This New Freedom Seder can be used by small groups of family and friends or by larger communal gatherings. In the latter case, it assumes there will be different tables of eight to ten people, with a combination of some readings that everyone hears and some discussion among the small groups at the different tables. It includes several different instructions for discussion and sharing among participants at the tables. In planning communal Seders, to manage time, it is best to choose one or two of these suggested discussions table discussions to focus on during the Seder.

If the text is longer than is possible for your family or communal Seder, use your own judgment about what to include or omit.

Before the Seder, invite everyone to bring a physical item that symbolizes their own sense of becoming free. They will be invited (not required) to explain to their table-mates the meaning of this item in their lives.

On each table there should be matzah (unleavened bread) and some other breads of the poor in different cultures; parsley or mint; a beet; a bitter herb like horseradish; an egg; some olives; an orange and charoset (a mixture of grape juice with chopped nuts, apples, and raisins with cinnamon and other sweet spices).


haggadah Section: Introduction
Source: SEDER FOR THE EARTH: Facing the Plagues & Pharaohs of Our Generation, Shalom Center