"Wait so all week no bread, no flour, but instead something called matzah? How do you make it?" Neelix had a PADD out and was writing things down as he asked Ensign Rappaport, who was in the middle of lunch, every question he could think of related to Pesach.
The ensign was trying to shovel macaroni and cheese in her mouth as fast as possible to get to her next shift while still being patient with the Talaxian.
"Um," she murmured, mouth full, before swallowing, "so it's gotta gotta be constantly moving, and should only take 18 minutes to make."
"Fascinating!" Neelix said, smiling as he recorded this.
"It can only be made from the same grains we can't eat, so that might be harder out here," Rappaport acknowledged with a frown, "guess with your help though replicating the flour is probably better than replicating the whole matzah." The last few years she had made do with the molecularly arranged stuff, but then it had just been her and the few other Jews. Suddenly Neelix was determined to celebrate everyone's heritage, and that seemed to include theirs.
She finally finished scarfing down her food and awkwardly wiped her mouth before standing.
"I really really gotta go, but I think Spinoza is off next shift? He's Sephardi, so he's got a whole bunch of traditions I don't even know about!" she explained as she walked away slowly. She turned around when she reached the door.
"Wait, what's Sephardi mean?" Neelix called after her, but she was already gone.
——-
Nervously, Ensign Rappaport broke off a piece of her Ashkenazi matzah and chewed on it thoughtfully. She smiled and began to nod excitedly.
"Y'all I think we got it! Let's make a few more batches. Then we'll start in on several mazza style ones."
Spinoza groaned and flopped back in a chair in the dining room. "Why are we the ones always doing the baking? I gotta get the Haggadah edited by tomorrow and I already had to pull a double yesterday to exchange for the rest of the shifts I need covered to prepare for this."
The other ensign looked at him sympathetically and was about to offer him some comfort when the doors to the dining room opened. Spinoza looked up and Rappaport turned around.
"Neelix! Seven! I didn't expect you!" Rapport called over to them.
"I recruited her to help," the Talaxian called back with excitement, heading right for the galley. "All I had to do was compliment her cooking enough and tell her that her skills would help increase your efficiency."
Seven looked slightly hesitant as she trailed behind Neelix but added, "I informed the rest of the Astrometrics department that whenever they are not on duty, they are to report to you and offer their assistance as well."
Rappaport beamed, glancing from the others to Spinoza, who looked deeply relieved.
"What are you currently preparing?" Seven asked, looking at the simplistic ingredients.
Rappaport headed back to the galley. "Matzah, we have to prepare a lot of it since we're making it all ourselves. All of us Jews are going to be eating it all week, but we also need a lot for the Seder."
Seven nodded. "Understood, is this the cracker-like bread that must be made in 18 minutes or less?"
"Yeap! I take it Neelix already tried to explain it it to you?" Rappaport shot a grateful smile at the Talaxian who had busied himself finding more baking sheets.
"Yes he has prepared me sufficiently if you can provide a written recipe," Seven replied, looking to see if one was visible.
Rappaport frowned, where had it gone? A conspicuous pile of flour caught her attention.
"Oh shoot!" She pulled the PADD out and sheepishly dusted it off with her sleeve before handing it to Seven, who had raised her optical implant.
Ensign Rappaport laughed nervously. "We spilled it when we were trying to work quickly," she admitted sheepishly.
"As long as the PADD still functions it can be cleaned more thoroughly later," Seven said, taking the PADD and subtly flashing Ensign Rapport a hint of a smirk.
Rappaport was relieved she wasn't angry. In just the last few months, the ex-drone had relaxed into the flow of social interactions with increasing ease. She appreciated the hard work Seven must be putting into this change.
————
Ensign Rappaport stepped easily over the futuristic roomba that scuttled across the floor of the captain's quarters. She opened the table cloth and draped it across the long table that sat as a permanent fixture to one side of the room. Beside it sat another long table, courtesy of some supplies assembled hastily together from one of the cargo bays, that would look passable once it was covered in a cloth too. As the ensign moved around the room she occasionally stole glances at the captain who was perched at her desk, working away at reports. Ensign Rappaport had insisted she be present since this was her room, and Janeway had agreed, though it had been clear in that moment she was hesitating as her Starfleet training failed her. There wasn't exactly protocol for another party hosting an event in your quarters, but the her officers' plan seemed to follow regulations as well as anyone could out here, and it's not like the executive dining room was an option.
