Artist: RLL
What I like best about this colorful stained glass plate is that it is so different from any others I have seen. Keeping with tradition, it has diamond-shaped impressions to hold each of the seder plate foods.
Metal seder plate with Star of David
Size: 12 inches (30 cm)
Artist: Shraga Landesman
Folded metal reveals the wood underlay and creates a Star of David in the center of this seder plate. Along the outer circle is a Hebrew passage from the Shir Ha’shirim (Song of Songs).
Designed by Israeli artist Shraga Landesman, it is made in Israel.
Wooden folding seder plate
Size when open: 29" X 4.7" X 1" (73.5cm X 12cm X 2.5cm)
Size when closed: 4.7" X 4.7" X 4.7" (12cm X 12cm X 12cm)
Artist: Yair Emanuel
Fun, funky, portable and artistic. This wood seder plate folds up after the holiday. It's ideal to add color to the table or for travel. As a bonus, you have a stunning piece of artwork for the remainder of the year. Hand-painted with vivid colors, it's hand washable.
Designed and crafted in Israel, in the Jerusalem studio of Yair Emanuel.
Our Passover seder plate
Size: 10.6 inches (27 cm)
By: Armenian Ceramic
Not necessarily modern, this colorful ceramic seder plate is the one we currently use at our house. While I love several of the others on this page, this one has been with us for a while and is a family favorite.
Each cup is individual and has the name of the traditional food in both English and Hebrew. In the center of the plate, the word "Pesach" is written in Hebrew.
Made in Israel.
Emanuel Carved Wood Seder Plate -"Exodus from Egypt"
Size 12.6" X s" (32cm X 5cm)
Artist: Yair Emanuel
This colorful seder plate beautifully depicts the Crossing of the Red Sea. Each of the six small bowls (for the different Seder ingredients) features scenes from the exodus from Egypt. Hand-painted on wood, it's hand washable.
Designed and crafted in Israel, in the Jerusalem studio of Yair Emanuel.
While it is not traditional to bring Passover gifts to a seder, any of the modern seder plates above would make a wonderful wedding or Hanukkah gift.
Passover Paper Plates
Passover paper plates are also a modern holiday idea. With 25 waterproof plates in a pack (shown first in the grid below), they are ideal for kids or anyone. In fact, they are perfect for traditionalists that don’t have a set of kosher for Passover dishes. Check out these options, and as a bonus, get ready for quick and easy clean up this year.
Also on the seder table
In addition to the items on the plate itself, a traditional table will also have a matzah plate and wine or grape juice. The matzah plate will have three pieces of matzo, representing the Kohens, Levis, and Israelites.
The middle (called the afikoman) is broken early in the Passover readings, the other two will be used later. (Passover matzah is an unleavened bread available for a few months before the holiday begins. We, however, like to make our own matzo.)
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