Host: Happy Passover! Welcome to the Seder table!

The seder officially begins with a physical act: lighting the candles.

We light candles to symbolize the division of one day from another, to sanctify our space and time, and to remind us of the necessity of being a light in the darkness, an especially pertinent message during Passover: good thoughts, good words, and good deeds brighten our days.

As we light the candles, we recite this blessing:

Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel yom tov.

Blessed are You God, Spirit of the universe, who has sanctified us with laws and commanded us to light the festival lights.

The word Haggadah means the Telling. On many other festivals we are commanded to listen. We must hear the Megillah (Book of Esther) on Purim, we must hear the Shofar on Rosh Hashana. But on Pesach we are commanded to speak. We must speak of our past, we must tell our own stories, we must seek out our voice. Tonight we embrace our rich heritage as Jewish women and men, create new rituals and establish safe and supportive space for one another. Tonight we are all Jewish women and men who were slaves in Egypt and we will tell the story about how we became free.

This is my first Haggadah. It is traditional for the most part with hints of feminism, Buddhism and human rights. I am sure I have made mistakes or not included someone's favorite part. For these errors, I ask your indulgence. As the host of tonight's Seder, I will be reading some of the Haggadah and I will also be asking that everyone take turns reading.

And so we begin.


haggadah Section: Introduction
Source: Jacqueline Dressler, Rachel Kann & David Guccione, Susannah Goya-Pack, Alexandra Benjamin