Though the captain was attempting to focus on her work, the preparation for the important meal piqued her curiosity, and she couldn't help her own intrigued glances. After her involvement with Purim, she had come to realize that in all her exploration into alien cultures, she hadn't spent a lot of time looking at the cultures around her on Earth. It turns out that this time in the Delta Quadrant was an opportunity for education about her own species as much as others.
"Did you replicate those?" Janeway broke the silence as she craned her neck to see the two glazed clay Seder plates, one placed on each table.
Ensign Rappaport shook her head, "No, Spinoza made one and Morales made the other, do you remember about a week ago you gave us permission to build a small contained kiln in one of the labs?"
The captain looked a little sheepish, she took a sip of her coffee. "Admittedly it slipped my mind, you all seemed so on top of it I assumed I had nothing to worry about." The captain offered an apologetic smile. Ensign Rapport blushed but smiled back as she returned to setting the table. She placed a large clay cup for Miriam and a similar goblet on each table for Elijah. "Did you make those too?" Janeway asked, gesturing with her head to the cups and goblets.
Ensign Rappaport nodded, and picked up one of Miriam's cups, running her fingers over it. "Actually this one I one I made myself," she said softly. She set it back down and kept her back to the captain to hide how much redder her face at gotten.
Janeway stood and walked over to get a better look at her crew members' handiwork. The ensign fumbled with the replicated plates as she nervously watched the captain admire her artistic attempt.
"I don't know everything about Jewish theology and legend, but they way you painted this, its purpose must be related to water," she mused, before looking up. "Am I correct?"
Rappaport nodded. "It represents Miriam, the prophetess, and wells that sustained us through the desert."
The ensign forced herself to meet Janeway's eyes. "Everyone focuses on what leaders Aaron and Moshe were, but their sister Miriam was just as much a leader as they were. She uh, she reminds me a good deal of you, captain."
Janeway raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Me?" she asked, with a hint of amusement.
Rappaport nodded again and spoke with admiration. "She helped lead her people from Mitzrayim, the narrow place, sustaining them with water, song and faith of her own. In many ways, we are journeying from our own narrow place here in the Delta Quadrant. It took us forty years to reach our promised land back then, and this journey might be just as long. I am grateful that we are lead by our own Miriam."
The captain was silent for a moment and when she spoke her voice cracked, betraying that she was holding back her emotions, "I am honored that you see me in such a powerful character, and I hope I'll learn more about her tonight."
Ensign Rapport beamed. "I'll be speaking about the cups during Barech, and I'm very excited to teach you more!"
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Ensign Rappaport scrolled nervously through her PADD, going over the order she knew in her heart but still feared getting wrong in front of all these guests. She'd be lying if she said the pressure to be a perfect Jewish representative wasn't getting to her at all. The noise of quiet conversation buzzed around her.
Suddenly she felt a hand squeeze her arm. It was Tal, looking at her with those big brown eyes. "You okay Ruthie?" she asked softly.
Ensign Rappaport set down her PADD and took a deep breath before placing her opposite hand on top of Tal's. "I'm okay dew drop, hosting a Seder is just a big responsibility. My uncle always did it back home... I never expected to have to host my own so soon."
Tal's nickname had been decided the day after Purim, when the two young women were sitting together talking about faith and culture. Tal was a name in Hebrew that meant dew which the crewman loved, and so the nickname stuck between the two of them. They'd almost kissed that night, but Ruth had lost the nerve and embraced the Bajoran instead. Tal had seemed confused, but accepted that the tension they felt together would not be resolved that evening. They feel asleep together talking on the holodeck, laying on a blanket on the same nondescript beach from Purim, and admiring the stars from each of their home worlds.
"I understand, it's hard not having your family and elders to guide you spiritually and culturally."
Tal's warm gaze felt like a magnet to Ruth, and she had to stop herself from slowly leaning forward. "I know you understand, probably more than most people on this ship. Thank you Tal." She gave the other woman's hand a light squeeze.
With a sigh, she pulled away somewhat suddenly. "I'm sorry I really should get things started. But uh, do you want to meet me in my quarters later? Just to talk about this stuff?" Ruth put her arm on the back of her neck awkwardly as she thought about the Bajoran in her room.
