Leader: Ha lachma anya — this is the bread of affliction, which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat; let all who are needy come and celebrate the Passover with us.  Now we are here; next year may we be in the Land of Israel. Now we are slaves; next year may we be free.

Leader: The matzoh is symbol of both our slavery and our freedom. The Passover story begins with slavery, and so we first partake of the bread of slavery, and will not partake of the afikoman , which means "that which comes after", until the meal is concluded.

Leader: It is traditional to hide the  afikoman at this point. After the meal, the children search for it, and the first to find it earns a reward. This year, we have no children among us. Instead, I ask everyone who is a child at heart to close their eyes while I hide this. And I ask that all those who choose to be adult be responsible enough to not give away the hiding place.

Hiding of the afikoman.


haggadah Section: Cover
Source: Original