This may take up to thirty seconds.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome to the Hammarskjöld Seder for Refugees!
At the seder, traditionally held on the first two nights of Passover (but in this case held on the sixth night), we celebrate the Hebrews’ exodus from slavery in Egypt.
Despite predating modern Judaism, the Exodus story is fundamentally the story of the Jewish people. Its themes crop up again and again throughout Jewish history. It is a story of resilience, of resisting genocide, of actively seeking liberation and venturing forth into the unknown to achieve it.
These themes are at the heart of Jewish celebrations. During Purim we celebrate Esther for thwarting an attempt to exterminate the Jews of Persia. During Chanukah we celebrate the Maccabees for their successful resistance to a colonial regime that criminalized the practice of our religion.
Since ancient times, the success stories of Passover, Purim, and Chanukah have kept us going, as the holidays’ themes have continued to be all too relevant. Genocide and exodus, migration and hope for new beginnings: these crop up again and again throughout the narrative arc of our history, from the Spanish Inquisition, Russian pogroms, and the Holocaust to a wide range of lesser-known events across the globe.
Today, the world is experiencing the largest refugee crisis since the 1940s. As we celebrate our own Exodus story, it is essential that we keep in mind the 65 million displaced people whose exodus stories are ongoing. The Jewish people have always been a refugee people. During Passover and throughout the year, we remember to welcome the stranger, for we were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Throughout our history, violence and persecution have driven the Jewish people to wander in search of a safe place to call home. We are a refugee people. At the Passover Seder, we gather to retell the story of our original wandering and the freedom we found. But we do not just retell the story. We are commanded to imagine ourselves as though we, personally, went forth from Egypt – to imagine the experience of being victimized because of who we are, of being enslaved, and of being freed.
As we step into this historical experience, we cannot help but draw to mind the 65 million displaced people and refugees around the world today fleeing violence and persecution, searching for protection. Like our ancestors, today’s refugees experience displacement, uncertainty, lack of resources, and the complete disruption of their lives.
Over the past year, we have read almost daily about humanitarian crises, watched xenophobic hate crimes increase, and been overwhelmed by the sheer number of people being persecuted. In the United States, in particular, we have experienced a devastating closing of doors to refugees. We now have the opportunity this evening to move beyond the headlines and the statistics to focus on the individual experiences behind the numbers and policies. These are the experiences of refugees around the world who, like the ancient Israelites, are finding liberation amidst brokenness and rebuilding their lives. Tonight, as we embrace the experience of our ancestors, we also lift up the experiences of the world’s refugees who still wander in search of safety and freedom.
The Seder Plate
The items on the Seder Plate remind us of different aspects of the Passover story.
Maror (Horseradish) reminds us of the bitterness of our slavery in Egypt and the bitterness in all the lives of those who are still not free.
Charoset (mixture of fruit, nuts, wine, and spices) represents the mortar we used for construction as slaves in Egypt.
Karpas (parsley) represents the spring, a time of renewal.
Beitzah (egg/tofu) represents hope for a new life after liberation.
Zeroah (shankbone/beet) represents the sacrifices that must be made to achieve liberation.
The orange is a relatively new addition to the Seder Plate, which is included in many seders precisely because it is untraditional. Adding it to the Seder Plate represents welcoming in new people, and actively including those who have historically been left out.
Matzah
Matzah is the unleavened bread we eat to remind us that when we freed ourselves from slavery, we left in such a hurry that we did not have time to allow our bread dough to rise.
The seder officially begins with a physical act: lighting the candles. In Jewish tradition, lighting candles and saying a blessing over them marks a time of transition, from the day that is ending to the one that is beginning, from ordinary time to sacred time. Lighting the candles is an important part of our Passover celebration because their flickering light reminds us of the importance of keeping the fragile flame of freedom alive in the world.
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 light the festival candles, we acknowledge that as they brighten our Passover table, good thoughts, good words, and good deeds brighten our days.
I will free you...
As we remember our own liberation from bondage in Egypt, we express gratitude for the ability to work as God’s partners in continued and continual redemption for today’s refugees. As our wine cups overflow in this moment of joy, we hold out hope for the day when every person in search of refuge in every corner of the earth can recall a story of freedom, reflect on a journey to security from violence and persecution and no longer yearn for a safe place to call home. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, who frees those who are oppressed.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.
Blessed are You, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Long before the struggle upward begins,
There is a tremor in the seed.
Self-protection cracks,
Roots reach down and grab hold.
The seed swells, and tender shoots push up toward light.
This is karpas : Spring awakening growth.
A force so tough it can break stone.
