Leader:

בְּווּכָה שֶׁלֹּא חִסְּרָה בְּעוֹלָמָהּ כְּלוּם וּבָרְאָה
בּוּ בְּרִיּוֹת טוֹבוֹת וְאִילָנוֹת טוֹבוֹת
לְהִתְנָאוֹת בָּהֶן וּבְנוֹת אָדָם.

B'ruchhah shelo chasrah b'olamah c'lum

uvarah bo b'riyot tovot v'ilanot tovot l'hitnaot

bahem b'nei uv'not adam

All:

Blessed are you, our God, Soul of the world,

whose world lacks nothing.

You create a rich diversity of creatures and

trees that delight human beings.

*This is the feminine version of the prayer

Kabbalat Panim

Welcoming all to the table

Leader:

.בְּרוּכִים הַבָּאִים בְּשֵׁם יי. בְּרוּכוֹת הַבָּאוֹת תַחַת כַּנְפֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה

B'ruchim habaim b'shem Adonai. B'ruchot habaot tachat kanfei HaShechinah.

Blessed are you who come in God's name.

Blessed are you who come under Gpd's protecting Presence

Hadlakat Nerot

Kindling the Festival Lights

For centuries, Eastern European Jewish Women included personal devotions (called techines in Yiddish) as part of their prayers. Today, men and women participate equally in Jewish rituals and ceremonies. I invite us all to read the English together.

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנַֽיִךְ יָהּ אְֶלֹהַי וֵאלֹהֵי אְַבוֹתַי וְאִמּוֹתַי שֶׁתָּחֹֽנִּי אוֹתִי וְאֶת־מִשְׁפַּחְתִּי וְתִּתְּנִי לָֽנוּ
וּלְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל חַיִּים טוֹבִים וַאְַרֻכִּים וְתִּזְכְּרִֽינוּ בְּזִכָּרוֹן טוֹב וּבִבְרָכָה וְתִּפְקְדִֽינוּ בִּפְקֻדַּת
יְשׁוּעָה וְרַחְַמִים וּתְּבַרְכִי בֵּתֵּֽינוּ וּמְעוֹנֵֽיְנוּ וְתַּשְׁכִּֽינִי שְׁכִינָתֵךְ בֵּינֵינוּ בְּהְַאַסְפֵֽינוּ כָּאן הָעֶֽרֶב.
וּתְּזַכִּנוּ לְגַדֵּל תַּלְמִידים וִילָדִים חְַכָמִים וּנְבוֹנִים בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמַעְַשִׂים טוֹבִים. אוֹהְַבֵי יָהּ יִרְאֵי
אֶלֹהִים אַנְשֵׁי אְֶמֶת וּמְפִיעצֵי קֶֹֽדֶשׁ. מִי יִתֵּן וְתַּלְמִידֵֽינוּ יָאִֽירוּ אֶת־הָעוֹלָם.

שִׁמְעִי אֶת־תְחִינַתִּי בָּעֵת הַזֹּאת בִּזְכוּת שָׂרָה וְרִבְקָה וְרָחֵל וְלֵאָה בִּלְהָה וְזִלְפָּה אִמּוֹתֵֽינוּ
וְהָאִֽירי אוֹר פָּנַֽיִךְ לְעוֹלֶם וָעֶד בְּאוֹר נֵרוֹתֵֽינוּ וְנִוָּשֵֽׁעָה. וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.

All:

May it be Your will, my God and God of my ancestors, to be gracious to me and to all my family and to give us, and all Israel, a good long life. Remember us with goodness and blessing, and grant us salvation and mercy. Grant us abundant blessing in the places we call home.

May your Presence dwell among us as we gather here tonight. May we be blessed with wise and learned disciples and children, lovers of God who stand in awe of You, people who speak truth and spread holiness. May those we nurture light the world with Torah and good deeds.

Hear the prayers I utter now in the name of our mothers Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah. May Your light, reflected in these candles, surround us always. And let us say, Amen.

Continued

All:

בָּרוּךּ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אְַשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל
(שַׁבָּת וְשֶׁל) יוֹם טוֹב.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel (Shabbat v'shel) Yom Tov.

Blessed are You, our God, Ruler of the universe, who sanctifies us with mitzvot and calls upon us to kindle the lights of (Shabbat and) the Festival day.

All:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָֽנוּ וְקִיְּמָֽנוּ וְהִגִּיעָֽנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shehechyanu v'kiy'manu v'higianu laz'man hazeh.

Blessed are You, our God, Ruler of the universe, who keeps us in life, sustains us, and enables us to reach this season.

