Welcome to another virtual seder. Looking back at ourselves last year, it would have been hard to imagine that we would again be gathered around computer screens, instead of gathered round a shared table. Last year we had been living in lockdown for somewhere around 6 weeks - Now we he have had over a year of varied levels of isolation, of fear and panic, of uneasing loss, and of birthdays, anniversaries, triumps and heartbreaks, all of which have been celebrated, and commemorated so differently than they might have been without the pandemic. Tonight as we drink, eat, tell stories, and ask questions, we invite you all to ponder not just why this night is different from other nights? But how this year has been different from others - what has been gained? What has been lost? And as we head into spring, and the season of mass vaccinations, what it will mean to each of us to be free again? 

We open our seder tonight by lighting the candles. With this lighting, we transition from day to night, from ordinary to sacred, and from our screens and separate lives, to a committment to a shared experience together. 

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with laws and commanded us to light the festival lights.

As we sing through this song together (you can choose to be muted or not), please take the time to wash your hands. 

I Want to Wash My Hands

to the tune of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles

Oh yeah, I’ll tell you something It’s one of God’s commands

When you start the Seder You need to wash your hands

You need to wash your hands

You need to wash your hands

Oh my what a feeling

Before the paschal lamb

And yes it’s appealing I want to wash my hands

I want to wash my hands

I want to wash my hands

And we wash them when we say the Barchu 

I pass the bowl around and say

On to you, on to you, on to you

Yeah, You got us praying To reach the Promised Land

Hear this we’re conveying

We want to wash our hands

We want to wash our hands

We want to wash our hands

©2013 David Vanca and Lizzy Pike 

Lighting candles, washing our hands, and drinking wine does not make this night different from other nights. Karpas is the first time we begin to answer this question. We take stock of this incredible time of year. A time where we can be grateful to live in Canada;  experiencing, and remembering how good it is to overcome, and be free, and feel renewed. Winter is over - spring has come. We take a symbol of spring and combine it with salt water as a reminder of the bitter tears of our ancestors as they lived through slavery.

As we join the two flavours and symbols, we experience a difficult moment - a reconciliation of something beautiul and sad all at once. As you taste the two flavours, think about some of the ways this year has given us unexpected surprises and gifts, alongside the bitterness the year has offered. What have we each lost? What have we gained? 

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree ha-adama.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruits of the earth.

Break the middle matzah on the matzah plate.

We break the matzah and hide one part (the Afikomen). We recognize that liberation is made by imperfect people, broken, fragmented — so don’t be waiting until you are totally pure, holy, spiritually centered, and psychologically healthy to get involved in tikun olam (the healing and repair of the world). It will be imperfect people, and those who have experienced loss, who can lead us to healing. 

Let's all take two minutes to hide the Afikomen. If you're not hiding an Afikomen tonight, this is the ideal time for a bathroom break :) Alternatively, we can make Bram play any of these 'break up' songs 

-Achy Breaky Heart 

-Break on through

-I want to break free

We begin Magid by asking questions, and we invite the youngest amongst us to ask them because a) they are cute and b) so that they can feel validated in knowing that it is right and wise to ask when one does not know. 

מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילות

Ma nishtana halaila hazeh mikol haleilot?

Why is this night different from all other nights?

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּ אוֹכלין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה  הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלּוֹ מצה  

Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin chameitz u-matzah. Halaila hazeh kulo matzah.

On all other nights we eat both leavened bread and matzah.
Tonight we only eat matzah.

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה מָרוֹר

Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin shi’ar yirakot haleila hazeh maror.

On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables,
but tonight we eat bitter herbs.

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָֽנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּֽעַם אחָת  הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעמים

Shebichol haleilot ain anu matbilin afilu pa-am echat. Halaila hazeh shtei fi-amim.

On all other nights we aren’t expected to dip our vegetables one time.
Tonight we do it twice.

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין.  :הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלָּֽנוּ מְסֻבין

Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin bein yoshvin uvein m’subin. Halaila hazeh kulanu m’subin.

On all other nights we eat either sitting normally or reclining.
Tonight we recline.

