When Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh called us up to see if we’d like to be a part of his Friendseder™ effort, it didn’t take us too long to get to YES! Gather with friends to celebrate old traditions and build new ones? YES! Add food? YES! Everyone is welcome to the table? YES, YES, YES!
Created to be the “sidekick to Passover,” Friendseder™ encourages us to gather with friends and family prior to or during the week of Passover to create new traditions and personalize the holiday! Rabbi Jeff and his team have created a fun box of resources and goodies to guide your way! Get one of these boxes at the Deli and get inspired! Your box comes with a Friendeseder™ Haggadah booklet with extra teachings and activities to inspire your Friendseder™ experience! Plus a whole lot of other goodies to make your gathering extra special and fun! $3 of every box purchase supports the work of The Well.
Friendseder™ was started by Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh and the board members of The Well, a non-profit community-building group for Jewish young adults in the Metro Detroit area. The Well seeks to create a community for young adults as well as families with young children in an accessible, inclusive, and relationship-driven way that utilizes Jewish tradition and ritual.
How is Friendseder™ different from a traditional Seder?
A traditional Seder has certain dietary restrictions that you may choose to opt in or out of, but you are free to serve anything you’d like if you schedule your Friendseder™ on a date outside the actual holiday! Friendseder™ celebrates old traditions while giving you the inspiration to create new ones. Gather during any time during the month before Passover starts with family and friends, in-person or virtually, Jewish or non-Jewish. Everyone is welcome at Friendseder™!
If you choose to host a Friendseder™ during Passover itself, you can definitely still observe the traditional dietary restrictions. There are an abundance of Passover-friendly options and other recipes for your Seder available in the Resources section at friendseder.com! If you’ve never hosted before, have no fear! The Haggadah booklet included in the box provides you with a the how-to and more. Or visit friendseder.com for more resources, games, and other content. Your Friendseder™ is sure to be a hit!
Friendseder™ With Us!
This year, Zingerman’s is partnering with The Well to host a Friendseder™ Community Brunch! Reserve your spot at Zingerman’s Delicatessen, in-person or virtually, for April 10 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am to learn more about Passover, Friendseder™, and to eat delicious food with us! Our brunch menu is inspired by the Seder plate and will include dishes like Yemenite Charoset Parfait, Beet Deviled Eggs and Indian Spiced Lamb Meatballs. Your hosts for the brunch will be Zingerman’s Event Coordinator Tessie Ives-Wilson, and The Well’s Executive Director Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh. Together, they will lead you on a guided tour of this special menu–the tastes, products, ingredients, meaning, ritual, and traditions!
A traditional Seder has certain dietary restrictions that you may choose to opt in or out of, but you are free to serve anything you’d like if you schedule your Friendseder™ on a date outside the actual holiday! Friendseder™ celebrates old traditions while giving you the inspiration to create new ones. Gather during any time during the month before Passover starts with family and friends, in-person or virtually, Jewish or non-Jewish. Everyone is welcome at Friendseder™!
This year, Zingerman’s is partnering with The Well to host a Friendseder™ Community Brunch! Reserve your spot at Zingerman’s Delicatessen, in-person or virtually, for April 10 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am to learn more about Passover, Friendseder™, and to eat delicious food with us! Our brunch menu is inspired by the Seder plate and will include dishes like Yemenite Charoset Parfait, Beet Deviled Eggs and Indian Spiced Lamb Meatballs. Your hosts for the brunch will be Zingerman’s Event Coordinator Tessie Ives-Wilson, and The Well’s Executive Director Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh. Together, they will lead you on a guided tour of this special menu–the tastes, products, ingredients, meaning, ritual, and traditions!
