A Student’s Search for a Santiago Seder

I had spent some four months in South America, and I had yet to exert my Jewishness, but I was intent on finding a Passover Seder to attend. I hadn't even met any Chilean Jews in Santiago, so, like many things, my fruitful quest began with a Google search.

I first looked for synagogues and Jewish centers in the city. Surprisingly, there are actually a handful, but most are far away. After a few unhelpful phone calls, I tried the Jabad in Santiago – that's Chabad for you English-speakers – and I managed to explain to the man on the phone that I wanted to attend a Seder. He invited me to come.

That was great, except that I didn't feel entirely comfortable with a very religious Seder. The day before the Seder, I went for a walk to the closest synagogue to my house, a Sephardic temple in a part of the city called Providencia. When I got there, the place was closed for Passover, so I set off for the Seder at Chabad-Lubavitch of Chile, directed by Rabbi Menashe and Chaya Perman.

After a long trek, I finally arrived to the street where the Chabad House is located, a part of town near Las Condes, a really nice area in the northeast corner of Santiago. I came to a large brick and stained-glass building and a guard pointed me towards the Seder, which started at 7:30.

I came into a medium-sized room with about 15 tables set up One of the tables was occupied by a man and a woman who could have been anybody's Jewish grandparents, so naturally I felt the least intimidated asking if I could sit with them. We made some small talk, and then a woman came over and welcomed me. She works at the center and is originally from Brooklyn.

A table of people my age was coming together behind me – they ended up putting 4 tables together for the 18-28 crowd – so she introduced me to a few girls and had me go sit with them all. They were really nice, and we chatted a little.

All in all, everybody was very nice and welcoming, and it was wonderful to be in the presence of other Jewish people. There was something familiar about it all. Jewish tradition is pervasive enough to transcend geographical differences.

The Seder was a Seder, and that's the best part. What I mean, is that it had all the elements I remember from home, except that in keeping with Lubavitch tradition, the karpas was a raw onion instead of parsley, the horseradish was wrapped in a leaf of lettuce, that charoset was pureed, and it was a way more religious service.

But it was cool to use a Hebrew and Spanish Haggadah. I even read aloud in Spanish when my turn came.

All in all, I was really happy to have found the Seder.

A native of Hillsborough, N.J., Samantha Goldberg is spending five months in a study-abroad program at Santiago University in Chile.