And why do we dip karpas into saltwater?—
to remember the sweat and tears of our ancestors in bondage.
We pray that the people of Syria and suffering people everywhere will soon enjoy a new season of growth and prosperity, guided by the healing lights of justice and equality.
We dip the parsley in the saltwater, recite a blessing, and eat the greens.
Blessed are You Eternal One, Sovereign of the World, Who creates the fruit of the earth.
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha-olam, Borei p'ri ha-adamah
Take the middle matzah of the three on your Seder plate. Break it into two pieces. Wrap the larger piece, the Afikoman, in a napkin to be hidden later. As you hold up the remaining smaller piece, read these words together:
We now hold up this broken matzah, which so clearly can never be repaired. We eat the smaller part while the larger half remains out of sight and out of reach for now. We begin by eating this bread of affliction and, then, only after we have relived the journey through slavery and the exodus from Egypt, do we eat the Afikoman, the bread of our liberation. We see that liberation can come from imperfection and fragmentation. Every day, refugees across the globe experience the consequences of having their lives ruptured, and, yet, they find ways to pick up the pieces and forge a new, if imperfect, path forward.
Pour the second glass of wine for everyone.
The Haggadah doesn’t tell the story of Passover in a linear fashion. We don’t hear of Moses being found by the daughter of Pharaoh – actually, we don’t hear much of Moses at all. Instead, we get an impressionistic collection of songs, images, and stories of both the Exodus from Egypt and from Passover celebrations through the centuries. Some say that minimizing the role of Moses keeps us focused on the miracles God performed for us. Others insist that we keep the focus on the role that every member of the community has in bringing about positive change.
no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city running as well.
your neighbors running faster than you
breath bloody in their throats
the boy you went to school with
who kissed you dizzy behind the old tin factory
is holding a gun bigger than his body
you only leave home
when home won’t let you stay.
no one leaves home unless home chases you
fire under feet
hot blood in your belly
it’s not something you ever thought of doing
until the blade burnt threats into
your neck
and even then you carried the anthem under
your breath
only tearing up your passport in an airport toilets
sobbing as each mouthful of paper
made it clear that you wouldn’t be going back.
you have to understand,
that no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land.
no one burns their palms
under trains
beneath carriages
no one spends days and nights in the stomach of a truck
feeding on newspaper unless the miles travelled
means something more than journey.
no one crawls under fences
no one wants to be beaten
pitied
no one chooses refugee camps
or strip searches where your
body is left aching
or prison,
because prison is safer
than a city of fire
and one prison guard
in the night
is better than a truckload
of men who look like your father
no one could take it
no one could stomach it
no one skin would be tough enough
the
go home blacks
refugees
dirty immigrants
asylum seekers
sucking our country dry
niggers with their hands out
they smell strange
savage
messed up their country and now they want
to mess ours up
how do the words
the dirty looks
roll off your backs
maybe because the blow is softer
than a limb torn off
or the words are more tender
than fourteen men between
your legs
or the insults are easier
to swallow
than rubble
than bone
than your child body
in pieces.
i want to go home,
but home is the mouth of a shark
home is the barrel of the gun
and no one would leave home
unless home chased you to the shore
unless home told you
to quicken your legs
leave your clothes behind
crawl through the desert
wade through the oceans
drown
save
be hunger
beg
forget pride
your survival is more important
no one leaves home until home is a sweaty voice in your ear
saying-
leave,
run away from me now
i dont know what i’ve become
but i know that anywhere
is safer than here
We open the main portion of our seder with a time for questions. The following song asks four questions on the theme of How is this night different from all other nights? It is traditionally sung by the youngest child at the seder, who presumably has the least prior Passover experience and thus the most questions about the holiday. Because many of us here today have never attended a seder before, we will all sing the song together.
After we answer the questions posed in the song, we invite everyone to ask any questions they have about Passover or the Seder.
Maggid – Four Questions
מַהנִּשְּׁתַּנָה
מַה נִּשְּׁתַּנָה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת?
Mah nish-ta-na ha-lai-lah ha-zeh mikol ha-lei-lot?
Why is this night of Passover different from all other nights of the year?
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה - כּוּלוֹ מַצָּה.
She-b'chol ha-lei-lot anu och'lin cha-meitz u-matzah. Ha-laylah hazeh kulo matzah.
On all other nights, we eat either leavened or unleavened bread, why on this night do we eat only matzah?
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת, - הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מָרוֹר.
Sheb'chol ha-lei-lot anu och'lin sh'ar y'rakot. Ha-lai-lah h-azeh maror.
