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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Traditionally, a Seder is held only on the first two nights of Pesach. And on the last day of Pesach we observe a Yizkor day, a memorial day in which we light candles to remember those we have lost, and perhaps go to synagogue and participate in a Yizkor service. How much better to also have a Seder on the last night, and to welcome in the memories of those we have lost to celebrate a Passover Seder with them?
On the Last Night of Passover, if doing a Memorial Seder:
Light the Yahrzheit Candle and recite:
ברוך אתה '', אלהינו מלך העולם, דיין האמת
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, dayan ha-emet.
(Blessed are you, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, the true judge.)
As we welcome in the final day of Pesach, we remember with love those who are no longer here to celebrate with us. The journey of the ancient Israelites did not end with being freed, but had rather just begun, and the same can be said with the souls of our dearly departed. May this light that shines upon us now remind us of their souls that shine upon us always. May we feel their love as we remember all the Seders we held with them in the past, and as we celebrate a Seder with those memories in our minds tonight. Truly, our Lord is ruler of the universe, of both the Heavens and the Earth, of all that we can see and all that we cannot. Truly, the Lord is the True Judge. May the Lord bless us with comfort after we lose loved ones, and watch over their souls once they have departed from their Earthly existence.
Optional: Invite everyone present to share a Seder memory with someone they have loved and lost.
I find this introduction meaningful as not only does it explain what the Seder is but also identifies how to perform the Seder. I personally like how simple the explanation for the seder is, saying how we need to welcome the ones we have lost by reciting the following Hebrew text given in the same introduction. This introduction is great because it explains the seder, shows how to perform the seder, and also explains why we do it in the first place.
Now, we're going to take the wine/juice that we've poured and each add to Elijah's cup.
Now let's do the same from our water glasses to fill Miriam's cup.
Combining our actions together is what will help Elijah come to ourworld.
We set an extra place for Elijah and we'll open the door and invite him in later. Miriam was Moses's sister and we honor her for how she helped Moses wich made our story possible today.
This clip is personally meaningful because it simplifies why we do the Kadesh and how to do it. In my opinion, simple is better than complicated, and this clip describes Kadesh in a simple manner. The first few lines explain step by step how to perform the Kadesh, while the last line explains why we do the Kadesh. "Miriam was Moses's sister and we honor her for how she helped Moses which made our story possible today. "
We wash our hands, without saying the blessing. Each person washes the hand of the person next to her (pouring it over a bowl). Imagine that you are washing away all cynicism and despair, and allow yourself to be filled with the hope that the world could be really transformed in accord with our highest vision.
How to perform Urchatz and what to think while doing it is heavily simplified in this clip. I personally like simple rather than complex, and this clip perfectly capitalizes on that. The only thing I wish was a little backstory to Urchatz, but overall I like this clip for its simple explanation.
Backstory: Urchatz is ritual washing or cleansing, done to recall the story of Miriam's well.
Passover, like many of our holidays, combines the celebration of an event from our Jewish memory with a recognition of the cycles of nature. As we remember the liberation from Egypt, we also recognize the stirrings of spring and rebirth happening in the world around us. The symbols on our table bring together elements of both kinds of celebration.
We now take a vegetable, representing our joy at the dawning of spring after our long, cold winter. Most families use a green vegetable, such as parsley or celery, but some families from Eastern Europe have a tradition of using a boiled potato since greens were hard to come by at Passover time. Whatever symbol of spring and sustenance we’re using, we now dip it into salt water, a symbol of the tears our ancestors shed as slaves. Before we eat it, we recite a short blessing:
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.
We look forward to spring and the reawakening of flowers and greenery. They haven’t been lost, just buried beneath the snow, getting ready for reappearance just when we most needed them.
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We all have aspects of ourselves that sometimes get buried under the stresses of our busy lives. What has this winter taught us? What elements of our own lives do we hope to revive this spring?
Everything you need to know about Karpas is in this clip, including the backstory, the procedure, and even Hebrew dialogue! This clip means a lot to me not only because it has everything you need to know but it also has questions at the end, " What has this winter taught us? What elements of our own lives do we hope to revive this spring?". These questions give a deeper meaning to the ritual rather than just mindlessly listening. This clip is a recipe for a deep and meaningful Karpas and that is why I chose it.
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. After dinner, the guests will have to hunt for the afikomen in order to wrap up the meal… and win a prize.
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?