Leader:

As we light these candles and welcome the glow of Passover into our homes, we pray that all those suffering around the world find light amid darkness. We pray that our experience tonight helps us to ignite the spark of justice within each of us . We pray that we have the strength to carry forth tis light into the world, creating a beautiful and bold flame that inspires others to work by our sides to pursue freedom and justice for all people.

Birkat Y'ladim

Blessing the Children

יְבָרֶכְךָ יהוה וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ,
יָאֵר יהוה פָּנָיו אֵלֶֽיךָ וִיחֻנֶּֽךָּ
יִשָּׂא יהוה פָּנָיו אֵלֶֽיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם.

Y'varech'cha Adonai v'yishm'recha,

Ya-eir Adonai panav eilecha vichuneka,

Yisa Adonai panav eilecha v'yaseim l'cha shalom.

All adults:

May God bless you and watch over you.

May God's face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

May God's face be lifted up to you and grant you peace.

Kos Miryam

Miriam's Cup

All:

זֹאת כּוֹס מִרְיָם, כּוֹס מַֽיִם חַיִּים. זֵֽכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָֽיִם.

Zot kos Miryam, kos mayim chayim. Zeicher litziat Mitzrayim.

This is the cup of Miriam, the cup of living waters, a reminder of the Exodus from Egypt.

Leader:

Throughout their desert wanderings, the Israelites were refreshed by miraculous springs that bubbled out of deep crevices in the rocky landscape. When Miriam died, the waters dried up. The people mourned the slave child who waited by a river, the woman who danced across a sea, the leader who sang a nation to freedom. When the springs flowed once more, they named them Miriam's Well. When fear blocks our path, when our travels deplete us, we seek sources of healing and wells of hope. May our questions and our stories nourish us as Miriam's Well renewed our people's spirits.

Kos Eliyahu

The Cup of Hope

Fill Elijah's cup with wine.

Leader:

Tonight, we will walk through the walls of words and filled our mouths with wine and song. As darkness comes, we look to the future and dream of a world where all are free.

All:

We will awaken our hearts, and gather all together. It is time to open the door.

Leader:

The night our people left Egypt was for God , a night of watching, as God brought our people out of the land of Egypt. This same night is God's, a night of watching for all the children of Israel and the world for generations.

This is our night of watching as the old make way for the young, as our hearts guide us home. We have journeyed from degradation to dignity, and now we watch at the door for Elijah, the prophet of hope.

Open the door.

But we Jews have not always opened our doors with hope on seder nights. Tonight, we are once again in a time where we open our doors reluctantly, with fear. Our people are faced with increasing oppression and insecurity. Even when prejudice and hatred blinded our neighbors in the past, we left our doors ajar to show that we gathered not for an evil purpose, but to offer thanks and praise to God. Sadly, we still live in that world where we must do this yet again. Tonight we ask for all to find the love in their hearts to change the world, and to support minorities who fear what tomorrow might bring.

Other voices call for a different response to hatred and prejudice, for the Jewish spirit burns with a passion for peace. In every generation, courageous souls seek understanding with those who oppose us. Tonight be begin a new tradition, asking God for guidance as we seek partners to shape a world of justice and peace.

Give up anger, abandon fury, put aside your wrath; it can only harm. The call to violence shall no longer be heard in your land, nor the cry of desolation within your borders. If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat. If she is thirsty, give her water to drink. For when compassion and truth meet, justice and peace kiss.

Psalms 37:8, Isaiah 60:18, Proverbs 25:21, Psalms 85:11

All:

On this night we pray that in the days to come our children will remember to tell their children freedom is God's gift -- and our obligation.

On this night, we welcome the spirit of Elijah and speak of ancient promise.

On this night, we reclaim a tradition of dreams.

On this night, we open wide the door of hope.

All:

אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַנָּבִיא אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּי אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַגִּלְעָדִי.
בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵֽינוּ יָבֹא אֵלֵֽינוּ עִם מָשִֽׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד.

Eliyahu haNavi, Eliyahu haTishbi, Eliyahu haGiladi.

Bimheirah v'yameinu yavo eileinu im mashiach ben David.

Elijah the prophet, the Tishbite, Elijah of Gilead. Soon, in our days, Elijah will come to herald redemption.

Close the door.

Kadeish

First Cup of Wine

Leader:

On Passover, we revel in our freedom--gathering around the Seder table with our loved ones, telling stories of the ancient Israelite's miraculous journey from slavery to redemption. At this time of rejoicing, we also remember the great responsibility that freedom creates: to speak out for people who are still oppressed around the world today.

As we recite the blessing over the wine, which is symbolic of our freedom, let us pray for and work toward the moment when all human beings will celebrate their liberation, experience equality and live secure, peaceful lives.