This year, rather than read a play, or watching a clip, or simply telling the story, we thought that we would test everyone's knowledge of the Passover Story with some Jeopardy. To buzz in for a given question, please type in the chat "Buzz" :) Bram will do his best to keep track of everyone's scores.

https://www.playfactile.com/km3vn9usju

As we rejoice at our deliverance from slavery, we acknowledge that our freedom was hard-earned. We regret that our freedom came at the cost of the Egyptians’ suffering, for we are all human beings made in the image of God. We dip a finger into our wine glasses for a drop for each plague, as we recite them. 

These are the ten plagues which God brought down on the Egyptians:

Blood | dam | דָּם

Frogs | tzfardeiya |  צְפַרְדֵּֽעַ

Lice | kinim | כִּנִּים

Beasts | arov | עָרוֹב

Cattle disease | dever | דֶּֽבֶר

Boils | sh’chin | שְׁחִין

Hail | barad | בָּרָד

Locusts | arbeh | אַרְבֶּה

Darkness | choshech | חֹֽשֶׁךְ

Death of the Firstborn | makat b’chorot | מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת

Does anyone have a modern plague that we can continue with? Please feel free to add modern plagues (serious: Anti-Semetism + Racism of any kind) and less serious plagues (When Manny and Louis decide to hate one another, or when headphones get taken out of your ear). What are the plagues in your life? What are the plagues in our world today? 

We will now say the blessing over the second cup of wine. Please look around and fill your neighbours glass. With our second glass of wine, we honour those who not just recognize opression, but actively fight against it. Please, as you raise your glas of wine and hear this blessing, think about a person or a group that you have known in your life who has, or perhaps is, actively opposing oppression in some way. There are many forms of resistance, honour with your glass someone who exemplifies resistance for you. 

בְּכָל־דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת־עַצְמוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרָֽיִם

B’chol dor vador chayav adam lirot et-atzmo, k’ilu hu yatzav mimitzrayim.

In every generation, everyone is obligated to see themselves as though they personally left Egypt.

The seder reminds us that it was not only our ancestors whom God redeemed; God redeemed us too along with them.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who redeemed us and our ancestors from Egypt, enabling us to reach this night and eat matzah and bitter herbs. May we continue to reach future holidays in peace and happiness.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Before drinkng the second glass on wine, choose another person or group that you would like to deidcate it to. Take a few moments, and think of them, and them drink a glass in their honour, perhaps take a moment to share someone else who is worthy of our thoughts tonight and who we can dedicate this cup to. 

We are so very close to the meal. but before we eat, we must yet again wash our hands. Something we have tackled with ner fervour and detail these last few years. Last time we sung a song, and cleansed our spirits and minds. This time we'll say a prayer, and cleanse our hands so that we can eat with them! 

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ  עַל נְטִילַת יָדָֽיִם

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al n’tilat yadayim.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who made us holy through obligations, commanding us to wash our hands.

We've washed our hands, now we can finally have a bite to eat. But after the blessing, please everyone pass the top and bottom Matzah around so that we all may share in it's dry, crumbly deliciousness. 

We will say the hamotzi blessing, and because we are using matzah instead of bread, we add a blessing celebrating this mitzvah. 

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמּוֹצִיא לֶֽחֶם מִן הָאָֽרֶץ

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha-aretz.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who brings bread from the land.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתַָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָּה

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat matzah.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who made us holy through obligations, commanding us to eat matzah.

We honour the bitterness of slavery, by tasting the bitter herb.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מרוֹר

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat maror.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who made us holy through obligations, commanding us to eat bitter herbs.

Dipping the bitter herb in sweet charoset |   maror    |מָרוֹר   

In creating a holiday about the joy of freedom, we turn the story of our bitter history into a sweet celebration. We recognize this by adding our bitter herbs into the sweet charoset. We don’t totally eradicate the taste of the bitter with the taste of the sweet… but doesn’t the sweet mean more when it’s layered over the bitterness?

Dig in everyone. 

If you find yourself struggling for dinner conversation, consider starting an argument with this hot conversation starters... -Motzah Balls: Sinkers vs Floaters 

-Best Passover Food

-Best Pesach Dessert 

-Anyone ever tried a Sephardic charoset before?

-The weather?  