Yachatz is my favorite custom, mostly because we get to find the hidden matzah after dinner. Whoever found the matzah first got $20, and I loved the game. This is what personally ties me to this clip, its step-by-step procedure depicting how to break the matzot. My grandpa often explains each step of a custom, and the text reminds me of him. There is also backstory to Yachatz and modern meaning, "These days, matzah is a special food and we look forward to eating it on Passover." I love knowing the backstory behind customs because without it it's just blind praying in a sense. The step-by-step description, backstory, and modern meaning make me personally adore this clip.
The leader lifts up the Matzo and says:
Lo! This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in want come and celebrate the Passover with us. May it be God's will to redeem us from all trouble and from all servitude. Next year at this season, may the whole house of Israel be free!
This clip contains the lines the Maggid is supposed to recite. While personally, I don't have any deep connections with this custom I personally adore the lines spoken by the Maggid. The lines explain why we eat matzah and promote a feast to celebrate passover,"Let all who are in want come and celebrate the Passover with us." I adore the last line, "Next year at this season, may the whole house of Israel be free!" as it wishes Isreal, our land, another free and well year.
At a Seder it is tradition for children to ask 4 questions.
Today, most of you have little or no experience with a Passover Seder, in that way, you're a little like children too. So I encourage you to ASK QUESTIONS.
First, we will read the four traditional questions.
Then, ask anything else you'd like to ask!
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 clip explains why we have these four questions, to educate the children who know nothing or little about Passover. Five questions with English and Hebrew translations are written below, and that's what I like about this clip. It provides not four but five questions about Passover that have translations making it easier to understand. I chose this clip because of the additions it adds to the questions, with one extra question, translation, and explanation.
As we tell the story, we think about it from all angles. Our tradition speaks of four different types of children who might react differently to the Passover seder. It is our job to make our story accessible to all the members of our community, so we think about how we might best reach each type of child:
What does the wise child say?
The wise child asks, What are the testimonies and laws which God commanded you?
You must teach this child the rules of observing the holiday of Passover.
What does the wicked child say?
The wicked child asks, What does this service mean to you?
To you and not to himself! Because he takes himself out of the community and misses the point, set this child’s teeth on edge and say to him: “It is because of what God did for me in taking me out of Egypt.” Me, not him. Had that child been there, he would have been left behind.
What does the simple child say?
The simple child asks, What is this?
To this child, answer plainly: “With a strong hand God took us out of Egypt, where we were slaves.”
What about the child who doesn’t know how to ask a question?
Help this child ask.
Start telling the story:
“It is because of what God did for me in taking me out of Egypt.”
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Do you see yourself in any of these children? At times we all approach different situations like each of these children. How do we relate to each of them?
I like this clip for the amount of important information it delivers. First, the clip describes why we have the four children and what each represents. It says that we have four children to represent all views when hearing the Passover story and make it so the story is understandable for everyone. Then in bold, the children along with their questions are listed. Below the questions are answers, completing this clip. I adore this clip because it contains all four children, all questions, and all the answers, all important information for Passover.
This clip is rather long but does a good job in summarizing the Exodus. This clip talks about how God brought the Jews out of Egypt and saved the Israelis. The exodus itself is a pretty long story and I applaud this clip because of how much detail was given with so few words. The exodus has 32685 words while this summarized version has 359 (I confirmed this). While a few details were missing the main story was similar and I adore this clip for its simplicity of the Exodus.
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 pour out a drop of wine for each of the plagues as we recite them.
Dip a finger or a spoon into your wine glass for a drop for each plague.
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
The Egyptians needed ten plagues because after each one they were able to come up with excuses and explanations rather than change their behavior. Could we be making the same mistakes? Make up your own list. What are the plagues in your life? What are the plagues in our world today? What behaviors do we need to change to fix them?
I personally know a lot about the Ten plagues and like how this clip explains all ten plagues, describes what to do, and makes it meaningful. Not only that but the Hebrew and English translations are also present. At the top, there is some background information along with instructions, "Dip a finger or a spoon into your wine glass for a drop for each plague." In the middle there are all ten plagues listen in order. In the end, there are questions to ask ourselves, making this Custom personally more meaningful.
LEADER In the traditional Passover seder, we pause to reflect on what we have in our lives for which we are grateful and thank God for the miracles God performed. Let’s now recite aloud the blessings we enjoy. After each blessing, we take a moment to say together “Dayenu — it would have been enough.”