As we recline in comfort this night and remember our suffering in Egypt...

All:

We commit to support those who suffer today in the darkness of disasters and disease, from earthquakes to Zika.

We commit to support those who suffer today in the darkness of fascist regimes. 

We commit to support those who suffer in the darkness of systematic oppression. 

Leader:

As we enjoy bountiful food and drink this night and remember our starvation in Egypt...

All:

We commit to support those who struggle today with the horrors of hunger.

We commit to support those who struggle today with the oppression of government rations. 

We commit to support those who struggle today with the lack of available food resources. 

Leader:

As we joyfully learn with our children this night and remember the decree against baby boys in Egypt...

All:

We commit to support children robbed of their childhood because of war and child marriage.

We commit to support children robbed of their childhood because of abuse and neglect. 

We commit to support children robbed of their childhood because of oppression and hatred. 

Leader:

As we celebrate our freedom this night and remember the chains of slavery in Egypt...

All

We commit to stand in solidarity with people whose freedoms are denied by governments that abuse the rights of their citizens.

We commit to stand in solidarity with those who are are still enslaved across the world today. 

We commit to stand in solidarity with the continuation of the enslavement of our African-American communities in our prison system. 

As we raise our glasses, let us pledge to rise and support al those through out the world who seek to shed the chains of poverty, violence and discrimination and who strive for a future of dignity and justice.

Together, we must ensure freedom for all.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָס בּוֹרֵא
פְּרִי הַגָּֽפֶן.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, borei p'ri hagafen.

Blessed are you, Our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

Passover is meant to be loud, joyous and fun. Singing many songs is a way to get into that ruach (spirit). Ariel (and anyone else who knows the melody) teaches it to all at the table. 

.הִנֵּה מַה טוֹב וּמַה נָּעִים שֶׁבֶת אָחִים גַּם יַחַד

Hine(y) ma tov u'ma-nayim

Shevet ach-im gam ya-chad. 

How good and pleasant it is for siblings to be here together. 

YE shall say they all have passed away,

That noble race and brave,

That their light canoes have vanish'd

From off the crested wave.

That 'mid the forests where they roam'd

There rings no hunter's shout;

But their name is on your waters,

Ye may not wash it out.

'Tis where Ontario's billow

Like Ocean's surge is curled;

Where strong Niagara's thunders wake

The echo of the world;

Where red Missouri bringeth

Rich tributes from the west,

And Rappahannock sweetly sleeps

On green Virginia's breast.

Ye say, their cone-like cabins,

That cluster'd o'er the vale,

Have fled away like wither'd leaves

Before the autumn gale:

But their memory liveth on your hills,

Their baptism on your shore;

Your everlasting rivers speak

Their dialect of yore.

Old Massachusetts wears it

Within her lordly crown,

And broad Ohio bears it

'mid all her young renown;

Connecticut hath wreathed it

Where her quiet foliage waves,

And bold Kentucky breathed it hoarse

Through all her ancient caves.

Wachuset hides its lingering voice

Within its rocky heart,

And Alleghany graves its tone

Throughout his lofty chart:

Monadnock on his forehead hoar

Doth seal the sacred trust;

Your mountains build their monument,

Though ye destroy their dust

בָּרוּךְ הַוֹר בְּעוֹלָם.
בָּרוּךְ הַוֹר בְּאדַם.
בָּרוּךְ הַוֹר בּשׁלוֹם.
   בָּרוּךְ הַוֹר בְּפֶסַח. 

Leader: Baruch ha-or b’olam.

Everyone: Radiant is the light in the world.

Leader: Baruch ha-or b’adam.

Everyone: Radiant is the light in humanity.

Leader: Baruch ha-or b’shalom

Everyone: Radiant is the light of peace.

Leader: Baruch ha-or shel Pesach

Everyone: Radiant is the light of Pesach

Our family typically does not wash out hands during the Seder. However, I came across this tradition and think it is an amazing idea. 

Let us go around and reflect on our families past. Say the names of ancestors (including parents, grandparents etc.), or ancestral lands from which our family comes from at any part in history. What do they mean to you? How have they shaped your lives? 

Leader:

I would like to take this time to acknowledge the indigenous peoples whose land has continued to be stolen by the U.S. Government to this day. We are currently residing on Duwamish land, which extends from Pulsbo in the west  Snoqualmie Pass in the east. From Bothell in the north - Auburn in the south. Other Tribes of Washington are - Wsanec, Makah, Klallam, Quileute, Quinalt, Twana, Skokomish, Suquamish, Puget Sound Salish, Chehalis, Chinook, Cowlitz, Yakima, Columbia-Wenatchi, Skagit, Wasco, Wishram, Tenino, Nlaka 'pamux, Umatilla, Palouse, Nimiipuu (Nez Pierce), Spokane, Ktunaxa, Kalispel, Sinixt, Okanagan, and Schitsu'umsh (Couer d'Alene).