At this point in the Seder we must find within ouselves the freedom to play, to hunt, and to make whole what has been broken by finding the Afikomen. In regular years, we might even do some bartering with Uncle Mark, leaving with fuller bellies, and fuller pockets, but this year with our banker in Montreal, the hunt is all the more fierce and competitive. Good luck! 

 We have spent an evening remembering how God and the actions of everyday people have brought freedom to our communities, and to others. Let us drink to someone with our third glass who inspires us with their work, their energies, and their committment (big or small) to creating a better world. 

Please fill the glass of someone near you, and raise your own glass as we hear this blessing. 

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruit of the vine.

The seder tradition involves pouring a cup for the Hebrew prophet Elijah. For millennia, Jews opened the door for him, inviting him join their seders, hoping that he would bring with him a messiah to save the world.Yet the tasks of saving the world - once ascribed to prophets, messiahs and gods - must be taken up by us mere mortals, by individuals, by us. 

Let us now symbolically open the door of our seder to invite in all people of good will and all those in need to work together with us for a better world. Let us raise our fourth cup as we dedicate ourselves to tikun olam, the improvement of the world. The fourth step in opposing opression is in accepting responsibility to act. There is always more that we can do to create a more just world. Tonight we will vow to do more with our fourth cup. Please make sure that your neighbour has a 4th cup of wine, or gets to one eventually. 

The fourth cup, is also a time to honour those who cannot be with us, but who we greatly miss, someone who made the world a better place by being in it. This family experienced a great loss this year. So let us drink to Bubbie who made us all better, and who has earned her place of rest, and freedom with Zaidie. This Seder cannot feel truly right without you here! 

Nirtzah   marks the conclusion of the seder. Our bellies are full, we have had several glasses of wine, we have told stories and sung songs, and now it is time for the evening to come to a close. At the end of the seder, we honor the tradition of declaring, “Next year in Jerusalem!”

For some people, the recitation of this phrase expresses the anticipation of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem and the return of the Messiah. For others, it is an affirmation of hope and of connectedness with the whole of the Jewish community. Still others yearn for peace in Israel and for all those living in the Diaspora.

Though it comes at the end of the seder, this moment also marks a beginning. We are beginning the next season with a renewed awareness of the freedoms we enjoy and the obstacles we must still confront. We are looking forward to the time that we gather together again. Having retold stories of the Jewish people, recalled historic movements of liberation, and reflected on the struggles people still face for freedom and equality, we are ready to embark on a year that we hope will bring positive change in the world and freedom to people everywhere. As we say…

לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בִּירוּשָׁלָֽיִם

L’shana haba-ah biy’rushalayim

NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!

Sodeo: Get your guitars

Everyone Else: Get ready, and follow the lyrics below!

My favourite (Passover) things: 

Cleaning and cooking and so many dishes

Out with the hametz, no pasta, no knishes

Fish that gefillted, horseradish that stings

These are a few of our Passover things.

Matazh and karpas and chopped up haroset

Shankbones and kiddish and Yiddish neuroses

Tante who kvetches and uncle who sings

These are a few of our Passover things

Motzi and maror and trouble with Pharoahs

Famines and locusts and slaves with wheelbarros

Matzah balls floating and eggshell that clings

These are a few of our Passover thing.

When the plagues strike

When the lice bite

When we’re feeling sad

We simply remember our Passover things

And then we don’t feel so bad! 

Take Us Out of Egypt
(sung to the tune of "Take me out to the ball game")

Take us out of Egypt
Free us from slavery
Bake us some matzoh in a haste
Don't worry 'bout flavor--
Give no thought to taste.
Oh it's rush, rush, rush, to the Red Sea If we don't cross it's a shame.

For it's ten plagues,
Down and you're out
At the Pesach history game.

Take me out to the Seder
Take me out with the crowd.
Feed me on matzah and chicken legs,
I don't care for the hard-boiled eggs.
And its root, root, root for Elijah
That he will soon reappear.
And let's hope, hope, hope that we'll meet
Once again next year!

Take me out to the Seder
Take me out with the crowd.
Read the Haggadah
And don't skip a word.
Please hold your talking,
We want to be heard.
And lets, root, root, root for the leader
That he will finish his spiel
So we can nosh, nosh, nosh and by-gosh
Let's eat the meal!!!