1. We are grateful that so many among us do not suffer from the oppression and hardship of daily hunger. Dayenu
2. We are grateful to live in a democracy and have the ability to influence our government’s priorities. Dayenu
3. We are grateful for the opportunity to direct national attention to the injustice of hunger and the heartbreaking stories of those impacted. Dayenu
4. We are grateful to those who use their hands to stock a food bank, their feet to march to Capitol Hill, and their voices to demand justice. Dayenu
5. We are grateful we made the time to be present for this Hunger Seder to educate ourselves and be inspired to act. Dayenu
6. We are grateful for each other – alone we are limited, but together we are powerful advocates for change. Dayenu
Day Day-enu, Day Day-enu, Day Day-enu Dayenu, Dayenu (x2)
This clip explains how we are told to pause and reflect on what we have in life and be grateful towards God for the miracles he created. Then, the clip provides 6 numbered lines each describing things to be grateful for. I personally love this clip because it gives simple background information and then gives you six organized blessings.
--Rabbi Menachem Creditor, Congregation Netivot Shalom, Berkeley, CA
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, asher kidshanu bemitvotav vetzivanu al netilat yadayim.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִּם.
Blessed are You ETERNAL our God, Master of time and space, who has sanctified us with commandments and instructed us regarding lifting up our hands.
The clip starts explaining how we wash our hands and recite a blessing so we can "feel our People's story more viscerally, having just retold it during Maggid. " The blessing is also in the clip along with Hebrew and English texts. This clip also has some background information,"we raise our hands in holiness, remembering once again that our liberation is bound up in everyone else's." I chose this clip because it contains not only the blessing but background information on the ritual cleansing.
Hamotzi thanks God for bringing bread from the earth. This bread results from a partnership between God and humanity: God provides the raw materials and people harvest, grind, and bake. So too must we remember that combating human trafficking requires partnerships: among survivors, allies, lawyers, social workers, law enforcement, diplomats, people of faith…the circles of involvement are ever-expanding.
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ.
Blessed are You ETERNAL our God, Master of time and space, who brings forth bread from the earth.
One of my favorite things about Passover is the matzah, so it is not a surprise this custom is my second favorite. This clip describes why we eat matzah in the first place, a reminder of the relationship between God and humanity. God provides the raw materials and humans harvest, grind, and bake. After this, a blessing in both English and Hebrew is recited to thank god for the bread. I love this clip because of its description of Matzah and inclusion of the blessing.
Leader:
Rabbi Benjamin Adler teaches us about Maror:
What is a Bitter Herb? When most of us think of bitter herbs, that maror, we think of khreyn (Yiddish for horseradish). But when you think about it, horseradish is not really bitter. It is pungent or spicy. According to the Talmud, the correct vegetable to use is lettuce, probably a variety of Romaine lettuce. Indeed, this is what many Sephardi Jews use for maror. Of course, Romaine lettuce is not really bitter either. According to Dr. Joshua Kulp, “our pleasant tasting lettuce is the result of two thousand years of cultivation to improve its taste. In the time of the Mishnah, it was probably far more bitter.”
Maror (romain lettuce stalk) is dipped in Charoset, shaken off and eaten at the end of the blessing
Leader:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מָרוֹר.
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al achilat maror.
Praised are you, Adonai, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has taught us the way of holiness through commandments, commanding us to eat the bitter herb.
I was interested in this clip because of its description of a bitter herb. It explained how maror is not really bitter, and the Talmud requests we eat Romaine lettuce. Even if Romaine lettuce is not bitter, supposedly back then 2,000 years ago it was. Over time cultivation made it less bitter. I like this clip mainly because of its description of a bitter herb. In addition, the blessing with both English and Hebrew translations is also there.
Tonight we dip our bitterness in the sweetness of charoset. Charoset, the sweet mixture of fruits and nuts, symbolizes the mortar of the bricks of the Israelites. It is also the mortar of commitment and interdependence that enabled the Jewish community to survive through those centuries of oppression. It is the building blocks of hope and tradition, which are sweet. We take our maror of fear, and by dipping it into the sweetness we create a new model that honors the fear and suffering yet holds out hope for the future.
By blending our maror and charoset, we acknowledge the blending of faiths and traditions that sit around this table here tonight. We know it is not always sweet and it is not always bitter, but that life is a mixture of both. Just as our taste buds are designed for sweet, salty, sour and bitter, so we taste the range of textures of our relationships. By our dipping tonight we bring together the bitter and the sweet for something new to emerge.
This clip greatly expresses the meaning behind Koreich and why we perform this custom. We are supposed to dip our bitterness in the sweetness of charoset, which symbolizes "the mortar of the bricks of the Israelites. It is also the mortar of commitment and interdependence that enabled the Jewish community to survive through those centuries of oppression." Basically, we combine sweet and bitter to create new and brighter hope for our future. This is why I like this clip, it is a non-complicated in-depth look at the reasons we perform Koreich on Passover.
