Passover gets props as one of the most universally celebrated holidays on the Hebrew calendar. Even disengaged and unaffiliated Jews find their way to the Seder table once a year. What is it about Passover that attracts Jews of all stripes, and arouses wonder in non-Jews?
– Lisa Richmon
In an article by Lisa Richmon and published by Jewish News VA, Amy and her piece Seder Plate I are included in the discussion around the appeal of Passover traditions. Titled “Passover Envy: A food-focused celebration of freedom is chicken soup for the storytellers’ soul,” the article can be found in the March 23, 2020 print edition, or found online here.
Excerpt below:
Chicago based architect, and exhibition and graphic designer, Amy Klein Reichert won the prestigious Philip and Sylvia Spertus Judaica Seder Plate prize for her first piece of Judaica, a mahogany and nickel seder plate. Much of Reichert’s work reflects her perception of the holiday —particularly what people bring to, and take away from the Passover story.
Affection for Passover flows from its status as a home-based ritual, rather than a holiday grounded in a particular synagogue’s rules and regulations. “I think the idea that you spin the narrative your way and take control of your own experience is a powerful thing,” says Reichert. “Over the years, our non-Jewish friends come to our Seders expecting them to be serious and leave surprised by how lively they can be.”