Tal's whole body lit up, but she managed to contain herself as she responded. "Yes, I'd like that very much!"
—————
The tables integrated the Jewish crew members with the others so the gentiles could ask questions throughout the Seder as they needed to. All the senior officers were present, along with a few special guests like the Wildmans. Janeway sat at the end of the table opposite Ensign Rapport, Crewman Shi was there to answer her questions on the left, and Seven sat to her right. She was rather curious about the pillow shoved behind her back, but assumed it would be explained later. After adjusting it a few times, she glanced over at the former drone, who seemed more uneasy than normal. The captain leaned over and whispered, "Seven what's wrong?"
"Captain are you aware that we are supposed to drink 4 glasses of wine during the ceremony tonight?"
"Ooooh, you're afraid of what effect that will have on you?"
Seven nodded, looking pointedly forward and blushing slightly with embarrassment.
"Alright one second," before Seven could argue, Janeway stood up and went over to ensign Rappaport to ask if grape juice was an adequate substitute. Seven looked away, flushing a brighter pink. Janeway returned and placed her hand on Seven's shoulder she smiled and said softly, "Grape juice is being replicated now, in fact the ensign apologized for not thinking of it sooner."
Seven nodded again before pausing and remembering to add, "Thank you for your assistance Captain." Janeway looked down to hide her own blush as she squeezed Seven's shoulder lightly. Looking back up and dropping her hand she said, "Happy I could help."
——————
The Seder began. Spinoza had copied the Haggadah onto multiple PADDS and had taken the time to transliterate and translate all the Hebrew possible. It was explained that the Haggadah they were reading from was an amalgam of everyone's traditions, and as such, different people would be leading different sections.
When it came time to break the afikomen, Ensign Rappaport asked the captain to hide it and direct the search for it later, as she would decide what was off limits.
Janeway offered a playful smirk, and asked with one eyebrow raised, "I can hide it anywhere in the ship?"
"Anywhere! Neelix and I made macaroons for however finds it! We were thinking Naomi, Icheb, and potentially all ensigns and crewmen could be in the running!"
Tom jabbed Harry with his elbow and Harry glared at him.
"Alright, I'll be back in a little bit." She took the delicately wrapped matzah and walked out of the room with a playful bounce in her step. "We're never going to find it are we," Harry mused after she left. Ensign Rappaport chuckled and replied, "I guess it's a good thing it can't attract mice in the vacuum of space."
Ensign Rapport told the story of Exodus, and explained her thoughts on how it related to their own situation. Spinoza excused himself rather abruptly; it was apparent to his friends that through his blank expression, he was holding back tears. Ensign Rappaport made eye contact with Crewman Shi who nodded and excused herself to follow him.
Naomi and Icheb lightened the mood by leading the four questions together. Rappaport had left this section entirely up to them and she beamed with pride when they sang in Hebrew to the one of the traditional tunes she had offered as an idea.
Tom was dared by B'Elanna to take a huge bite of horseradish and instantly regretted it, chugging a whole glass of wine and still panting. B'Elanna couldn't stop laughing. The captain shot them a glare telling them to be respectful but Rappaport and the other Jews were laughing, so she let it go without saying anything aloud.
The main meal was full of dishes from all over the world made strictly Kosher for Pesach. Even though the tradition had largely died out, many also lacked kitniyot. After being asked, Ensign Rapport explained that aspect of Ashkenazi culture to Icheb and Tal Celes somewhat sheepishly, assuming they'd find it quite boring. Both being from agricultural backgrounds, though, they were enthralled and kept asked follow up questions that continued through the course of meal. They wound their way though Kashrut, traditional Ashkenazi foods and foods discussed in Torah.
The afikomen was found by Naomi, who had laid out a careful system for searching the ship. Lucky for Seven and Icheb, who were searching with her, it was in the second place they checked, the captain's ready room.
Icheb and Seven agreed it should be Naomi's choice of how and if the macaroons would be divided at all. After some hesitation Naomi decided the fairest thing to do would be to divide them evenly.
Elijah was ceremonially welcomed into the shuttled bay, and as promised, Ensign Rappaport explained in more depth who Miriam was and why she was such an important leader in her own right.
Together they concluded with raised glasses and a heartfelt cheer "Next year on Earth!"