It is customary to begin the meal with hard-boiled eggs flavored with salt water. This was the practice in Roman times. The egg has come to be symbolic of new growth, of new life, of hope. The roasted egg on the Seder plate has come to represent the ancient Temple service in Jerusalem, the holy city.
This custom is one of my favorites as it's the actual feast! We get to eat and enjoy our Passover dinner at this time. The clip explains this feast along with the customary roasted egg. We start off the feast by dipping a roasted egg in salt water, which represents new growth, new life, or hope. The egg on the seder plate represents the ancient Temple services in Jerusalem. I like this clip because of its simplicity and explanation of the boiled egg.
Tzafun
צָפוּן
After the meal, take the Afikoman and divide it among all the guests at the Seder table.
It is forbidden to drink or eat anything (except the remaining two ritual cups of wine) after eating the Afikoman.
There isn't much to Tzafun, and this clip simply describes how to perform it all. Just split the Afikoman among all the guests and after eating, are unable to eat or drink anything besides two remaining ritual cups. I like this clip for its simple explanation of Tzafun and how to perform it.
Refill everyone’s wine glass.
We now say grace after the meal, thanking God for the food we’ve eaten. On Passover, this becomes something like an extended toast to God, culminating with drinking our third glass of wine for the evening:
We praise God, Ruler of Everything, whose goodness sustains the world. You are the origin of love and compassion, the source of bread for all. Thanks to You, we need never lack for food; You provide food enough for everyone. We praise God, source of food for everyone.
As it says in the Torah: When you have eaten and are satisfied, give praise to your God who has given you this good earth. We praise God for the earth and for its sustenance.
Renew our spiritual center in our time. We praise God, who centers us.
May the source of peace grant peace to us, to the Jewish people, and to the entire world. Amen.
The Third Glass of Wine
The blessing over the meal is immediately followed by another blessing over the wine:
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.
Drink the third glass of wine!
This clip demonstrates how to perform the Bereich. Not only that it also explains why by describing how we are thanking God for the food we have eaten. Below the explanation is a blessing in both English and Hebrew translation which we recite before drinking the third glass of wine. I like this clip for its step by step like procedure and simple description of why we do this custom.
Cover the matzah and raise the cup of wine until it is drunk at the end of maggid
לְפִיכָךְ אֲנַחְנו חַיָבִים לְהוֹדוֹת, לְהַלֵל, לְשַבֵחַ, לְפָאֵר, לְרוֹמֵם, לְהַדֵר, לְבָרֵךְ, לְעַלֵה ולְקַלֵס לְמִי שֶעָשָה לַאֲבוֹתֵינו וְלָנו אֶת כָל הַנִסִים הָאֵלו: הוֹצִיאָנו מֵעַבְדות לְחֵרות מִיָגוֹן לְשִמְחָה, ומֵאֵבֶל לְיוֹם טוֹב, ומֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹר גָדוֹל, ומִשִעְבוד לִגְאֻלָה. וְנאֹמַר לְפָנָיו שִירָה חֲדָשָה: הַלְלויָה.
הַלְלויָה הַלְלו עַבְדֵי יי, הַלְלו אֶת שֵם יי. יְהִי שֵם יי מְברָֹךְ מֵעַתָה ועְִַד עוֹלָם. מִמִזְרַח שֶמֶש עַד מְבוֹאוֹ מְהֻלָל שֵם יי. רָם עַל כָל גוֹיִם יי, עַל הַשָמַיִם כְבוֹדוֹ. מִי כַיי אֱלֹהֵינו הַמַגְבִיהִי לָשָבֶת, הַמַשְפִילִי לִרְאוֹת בַשָמַיִם ובָאָרֶץ? מְקִימִי מֵעָפָר דָל, מֵאַשְפתֹ יָרִים אֶבְיוֹן, לְהוֹשִיבִי עִם נְדִיבִים, עִם נְדִיבֵי עַמוֹ. מוֹשִיבִי עֲקֶרֶת הַבַיִת, אֵם הַבָנִים שִמְחָה. הַלְלויָה.
בְצֵאת יִשְרָאֵל מִמִמִרַָים , בֵית יַעֲקבֹ מֵעַם לֹעֵז, הָיְתָה יְהודָה לְקָדְשוֹ, יִשְרָאֵל מַמְשְלוֹתָיו. הַיָם רָאָה וַיַָנסֹ, הַיַרְדֵן יִסבֹ לְאָחוֹר. הֶהָרִים רָקְדו כְאֵילִים, גְבַָעוֹת - כִבְנֵי צאֹן. מַה לְךָ הַיָם כִי תָנוס, הַיַרְדֵן - תִסבֹ לְאָחוֹר, הֶהָרִים - תִרְקְדו כְאֵילִים, גְבַָעוֹת - כִבְנֵי צאֹן. מִלְפְנֵי אָדוֹן חולִי אָרֶץ, מִלְפְנֵי אֱלוֹהַ יַעֲקבֹ. הַהפְֹכִי הַצור אֲגַם מָיִם, חַלָמִיש - לְמַעְיְנוֹ מָיִם.
