Yemenite The First

     I had my first Scphardic Passover Seder in Israel with some family friends. Being Ashkenazi, I found it really interesting to learn about their traditions and how they differ from ours. The family I visited was also Yemen and every time they said a hebrew prayer, they said it again in a different Yemen language. It was exciting to taste all of the different Yemenite foods. We had a cilantro based soup with potatoes and chicken, grilled chicken, and my favorite was chicken stuffed with beef, rice, olives, and beans. It felt somewhat strange to eat rice at a Seder during Passover, being that's only a Scphardic tradition. I was also amazed by how many similarities there were dispite the completely different language. I also enjoyed spending time with the children and was amazed at how mature and intrigued they were with all the prayers and traditions. I had an exciting and memorable first Seder in Israel and can't wait to have another one.