Straffs bring neighbors together for Passover

Roberta and Larry Straff’s kitchen was so crowded April 10 that guests were spilling into the living room in order to listen to the Passover seder.

Several neighbors and other friends — some who had never attended a seder prior — came together at the couple’s Bay Isles Bayou residence to celebrate the first night of Passover.

Guests enjoyed cocktails made by bartender/host Larry Straff, munched on appetizers and mingled by the pool before gathering around the seder table for what the front of their packets called “A 30-Minute Seder: The Haggadah that Blends Brevity with Tradition.”

The shortened service was led by self-proclaimed stand-in rabbi Susan Master and assisted by Elliot Salenger. They said the motzi blessing, shared the story of Passover and explained the meanings behind the various herbs and other symbolic items on the seder plate before breaking the matzah bread and inviting everyone to eat.

“We cut straight to the wine drinking and the matzah,” Master said while explaining the brevity of the ceremony and how guests prefer it rather than having a more traditional seder that lasts several hours. “It’s become quite a tradition.”