This clip is great because of its simplicity. It gets straight to the procedure of Hallel and provides all the Hebrew dialogue needed to perform the custom.
Purpose of Hallel: for observant Jews to give praise
The Passover Seder is concluded, according to each traditional detail with all its laws and customs. As we have been privileged to celebrate this Seder, so may we one day celebrate it in Jerusalem. Pure One who dwells in the high places, support your People countless in number. May you soon redeem all your People joyfully in Zion.
Next Year in Jerusalem!
This clip explains how the Passover Seder is coming to an end, and how we are privileged to celebrate Passover this year. Then we wish luck to Jerusalem and Passover ends. Personally, this clip is meaningful as we are now closing Passover and wishing luck to Jerusalem.
In a moment, our Seder will be complete. However, we remember that working against oppression in the world is our never-ending responsibility. We recommit ourselves to the vision of a world filled with peace and justice for all. We work for a world where "nation shall not lift-up sword against nation nor study war anymore." We work for a world where people are not treated differently because of their race, their religion, their gender, their age, their marital status, their skin color, the people they love, their profession or their politics. We work for a world that affirms the inherent worth and dignity of every person on our planet and assures basic human rights for everyone, everywhere. Like Nachshon standing at the shore of the Red Sea, we are not waiting for a miracle but rather proceeding with faith that G-d will support us and give us the strength and resolve to work together to heal the world.
We close our Seder by saying, "L'Shanah Haba'ah B'Yerushalyim", which means "Next Year in Jerusalem." For centuries, this declaration expressed the Jewish people's goal to return to our homeland. Even after the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, these words still resonate with us. We all have our own personal aspirations and dreams that we are striving for. As we conclude our Seder, may we have the strength and the will to continue working toward our personal Jerusalem and toward a world where all people will live in shalom -- peace, safety and freedom.
This concluding clip is important as it ends off Passover with a message, "remember that working against oppression in the world is our never-ending responsibility." This basically means it's our responsibility to go against people's impressions of you and we go towards our dignity as a person. At the bottom, they mention Jerusalem resembling every person's aspirations and dreams, so may one day everyone find their Jerusalem. I think this clip is arguably the most important clip, as it's very important to end Passover with a meaningful message, push through oppression and find your Jerusalem.
At Passover, we receive a personal directive to create an inclusive and welcoming community. Even when we intend to be welcoming, many in our community still feel like strangers. The things that divide us — race, ethnicity, gender, class, religion, among others — also have the power to unite us. During the Seder, we are each meant to remember that we ourselves were once strangers in a strange land. If the Jewish community is to be a home for all, we must make room at the table and share our stories. We hope this supplement will inspire thought, conversation and action; each and every one of us can be the welcome that another needs.
This short supplement can be inserted after the Maggid or beginning of the Passover Story: "This is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat; whoever is in need, let him come and conduct the Seder of Passover. This year [we are] here; next year in the land of Israel. This year [we are] slaves; next year [we will be] free people."
Leader: At the start of the Seder, Jews around the world welcome all those who want to join us at our tables, in our homes, and in our community.
Leader: We welcome Jews of all ethnic backgrounds to join us at our table;
All: There are many ways to express and celebrate Jewish traditions.
Leader: We welcome Jews of all races to join us at our table;
All: We learn and grow from many points of view.
Leader: We welcome those who have chosen Judaism to join us at our table;
All: New enthusiasm and energy revitalizes the Jewish people.
Leader: We welcome all those exploring or connected to Judaism to join us at our table;
All: A variety of experiences and understandings strengthen the Jewish people.
Leader: We welcome those of other faiths or traditions to join us at our table;
All: We know that sharing our stories will help build a future of freedom.
All: We welcome all who have ever felt like strangers to our table. Tonight we go forth together for we are all strangers in Egypt.
Optional discussion question - Share a time when you felt like an outsider but were actively welcomed into a new community or space. How did that happen? How did it make you feel?
Download here:https://globaljews.org/resources/publications/welcoming-all-an-inclusive-passover-reading/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZgDNPGZ9Sg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbKfFuO-TCo