As you may know, the Standing Rock Sioux have been fighting for their lands, their rights, their water. Mni Wiconi. Water is Life. Many tribes, including Washington state tribes (who have been battling their own environmental battles), joined as fellow water protectors. The U.S. government, under all presidents, have stolen Native lands for government use, breaking laws and treaties in every direction. This time is no different. They have destroyed sacred land, and like our gravestones, theirs were also desecrated. But theirs was done without the government offering sympathy, or aid. I encourage you all to research, and donate to the Standing Rock Sioux as they continue to fight against colonialism and oppression. There are many NODAPL protests in Seattle, and I encourage you, if possible to attend one. 

Karpas

Greens

Leader:

This is the season

when life begins.

In the month of Nisan

the earth softens.

Seeds of hope push toward the light.

Our telling begins with remembering that

tears often clear the path to growth

Dip the parsley in salt water

All:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָס בּוֹרֵא
פְּרִי הָאְַדָמָה.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, borei p'ri haadamah.

Blessed are You, Our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the earth.

Volunteer:

Come with me,

my love,

come away

For the long wet months are past,

the rains have fed the earth

and left it bright with blossoms

Birds wing in the low sky,

dove and songbird singing

in the open air above

Earth nourishing tree and vine,

green fig and tender grape,

green and tender fragrence

Come with me,

my love,

come away.

Song of Songs 2:10-13

Yachatz

Dividing the Middle Matzah

Lift the plate with the three matzot and raise the middle matzah for all to see.

Then break the middle matzah in two and set aside the larger piece as the afikoman,

because more is hidden than is revealed.

Leader:

Even before we speak about the matzah, we break it.

Why do we begin our seder by breaking the matzah?

Our Rabbis teach:

Israel was redeemed from Egypt because of these merits:

All:

Our ancestors did not change their names;

our ancestors did not change their language.

Leader:

They defied the anonymity of servitude, and kept safe the language of home.

We set aside the broken portion of matzah to remember that what seems lost may be recovered, what seems broken may be repaired.

All:

Redemption begins with remembering.

Adults, whenever is convenient for you, please hide the afikoman in public spaces of the house.

Magid

The Telling Begins

הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִּי אֲכָֽלוּ אֲבָהָתַֽנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְּמִצְרָֽיִם.
הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִּי אֲכָֽלוּאִמָהָחַֽנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְּמִצְרָֽיִם.
כָּל־דִּכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵכֻל, כָּל־דִּצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח.
הָשַׁתָּא הָכָא לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
הָשַׁתָּא עַבְדֵי, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי וּבְנוֹת חוֹרִין.

Ha lachma anya di achalu avahatana b'ara d'Mitzrayim.

Ha lachma anya di achalu imahatana b'ara d'Mitzrayim.

Kal dichfin yeitei v'yeichul, kal ditzeich yeitai v'yifsach.

Hashata hacha, l'shanah habaah b'ara d'Yisrael.

Hashata avdei, l'shanah habaah b'nei uv'not chorin

All:

This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt.

Leader:

This is the bread of poverty that our ancestors ate in the land of Mitzrayim.

At the Seder , we begin as slaves. We eat matzah, the bread of affliction, which leaves us hungry and longing for redemption. It reminds us of a time we could't control what food was available to us, but ate what we could, out of necessity. The matzah enables us to taste slavery -- to imagine what it means to be denied our right to live free and healthy lives.

But, while we will soon enjoy a large meal and end the Seder night as free people, 795 million people around the world cannot leave the affliction of hunger behind. Each year, more than 3 million children under the age of 5 die from starvation.

Let us awaken to their cries and declare:

All:

Let all who are hungry come and eat.

Let all who are in need come and celebrate Pesach.

Leader: 

As we sit at our Seder and contemplate our people's transition from slavery to freedom, let us hope for a time when all who are hungry will eat as free people:

All:

Let all people have access to dependable sources of sustenance.

Let local farms flourish and local economies strengthen.

Let exploitation of natural resources cease so that the land may nourish its inhabitants.

Let communities bolster themselves against destruction wrought by flood and drought.

Let our world leaders recognize food as a basic human right and put an end to world hunger.

Leader: 

The Passover Seder inspires us to take action and commit ourselves to working toward these and other sustainable changes. As the Seder guides us from scarcity to plenty, let us empower others on their paths to sustenance.

All:

Now we are here.

Next year, in the land of Israel.

This year, hunger and malnutrition are still the greatest risks to health around the world.

