Watermelon on the plate during a lesson on Sunday about Passover’s ritualist and symbolic Seder meal was a surprise to some adults at Temple Beit Torah, a reform synagogue in Colorado Springs.

Dr. Jamie Aminsharifi, whose young son was feeding her pieces of matzah, or unleavened bread, from his serving, wasn’t familiar with the addition.

“That’s a thing that’s really cool about modern Judaism — it’s constantly adapting,” she said. “A lot of our traditions are very old, but we’re constantly finding new twists on them.”

About 70 members of the synagogue participated in a practice run of the customary Seder, which means “order” in Hebrew, before the real deal happens in homes and temples around the world Monday night, the first observance of the eight-day festival of Passover.

To children, the sweet fruit was a yummy inclusion to the seemingly odd assortment of food on the table in front of them.

But like the lamb shank, boiled egg, horseradish, parsley, salt water, matzah bread (with a gluten-free option) and juice or wine, the melon appears this year with its own significant meaning, said Rabbi Iah Pillsbury, who leads Temple Beit Torah.

“It’s to remind us all of safety in Israel and Palestine, and especially for all the children,” she told her congregation.

The six-month-old war in the homeland is heavy on the hearts of Jewish people during Passover, as they retell the biblical story in Exodus of how the Israelites escaped slavery in Egypt.

God protected, or passed over, the Israelites’ homes during plagues that included the angel of death coming for children, which led to the Israelites’ liberation from oppression.

“The Passover Seder is designed to help us think of those in our world who are in need of freedom and how we can help make that possible,” Pillsbury said. “Passover reminds us that no one is free until all are free.”

Even young children indicated at the meal that they know that not all Jewish people are free, as conflict rages on not only in the Middle East but also in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

The Torah’s message of recognizing and cherishing freedom is universal and centuries later continues to resonate with people, said Rabbi Jay Sherwood, spiritual leader of Temple Shalom in Colorado Springs, which follows reform and conservative traditions.

“There are always people who don’t have freedom,” he said. “The themes exist through all time.”

Sherwood said he hopes that people recognize and pray about the Israeli hostages the terrorist group Hamas still holds in captivity, and other casualties and atrocities of the war, while embracing the enjoyment of the festival that’s shared with family and friends.

“We are more keenly aware of what’s going on with the hostages in Gaza, but we can’t let the sadness of that situation completely deteriorate the joy of the holiday,” he said.

Jewish Americans want to see the war end, he said.

“But it’s very easy for us to sit in our living room and say that when there are very difficult political issues to maneuver to make that happen,” Sherwood said.

Embracing compassion, praying for healing for the world, and standing up for justice and equality also are embodied in the traditions of Passover, said Jeff Ader, president of Temple Beit Torah.

“Through rituals and stories, it teaches empathy and the importance of healing wounds, both individual and societal,” he said.

Aminsharifi said she also values the reflections on spring.

“Passover is a time of renewal, and you can feel it in the air lately,” she said. “It reminds everyone to look at your world with new eyes and try to find the hope within you.”

Temple Beit Torah’s teaching session on Sunday included candle lighting, singing, prayers, readings and reflections for families to discuss in their homes during Passover.

Participants also reviewed the symbolic foods served during the customary meal that kicks off the holiday.

Horseradish represents the bitterness of slavery, roasted lamb shank bone depicts the sacrificial blood that was placed on doors of homes of Israelites to protect them.

Matzoh bread is flat because the Israelites’ hasty departure from Egypt left no time to let their bread rise. Boiled eggs and lettuce leaves signify springtime, and a sprig of parsley dipped in salt water illustrates the tears of affliction.

A piece of orange also graced plates, which Pillsbury said references an outdated saying that a woman belongs in the role of a rabbi as much as an orange belongs on a seder plate.