Salvador, Brazil: A Seder in Portuguese and Hebrew

Although spicy seafood prepared with African ingredients and techniques usually feature high on Chabad-Lubavitch of Salvador’s menu throughout the year, co-directors Rabbi Yisroel and Rivky Bukiet are going Old World traditional for the Passover Seders. An overflowing crowd of predominately Israeli backpackers is expected.

Earlier this week, as workers at the center finished cleaning the kitchen and synagogue, chefs were busy preparing the mountains of food.

Rivky Bukiet says that early Shabbat morning, while it is still permitted to eat leavened products, the local community and visitors will eat challah and cookies in a side room that will be locked for the duration of Passover. They will then return to the main hall to enjoy a Shabbat meal that will be kosher for Passover (though no matzah will be served, per pre-holiday restriction). The first Seder will begin that night.

"We will be doing the Seder in two languages," says Bukiet, a fluent speaker of Portuguese. Her husband, a native Israeli, will lead the Seder in Hebrew. "The young community members love the dual programming with the Israelis," which features a lot of singing and dancing, says Bukiet. "They see that Judaism is not to be practiced sitting quietly in the corner quite. Rather, it is alive and vibrant."