Next year, may the bread of affliction be simply a symbol, and may all people enjoy the bread of plenty, the bread of freedom.

Put down the plate of matzot and cover it.

The inmates are led from their cells by surly guards into a dingy room filled with folding chairs, a television in the corner and a bare table set with plastic plates and cups. A ceramic seder plate with ritual foods sits in the center of the table next to a silver kiddush cup filled with grape juice. Another plate holds a pile of square matzot. 

How many Jews have gathered in jails and prisons to mark this festival of freedom? Who is guilty? Who is innocent?

The strains of Avadim Hayinu and Dayeinu travel down the concrete corridors. Under the watchful eye of a guard, one of the prisoners opens the door fro Elijah. Every head turns to see if he will really come. And when he does, will freedom follow?

=

The traditional Ha Lachma Anya is found at the beginning of the Maggid, or “storytelling,” section of the Haggadah. This ritual connects both our Exodus story and the Jewish immigrant narrative to the reality of aspiring Americans today.

This is the Bread of Affliction - Ha Lachma Anya

Reader: In America, over 11 million undocumented immigrants live in our midst.We identify with their struggles from our memory as Jews freed from Egyptian servitude, and as Americans living in a country built by immigrants.As we look upon the broken middle matzah before us, this is our story - an immigrant story -- in three parts:Memory, Action, Vision.

Memory

[Leader uncovers and raises the matzah.]

All read: Ha lachma anya – This is the bread of poverty and affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt.

Reader: We remember our ancestors’ fear and bravery in facing the new unknown, filled with dangers and opportunities. Poet Marge Piercy recalls our people’s past emigrations:

…The courage to walk out of the pain that is known into the pain that cannot be imagined, mapless, walking into the wilderness, going barefoot with a canteen into the desert; stuffed in the stinking hold of a rotting ship sailing off the map into dragons' mouths. Cathay, India, Serbia, goldeneh medina, leaving bodies by the way like abandoned treasure. So they walked out of Egypt. So they bribed their way out of Russia under loads of straw; so they steamed out of the bloody smoking charnelhouse of Europe on overloaded freighters forbidden all ports-- out of pain into death or freedom or a differentpainful dignity, into squalor and politics…  

“Maggid,” The Art of Blessing the Day: Poems with a Jewish Theme. Knopf: September 2000, p. 166-167.

Action

All read:Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need, come and share this Pesach meal.

Reader:The Seder demands action! American Jewish poet Emma Lazarus’s words reflected real action when they were engraved on the Statue of Liberty one hundred years ago:

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door

Vision

All read: This year we are still here – next year in the Land of Israel. This year we are still slaves – next year free people.

Reader: This year undocumented immigrants still live in fear in the shadows of a broken immigration system. Next year may over 11 million aspiring Americans step into the light of freedom and walk the path towards citizenship.

This year, our eyes are still clouded by the plague of darkness, as the Gerer Rav taught: “The darkness in Egypt was so dense that people could not see one another. This was not a physical darkness, but a spiritual darkness in which people were unable to see the plight and pain of their neighbors.” Next year, may we replace darkness with light and truly see our neighbors and be moved to act with them to fix our broken immigration system.

Discussion: Today, the Reform Jewish Movement is working to help create a common-sense American immigration process. How do your family stories connect to this historic moment?

Think about your family history: What brought your family to this country? What did your family leave behind, and what opportunity did they seek? Does this help you understand today’s immigrants? Why or why not?

Mah Nishtanah

The Four Questions

Pour the second cup of wine

The questions that sustain the Jewish people are the questions one generation asks another.

The youngest person:

מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָָּה הַלַּיְֽלָה הַזִֶה מִכָּל־הַלֵּילוֹת?
שֶׁבְּכָל־הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּ אוֹכְלִיו חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה. הַלַּיְֽלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלּוֹ מַצָּה.
שֶׁבְּכָל־הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּ אוֹכְלִיו שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת הַלַּיְֽלָה הַזֶּה מָרוֹר.
שֶׁבְּכָל־הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָֽנוּ מַטְבִּילִיו אֲפִֽילוּ פַּֽעַם אֶחָת. הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים.
שֶׁבְּכָל־הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּ אוֹכְלִיו בֵּיו יוֹשְׁבִיו וּבֵיו מְסֻבִּיו. הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלָּֽנוּ מְסֻבִּיו.

Mah nishtanah halailah hazeh mikol haleilot?

Sheb'chol haleilot anu ochlin chameitz umatzah. Halailah hazeh kulo matzah?

Sheb'chol haleilot anu ochlin sh'ar y'rakot. Halailah hazeh maror?

