From Anita Diamant, Pitching My Tent: Just like the shank bone, the orange is there so that someone under the age of 13 will ask, “What’s that thing doing on the seder plate?” The orange is there so that Mom or Dad can say: “I’m so glad you asked that question. The orange is a symbol of the struggle by Jews who used to be ignored by our tradition--like gays and lesbians, and women, and converts--to become full partners in religious and community life.