There are three pieces of matzah stacked on the table. We now break the middle matzah into two pieces. The host should wrap up the larger of the pieces and, at some point between now and the end of dinner, hide it. This piece is called the Afikomen, literally “dessert” in Greek.

The Afikomen will be hidden, and must be found by the end of dinner.

RULES:

- The Afikomen must be found before dessert is served!

- Once found, it can not be kept on your person!

- If you are caught with the Afikomen on your Person, you must find a new hiding spot, and you CAN NOT go looking for the Afikomen until someone else has been caught!

- You may find a new hiding place to thwart those who have already been made aware of its location!

- Frisking and pat downs are not allowed!

- Cheating is Encouraged!

- Winner gets to drink Elijah's Cup!

We eat matzah in memory of the quick flight of our ancestors from Egypt. As slaves, they had faced many false starts before finally being let go. So when the word of their freedom came, they took whatever dough they had and ran with it before it had the chance to rise, leaving it looking something like matzah.

Uncover and hold up the three pieces of matzah and say:

This is the bread of poverty which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry, come and eat; all who are needy, come and celebrate Passover with us. This year we are here; next year we will be in Israel. This year we are slaves; next year we will be free.

These days, matzah is a special food and we look forward to eating it on Passover. Imagine eating only matzah, or being one of the countless people around the world who don’t have enough to eat.

What does the symbol of matzah say to us about oppression in the world, both people literally enslaved and the many ways in which each of us is held down by forces beyond our control? How does this resonate with events happening now?


haggadah Section: Yachatz