JST's First Seder

This past Sunday was the first ever JST event. Watching our work handled by those we love & admire was something special. 

While discussing what Passover means to us and what each food symbolizes with the remarkable chef Saehee Cho, we quickly realized that the commonalities between our cultures were far more vast than the differences. Saehee incorporated elements of the Korean memorial ceremony Jesa, which, like seder, emphasizes reflecting on generational pain and hope. Matzo ball soup met Korean “in-law” soup, gefilte fish turned into dumplings, and Janchi Guksu (celebration noodles) distilled the essence of the joy of springtime. One of my favorite additions was the inclusion of Saehee’s grandmother’s war rice, a simple dish that relates to the fleeing of Seoul in the Korean war. We are endlessly grateful to Saehee for bringing so much of herself to this seder meal.

Special thanks as well to our dear friends at Abbott Hill House & In Sheep's Clothing for so generously donating their time, space, and talents.