Seder.
At second glance – not at first – we note that Gretl’s portrait is now hung on the wall.
The family are ‘impossibly’ crowded around the Merz table, all the more crowded because at the head of the table is a special chair with arms, stuffed with cushions. This is Grandma Merz’s place. She is flanked by Jacob and Pauli. Sally and Rosa are seated among Eva, Wilma, Hanna, Ludwig and Ernst – and Gretl and Hermann.
Jacob, Ludwig and Ernst wear yarmulkes. Hermann wears his everyday hat. Pauli wears an operetta officer’s shako. Eva holds baby Nellie but soon puts her in the bassinet by her chair.
Hermann, Gretl and Ernst are ‘guests’. Gretl is full of party spirit; the children likewise but also awed by the occasion.
The atmosphere of the meal is serious but celebratory. The Seder table is sparkling with candlelight on glassware and the best china and silver. The Seder Plate with its arrangement of symbolic foods is on the table with the plate of matzo breads and a bowl of salt water. Each person has a plate and a glass.
The piano lid is down.
The Seder marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is a reminder and a retelling of the story of the Jews’ flight from slavery in Egypt, as told in the Book of Exodus. The Seder begins with a blessing (the Kiddush), spoken in this case by Grandma Merz, and the first cup (glass) of wine. The blessing, spoken in Hebrew, becomes audible in the transition into Scene Six. When the scene is in place, the Kiddush continues seamlessly in English.
Grandma (concluding) … Thou also separateth thy people Israel, and didst sanctify them with thy holiness. Blessed art thou, O Eternal, who maketh a distinction between holy and not holy. Blessed art thou, O Lord, our God! King of the Universe who hath preserved us alive, sustained us, and brought us to enjoy this season.
Rosa has left her place to stand by Grandma Merz with a small towel.
Grandma Merz ‘washes’ her hands in a special bowl of water and dries them, Rosa, proud and relieved, skips back to her place at table.
During this, the first wine is drunk or sipped.
For the benefit of the Papists, we now drink the first cup of wine.
Ernst Good news!
Wilma Ernst is Protestant, Emilia.
Rosa It’s just like apple juice!
Sally It is apple juice, fool!
Rosa Fool yourself!
Gretl Mine has turned into wine, it’s a miracle! (Faux pas.) Oops!
Grandma You are all welcome, including Hermann and Gretl.
Hermann (drily) Thank you, Mama.
By now Grandma has taken the sprig of parsley from the Seder Plate and dipped it in salt water. Everyone gets a bit of the parsley.
Meanwhile, Wilma and Ludwig share a moment. Wilma has a tear to wipe away. Ludwig presses her hand in sympathy.
Ludwig I know, I know.
Wilma Her big heart just gave out.
Ludwig Yes. Yes. (Correcting with tact.) Her kidneys.
Wilma And Poppa’s all alone.
Ludwig Half the village invited him to Seder.
Wilma He’s alone!
Ludwig Oh. Alone. Yes, well …
Wilma Not for long, though, if that hussy Malka Mabovich has anything to do with it.
Hermann (to Jacob) Do you know what this is?
Jacob Parsley?
Hermann Yes, dipped in salt water. It’s the bitter herb to remind the Jewish people of bitter days in the land of the Pharaoh.
Grandma Blessed art thou, O Lord, our God! King of the Universe! Creator of the fruit of the earth.
Rosa I don’t like it.
Sally You’re not supposed to!
Rosa I know!
Pauli Can I break the matzo now, Grandma Emilia?
Grandma Pass it over, darling.
The plate of three layers of matzo bread is passed along.
Ludwig (formally, in Hebrew) This is the bread of affliction which our forefathers ate in and out of Egypt. This year we sit at the table half glad and half sad, here far away from our own land, but next year we hope to celebrate Seder in the land of Israel.
Eva does ‘simultaneous translation’ for the children’s benefit.
Hanna This year we are still as unhappy as slaves but next year we pray to be free and happy.
Pauli Can I now?
Given the nod by Grandma, Pauli breaks the middle layer of bread.
Grandma The larger half of the broken matzo, called the affikomen, is customarily hidden away from the Seder table by one of the family. I should mention to Papists, Protestants, Confucians et cetera whom we welcome to our table that in this family the affikomen is hidden by the youngest child present. Step forward, Miss Rosa Kloster.
Gretl What about Nellie?
But the knowing ones shush her up, as Rosa, hopping with excitement, is given the affikomen.
Sorry!
Bad luck, Sally.
Sally (bravely) She’s younger by this much.
She indicates an inch between her finger and thumb.
Next year I’m going to be younger.
Meanwhile, Rosa has taken possession of the affikomen. She ‘hides’ it under a chair, then under a cushion, changing her mind twice, then ponders. We don’t see where she hides it.
Hermann (to Ludwig) Have you tried it crumbled in coffee? Delicious.
Grandma Now, the second glass of wine.
Ernst Cheers!
Wilma rolls her eyes at that.
Wilma At least I didn’t marry an Egyptian.
Rosa returns, gleeful.
Rosa I’ve hidden it!
Pauli Shhh!
Grandma (pointedly) Now, which of you children has a question to ask?
Hanna This must be a new record for the Seder.
Gretl (to Jacob) Go on, darling, ask Grandma anything you like.
Wilma It’s a Seder, Gretl, not ‘ask me another’.
Pauli has had his hand up, terribly eager.
Grandma Yes, Pauli?
Pauli (formally) Why is this night different from all other nights? Why on this night do we not eat bread as normally but only matzo? On all other nights we may eat all kinds of vegetables but on this night only bitter herbs …
The Seder continues but is progressively overtaken by the sounds of heavy artillery, machine guns and a military band playing the ‘Radetzky March’.
… On other nights we do not dip in salt water but on this night …
The sound effects an ellipse in the ceremony.
Grandma There was a time when we were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt but God brought us forth from there with his mighty hand … How terrible is the thought that our children and our children’s children might still have been slaves to a Pharaoh in Egypt. Let us not say, then, ‘We know the story well.’ It is still our duty to retell the story of how we were brought out of Egypt …
Hermann has stood up and put his hat on his chair. In his own world now he cries out.
Hermann Gretl … oh, Gretl.
Gretl comes gaily to him. They dance together to the ‘Radetzky March’.
Fade to black.