Some families pass over traditional Seder for faster versions

In our world of eight-minute abs, drive-through restaurants and instant messages, it's no surprise that there is now a condensed version of the hours-long Passover Seder.

On Saturday, the first night of Passover, thousands of Jews will use the book "30 Minute Seder," which boils down the traditional Haggadah (the book used to lead the Passover service) into just the nuts-and-bolts rituals.

It also completes the entire Seder before dinner is served, unlike the traditional Seder which features a dinner break in the middle.

While some Jews criticize the book's concept, saying it's wrong to cut corners on this holy tradition, "30 Minute Seder" has sold more than 50,000 copies since it was published last year.

Rob Kopman, the Scottsdale, Ariz., insurance agent and teacher who wrote the book, says it's a sign of the times: People are struggling to make time for religion in their busy lives.

"Not everybody wants a three-hour Seder. I'd rather have people celebrate with a short Seder than to not celebrate it at all," he said. "The object (of the book) is for people to go through it and say, 'Hey, I really enjoyed that.' Not, 'Thank God this is over.'"

Passover is an eight-day celebration of the ancient Jewish exodus from slavery in Egypt. During the Seder, the story of the exodus is told and blessings are recited over wine and other symbolic foods. For example, Jews eat bitter herbs to recall the bitterness of slavery.

Just as some Catholics might leave Mass immediately after communion, or some Muslims might not complete all 20 rakats of Ramadan's taraweeh prayers, some Jews skip over what they view as the less significant parts of the Seder (whether they're using Kopman's book or not) so they can get on with dinner -- or get home to bed.

Another sign of the times: "30 Minute Seder" is online. Last year, on the day before Passover, several thousand copies were downloaded, Kopman said.

While the book is touted as "rabbinically approved," not all rabbis seem to think tradition and brevity mix.

"It's a sad commentary," said Rabbi Sholem Fishbane, of the Chicago Rabbinical Council, a group of local rabbis involved with the orthodox Jewish community. "People who would try to rush through it miss the point of what the Seder is supposed to be."

Besides being one of the holiest days for Jews, Passover is supposed to encourage spirituality and personal growth, not selfishness, Fishbane said.

Scott Simon, cantor at Temple Chai in Long Grove, agrees that people can't absorb the important lessons in only 30 minutes.

"It's like trying to write a paper for a class after only reading the Cliffs Notes," he said. "You don't get inspired from Cliffs Notes."

As an alternative, Temple Chai offers a new, free, downloadable, 42-page Haggadah at www.templechai.org.

Simon, who compiled the book, isn't sure how many minutes it would take to complete.

"I hope it's longer than 30 minutes or I'm in trouble," he said, laughing.

Catering Passover

Prayers aren't the only traditions being skipped. While some families spend days cooking in preparation for the Passover Seder, a growing number of Jews are turning to restaurants and caterers for Seder meals to go.

Brett Stein, executive chef at Catering by Michael's in Morton Grove, said demand for pre-made Passover meals has quadrupled in recent years.

This week, to fill the 200-plus orders he's received, he'll make about 4,000 matzo balls, 3,000 pounds of brisket and 1,200 pounds of matzo kugel, among other dishes.

Stein attributes the demand to the busy American lifestyle that prevents people from passing down traditions. Women (or men) often don't know how to cook Passover dinner because they were never taught or never took the time to learn.

"It's not just that we're busy. It's the way our families live today," Stein said.

Mark Sternberg, owner of Pear Tree Catering in Buffalo Grove, is not only seeing a demand in to-go Passover orders, but a lot more customers who want the meal cooked and served in their home.

Books and businesses that make religious holidays more convenient are symptoms of a larger problem afflicting all faiths -- something Fishbane calls "cafeteria religion" (a little of this, a little of that, and nothing that involves effort).

"Religion is about working hard and changing yourself ... it's not about getting swept away in yourself," Fishbane said.