Sheb'chol haleilot ein anu matbilin afilu paam echat. Halailah hazeh sh'tei f'amim.

Sheb'chol haleilot anu ochlin bein yoshvin uvein m'subin. Halailah hazeh kulanu m'subin.

The youngest person if not going to sing the song:

How is this night different from all other nights?

On all other nights, we eat chameitz and matzah. Why on this night only matzah?

On all other nights, we eat all vegetables. Why on this night, maror?

On all other nights, we don't dip even once. Why on this night do we dip twice?

On all other nights, we eat either sitting upright or reclining. Why on this night do we all recline?

Leader:

עְַבָדִים הָיִֽינוּ לְפַרעֹה בְּמִצְרָֽיִם

Avadim hayinu l'Pharaoh b'Mitzrayim.

Because we were slaves to the Pharaoh of Egypt.

All:

עְַבָדִים הָיִֽינוּ לְפַרעֹה בְּמִצְרָֽיִם. וַיּוֹצִיאֵֽנוּ יי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ
.מִשָּׁם בְּיָד חְַזָקָה וּבִזְרֽוֹעַ נְטוּיָה.

Avadim hayinu l'Pharaoh b'Mitzrayim. V'yotsiaynu Adonai Elohaynu mi-shaam

b'yaad chazaka oo-vizroah n'tooyah.

Because we were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the Eternal, our god, brought us forth from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

Answering the Questions

Attendee one:

You ask, why on this night do we only eat matzah?

Avadim hayinu - We were slaves. Now we are free. Our ancestors in their flight from Egypt did not have time to let the dough rise, so they baked flat bread, called matzah. In memory of this, we only eat matzah on Passover.

Attendee two:

Why on this night do we eat bitter herbs?

Avadim hayinu - We were slaves. Now we are free. We eat bitter herbs because the Egyptians made our ancestors lives bitter. The Torah says "They made their lives bitter with hard bondage in mortar and brick, and in all manner of labor in the fields."

Attendee three:

Why do we dip twice?

Avadim hayinu - We were slaves. Now we are free. We first dipped our greens to taste the brine of enslavement. The second we shall dip in charoset, to remind ourselves of the mortar that our ancestors mixed as slaves to the Pharaohs of Egypt. But the charoset we use is a mixture of sweet apples, nuts and wine, to show us that in the bitter time of their enslavement, our ancestors hoped for the sweet privileges of freedom.

Attendee four:

Why do we recline?

Avadim hayinu - We were slaves. Now we are free. We recline at ease to remind ourselves that like our ancestors, we can overcome our oppressions and injustices, for each of us has the freedom to become our own masters.

Leader:

We now all know the traditional answers and questions. But there are far deeper answers that connect the themes of Passover to our world's most pressing problems.

On most other nights, we allow the news of tragedy in distant places to pass us by. We succumb to compassion fatigue--aware that we cannot possibly respond to every injustice that arises around the world.

On this night, we are reminded that our legacy as the descendants of slaves creates in us a different kind of responsibility--we are to protect the stranger because we were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Let us add a fifth question to this years Seder. Let us ask ourselves,

How is this year different from all other years?

This year, this Passover, let us recommit to our sacred responsibility to protect the stranger--particularly vulnerable and persecuted people like the Rohingya minority in Burma, indigenous people in Guatemala and LGBTQ people in Uganda--whose suffering is so easily ignored.

Let us infuse the rituals of the Seder with action:

All:

• When tasting the matzah, the bread of poverty, let us find ways to help the poor and the hungry.
• When eating the maror, the bitter herbs, let us commit to help those whose lives are embittered by disease.
• When spilling the wine from our glasses to mourn the Egyptians' suffering during the 10 plagues, let us pledge to aid those who suffer from modern afflictions
• When reclining in celebration of our freedom, let us seek opportunities to help those who are still oppressed today.

At this season of liberation, join us in working for the liberation of all people. Help us respond to the Seder's questions with actions that echo our calls for justice.

Leader:

At Passover each year, we read the story of our ancestors' pursuit of liberation from oppression. When confronting history, how do we answer our children when they ask us how to pursue justice in our time?

Attendee one:

What does the activist child ask?

"The Torah tells me, 'Justice, justice you shall pursue,' but how can I pursue justice"

Empower zie to seek pathways to advocate for the vulnerable. As Proverbs teaches "Speak up for the mute, for the rights of the unfortunate. Speak up, judge righteously, champion the poor and the needy"

Attendee two:

What does the skeptical child ask?

"How can I solve problems of such enormity?"

Encourage him by explaining the he need not solve the problems, he must only do what he is capable of doing. As we read in Pirke Avot-- The Ethics of our Ancestors, "It is not your responsibility to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it."

