The Seder was conducted primarily in Hebrew, with interstitial instructions (like telling people what page we were on, when to pass around a piece of matzoh, or when to pour a glass of wine) in Italian. It was accordingly the first Seder I've attended where I didn't understand a single word in two separate languages! But it was still excellent.
The Seder was held in what amounts to a Jewish Community Center (the only one in Rome), and there were maybe 100 people in attendance. Our table was mostly Americans. The locals were gracious hosts. There was a greeting at the start for English-speakers, and the man who ran the service came around to chat with our table during the meal. Everyone was incredibly friendly. Here's what the room looked like:
Because the Hagadah (the book that sets out the conduct of the Seder) governs just as it does in North America, much of the Seder was familiar. We had the The Ten Plagues, we had the Four Questions, etc., etc. Dinner was then served. Here was the menu:
(Note the risotto. Like the Sephardim -- but unlike the Ashkenazai -- Italian Jews can eat rice on Passover.)
The after-dinner portion was quite interesting too. At this point, they did many of the songs with which North American Jews are familiar. There was "Chagadyah," for example, and that "Who Knows One?" song. But, while the more formal pre-dinner part of the Seder was in Hebrew, the crowd sang these songs in Italian -- just as we'd do them in English. This was fun. The tunes were different too. But the songs were recognizable enough.
There was also a poignant moment towards the end where everyone stood and recited some prayer. We could not understand what was being said, but we were told that it was a prayer for Italian Jews lost in the Holocaust.
This was a wonderful experience. Now I just need to figure out where to attend a Seder next year.
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