Elijah
(to the tune of "Maria")

Elijah!
I just saw the prophet Elijah.
And suddenly that name
Will never sound the same to me.
Elijah!
He came to our seder
Elijah!
He had his cup of wine,
But could not stay to dine
This year--
Elijah!
For your message all Jews are waiting: That the time's come for peace

and not hating--
Elijah--
Next year we'll be waiting.
Elijah!

Moses Island
(Sung to the tune of Gilligan's Island)

Just recline right back and you'll hear a tale,
a tale of dreadful trip.
That started with ten awful plagues brought onto Egypt,
brought unto Egypt.

The boss he was a Jewish man raised as a Pharaohos son.
Then G-d he did come calling and soon the fun begun,
soon the fun begun.

More blood, such frogs, and all those bugs,
Pharaoh could just barely see.
The Jews were really scoring points and soon they would be free.
and soon they would be free.

They shlepped and shlepped for forty years across a desert land.
He went up to Mt Sinai and a party soon began,
a party soon began.

Moses, the Pharaoh too, Aaron and his wife.
Marianne the skipper too here
on the desert island.

Who Knows One? 
At some seders, people go around the table reading the question and all 13 answers in one breath. Thirteen is hard!

Who knows one?

I know one.

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows two?

I know two.

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows two?

I know two.

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows four?

I know four.

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows five?

I know five.

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows six?

I know six.

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows seven?

I know seven.

Seven are the days of the week

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows eight?

I know eight.

Eight are the days for circumcision

Seven are the days of the week

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows nine?

I know nine.

Eight are the days for circumcision

Seven are the days of the week

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows ten?

I know ten.

Ten are the Words from Sinai

Nine are the months of childbirth

Eight are the days for circumcision

Seven are the days of the week

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows eleven?

I know eleven.

Eleven are the stars

Ten are the Words from Sinai

Nine are the months of childbirth

Eight are the days for circumcision

Seven are the days of the week

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows twelve?

I know twelve.

Twelve are the tribes

Eleven are the stars

Ten are the Words from Sinai

Nine are the months of childbirth

Eight are the days for circumcision

Seven are the days of the week

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows thirteen?

I know thirteen

Thirteen are the attributes of God

Twelve are the tribes

Eleven are the stars

Ten are the Words from Sinai

Nine are the months of childbirth

Eight are the days for circumcision

Seven are the days of the week

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Chad Gadya

חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא

דְזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי

חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא

Chad gadya, chad gadya

Dizabin abah bitrei zuzei

Chad gadya, chad gadya.

One little goat, one little goat:

Which my father brought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The cat came and ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The dog came and bit the cat

That ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The stick came and beat the dog

That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The fire came and burned the stick

That beat the dog that bit the cat

That ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The water came and extinguished the

Fire that burned the stick

That beat the dog that bit the cat

That ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The ox came and drank the water

That extinguished the fire

That burned the stick that beat the dog That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The butcher came and killed the ox,

That drank the water

That extinguished the fire

That burned the stick that beat the dog That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The angle of death came and slew

The butcher who killed the ox,

That drank the water

That extinguished the fire

That burned the stick that beat the dog That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The Holy One, Blessed Be He came and

Smote the angle of death who slew

The butcher who killed the ox,

That drank the water

That extinguished the fire

That burned the stick that beat the dog That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

A E7 A

If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning,

A E7

I'd hammer in the evening, all over this land,

A -A7 D D7

I'd hammer out danger, I'd hammer out a warning,

D A D A

I'd hammer out the love between my brothers and my sisters

D-A-E7 A E7

All over this land. Oh, oh . . .

If I had a bell
I'd ring it in the morning
I'd ring it in the evening
All over this land
I'd ring out danger
I'd ring out a warning
I'd ring out love between
My brothers and my sisters
All over this land, oh

If I had a song
I'd sing it in the morning
I'd sing it in the evening
All over this land
I'd sing out danger
I'd song of out a warning
I'd sing out love between
My brothers and my sisters
All over this land, oh

Well, I've got a hammer
And I've got a bell
And I've got a song to sing
All over this land
It's the hammer of justice
It's the bell of freedom
It's a song about love between
My brothers and my sisters
All over this land
It's a hammer of justice
It's a bell of freedom
It's a song about love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land