Attendee three:

What does the indifferent child say?

"It's not my responsibility."

Persuade them that responsibility cannot be shirked. As Abraham Joshua Heschel writes, "The opposite of good is not evil, the opposite of good is indifference. In a free society where terrible wrongs exist, some are guilty, but all are responsible."

Attendee four:

And the uninformed child who does not know how to ask...

Prompt her to see herself as an inheritor of our people's legacy. As it says in Deuteronomy, "You must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt."

All:

At this season of liberation, let us work towards the liberation of all people.

Let us respond to our children's questions with action and justice.

Otot uMoftim

Signs and Wonders

We take our pinky fingers and drop a bit of wine on our plates as we recall each plague.

Ten plagues devastated the land of Egypt. Ten plagues opened the way to our people's liberation

Leader:

If your enemy falls, do not exult.

If your enemy stumbles, your heart should not rejoice.

Proverbs 24:17

All:

Blood Dam דָּם

Frogs Tz'fardei-a צְפַרְדֵּֽעַ

Lice Kinim כִּנִּים

Wild beasts Arov עָרוֹב

Cattle disease Dever דֶּבֶֽר

Boils Sh'chin שְׁחִין

Hail Barad בָּרָד

Locusts Arbeh אַרְבֶּה

Darkness Choshech חֹֽשֶׁךְ

Death of the first-born Makat B'chorot מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת

Motzi/Matzah

Uncover the matzot, recite the blessings, and distribute the top and middle matzah amongst everyone.

Motzi - מוֹצִיא

All:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
הַמּוֹצִיא לֶֽחֶם הָאָֽרֶץ.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, hamotzi lechem min haaretz.

Blessed are You, our God, Ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

Matzah - מַצָּה

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנֽוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וצִוָּֽנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָּה.

Barauch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al achilat matzah.

Blessed are You, our God, Ruler of the universe, who sanctifies us with mitzvot and call upon us to eat matzah.

Maror

Bitter Herbs

Take a small piece of maror.

All:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר
קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מָרוֹר.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al achilat maror.

Blessed are You, our God, Ruler of the universe, who sanctifies us with mitzvot and calls upon us to eat maror.

Koreich

Hillel Sandwich

Distribute pieces of the bottom matzah so that everyone may make a "sandwich of matzah, maror, and charoset.

All:

We remember the days when the Temple stood and Hillel the sage combined the pesach, matzah and maror, eating them together to fulfill the biblical teaching, "with matzot and bitter herbs they shall eat it." ( Numbers 9:11)

Volunteer:

A right to be heard:

A right to be heard

Not censored of word

A voice that is true

Not a momentary view

A word that is said

It remains in our heads

Of value that’s true

In both me and you

It signals the start

From deep in our hearts

A sentence recalls

From the big to the small

It flows like a stream…

“I have a dream…”

Zelda Quakawoot, Mackey, QLD

 Some Jews prepare for Pesach by getting rid of all their hametz. Last year, I inadvertently created a ritual for a near reenactment of the 40 days and 40 nights our people spent wandering in the desert when I decided to learn how to make halaik, the date syrup that is the critical and divine ingredient of Iraqi charoset.

In years past, my Aunt Rachel, keeper of many Iraqi and Indian-Iraqi culinary and cultural traditions, would, because she loves me, send me a bottle of homemade halaik carefully wrapped for its journey from Montreal to Oakland via Los Angeles. My friends who have tasted Iraqi charoset, made of halaik and chopped nuts, have dubbed this intensely flavorful and hardto-come-by syrup “liquid gold.” They are typically so enthralled by its sweet taste, that they fail to notice how its appearance serves to remind us of the bricks and mortar of slavery in Egypt.

In these times when many traditional cultures are being lost, I hope there will be people who work to preserve the rich diversity of languages, traditions and practices of non-European Jews. So, with this in mind, I called my Aunt Rachel who happily faxed me “Aunty Rachel and Granny’s Halaik” recipe, which included strategies for avoiding date-syrup scheming squirrels and ants.

I bought 5 pounds of dates from Costco. Then I poured boiling water onto the dates and mashed them in the pot, leaving them uncovered overnight. The next step felt like about 36 of the 40 days and nights. I had to use porous fabric and squeeze date pulp to extract juice – one scoop at a time. I ultimately safety-pinned a contraption together to keep the dates from squeezing out on all sides. Day after day, my roommates would wake up and go to bed with me at the kitchen table squeezing dates.

Finally, I was able to boil the date water, which I then had to pass through a cloth bag yet again. I brought the now pulp-free date juice to a near boil and let it simmer for over an hour as I kept it company. Once cool, I covered it and put it in the sun to thicken - indoors so as to avoid the date syrup scheming squirrels and ants my aunt warned me about.

As I undertook this journey in pursuit of liquid gold, I had several revelations. Our people probably didn’t work 45-hour weeks and then prepare for holidays. Halaik is good on matza brei. Our people probably organized the process so that a few folks made Halaik for the whole neighborhood. Halaik is good over labne on matzah. Our people would probably be grateful to know that in Oakland, California, this Iraqi Jewish woman didn’t go buy a jar of factory-made date syrup. Oh, and did I mention, Halaik is good.

- Julie Iny is an Indian-Iraqi/Russian American Jewish activist in Oakland, California.

Shulchan Oreich

The Festival Meal

Leader:

The traditional aspiration, "Next Year in Jerusalem," is our people's millennia-old hope for redemption. However, our yearning takes the form of hope and action for a more just world.

Join us, this year, in helping achieve...

All:

Peace in societies torn by war

Freedom from bigotry and oppression

Equality for minorities shunned by prejudice and hatred

Respect for the aspirations and humanity of women, girls

Acceptance for people persecuted for who they are pr whom they love

Sustenance for communities living in hunger

A safe harbor for refugees and survivors of violence

And the promise of dignity and human rights for all.

Together, with those around this Seder table and with our global family connected by our collective pursuit of justice, we pray: "Next year in a more just world." And through our actions from this Passover to the next, let us make this dream a reality.

צֶדֶק צֶדֶק תִּרְדֹּף

Tzedek, tzedek, tirdof.

Justice, Justice, shall you pursue.

Time to eat!

Tzafun

Recovering the Hidden Afikoman

Once the afikoman is found, and proved to be the afikoman, it is broken in to small pieces and distributed to every one at the seder table. 

Our meal is not complete until we distribute the dry crumbs of wandering and share the afikoman. With the taste of promise, we continue our journey. 

Bareich

Blessing after the Meal

Pour the third cup.

When you have eaten and are satisfied, give thanks to God.

Deuteronomy 8:10

Leader:

A Song of Ascents

When God restores the exiles of to Zion, it will seem like a dream. Then our mouths will fill with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then the nations will say: God has done great things for them! God does great things for us, and we rejoice.

Restore our fortunes, Holy One, as streams revive the Negev. Then those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. Those who go forth weeping, bearing sacks of seeds, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying sheaves.

Leader:

Blessed is our God, whose food we have eaten and whose goodness nourishes our lives.

All:

Blessed is the Holy One, blessed is God's name.

Leader:

Blessed is God, who brings us to a time that is truly Shabbat.

​All:

Sing Oseh Shalom

May the One who makes peace in the high places, make peace over us, to all Israel and all of humanity. And let us say, Amen.

Kos Sh'lishi

Third Cup of Wine

All: 

בָּרוּךְ אַתּה יי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּֽפֶן.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech haolam, borei p'ri hagafen.

Blessed are You, Our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

My uncle said, "This is Elijah's wine." Till then I mimicked listening, wide-eyed with piety, while underneath the table I kicked my brother back for kicking me. The bitter herbs and the unleavened bread that my uncle said were meant to make me feel like the brick and mortar, and the hurrying between the walls of water that the wind held back - to me meant only an eternity of waiting while he prayed, before a meal. 

But when that wine was poured, the door left open, waiting seemed almost holy: a worshipper, the candle flame bowed in the sudden draft. And for a moment I thought I'd behold Elijah's glad lips bend out of the dark tobrighton and drink up into His Light the Red Sea in the glass that never parted. For soon my uncle closed the door when we grew cold, and the flames straightened. "Where is Elijah?" Nobody in the room had ever asked.

And now I think, knowing what I know, if anyone had ever come to us, he could have come only to keep watch and not to drink; to look upon the glass, seeing within the wine, as from across the whole of night, the small flame still as God; someone who would have known the numberless doors that have been opened, to be closed; the numberless who watched till they became the shimmer in the wine he looked upon. 

Nirtzah

Conclusion

Leader:

Our seder is complete, the ritual fulfilled. Tonight we passed through ancient doors and made our way toward freedom. Nourished by story and song, we joined our ancestors in praise. Memory opened our hearts; hope was sweet upon our tongues. May we enter these doors again.

All:

Next year in Jerusalem, and next year in a more just world.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לִרְדּוֹף צֶדֶק.

Baruch atah Adonai, eloheinu Melekh ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu lirdof tzedek

Brucha Yah Shechinah, eloheinu Malkat ha-olam, asher kid’shatnu b’mitzvotayha vitzivatnu lirdof tzedek

Blessed is the Source, who shows us paths to holiness, and commands us to pursue justice.