On all other nights, we eat vegetables of all kinds, why on this night must we eat bitter herbs?
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אֶנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת, - הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים.
Sheb'chol ha-lei-lot ein anu mat-beelin afee-lu pa-am echat.Ha-lai-lah hazeh sh'tei p'ameem.
On all other nights, we do not dip vegetables even once, why on this night do we dip greens into salt water and bitter herbs into sweet haroset?
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין, - הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלָנו מְסֻבִּין
Sheb’khol ha-lei-lot anu och-leem bein yo-shveen u-vein m’su-been, ha-lailah hazeh kulanu m’subeen.
On all other nights, everyone sits up straight at the table, why on this night do we recline and eat at leisure?
Answers to Four Questions
Matzah
We eat matzah, the bread of affliction, to remind us that when we fled slavery in Egypt, we left too hastily for our bread to rise.
Bitter herbs
We eat bitter herbs ( maror ) to remind us of the bitterness of slavery.
Dipping vegetables twice
We dip the karpas in salt water to remind us of the tears we shed as slaves in Egypt, and we dip into charoset to remind us of the mortar we built with as slaves.
Reclining
We recline to celebrate our freedom! (today we're actually just sitting in chairs like usual, but we can pretend)
Additional Questions?
If anyone has any questions they would like to ask about the seder or Passover more broadly, please ask them now!
WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT THIS AS A JEW? The Jewish people has been a refugee people since biblical times. In the United States, we know the devastating consequences of turning away refugees. Less than a century ago, refugees fleeing the Holocaust were marked as security threats to the U.S., denied entry, and sent back to Europe to be brutally murdered. Furthermore, the value of welcoming, protecting, and loving the stranger appears in the Torah 36 times according to the Talmud – more than any other value.
ARE REFUGEES A SECURITY THREAT? Refugees complete extensive security and medical screenings more rigorous than those for any other entrant to America – involving 5 U.S. government agencies – before they step foot on American soil. No person admitted through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program has ever been implicated in a major fatal terrorist attack in the United States.
WHY DOES THE UNITED STATES NEED TO WELCOME REFUGEES? CAN’T OTHER COUNTRIES DO IT? When the U.S. welcomes refugees, the rest of the nations of the world follow suit. Other countries are also doing their part. Millions of refugees first flee to and make a life in the countries closest to them. For example, Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey have all taken in millions of Syrian refugees.
AREN’T REFUGEES A DRAIN ON OUR ECONOMY? WHO IS GOING TO PAY FOR HELPING THEM? Refugees pay taxes, get jobs, and start businesses; they contribute much more to our economy than they take from it. According to one study, in Cleveland, local refugee services agencies spent about $4.8 million in 2012 to help refugees get established, but the boon to the economy generated by those refugees weighed in at about $48 million, roughly 10 times the initial resettlement costs.
BUT AREN’T MANY OF THESE REFUGEES ANTI-SEMITIC? Many refugees arriving in the United States have never met Jews before. The welcome they receive from Jewish organizations, individuals, and congregations combats anti-Semitism that may exist, breaks down their assumptions, and helps them more quickly become part of the diverse fabric of this country. Additionally, all refugees resettled in the U.S. receive mandatory cultural orientation helping them embrace their new multi-faith, multi-ethnic nation. Finally, we should not be a people who withhold refuge based on religion.
Traditionally, at this point in the seder, we discuss the four types of children—wise, wicked, simple, and the one who does not know how to ask—and the ways in which we should respond to their questions about Passover. Today we will use a modified version of this, adapted from a American Jewish World Service's Global Justice Haggadah.
At Passover, we are confronted with the stories of our ancestors’ pursuit of liberation from oppression. When confronting this history, how do we answer our children when they ask us how to pursue justice in our time?
The activist child asks, “The Torah tells me, ‘Justice, justice shall you pursue,’ but how can I pursue justice?”
Empower this child always 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.”
The skeptical child asks, “How could I solve problems of such enormity? What's the point in even trying?”
Encourage this child by explaining that they need not solve the problems, they must only do what they are capable of doing. As we read in Pirke Avot, “It is not your responsibility to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.”
The indifferent child asks, "These problems aren't my fault, and they aren't affecting me, so why should I care?"
Persuade this child 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.”
The uninformed child does not know enough to ask.
Teach this child about our people’s history and the Jewish value of tikkun olam, repairing the world. Talk with them about modern social justice issues and teach them how to educate themselves further on those issues.
At this season of liberation, join us in working for the liberation of all people. Let us respond to our children’s questions with action and justice.
Our story begins with the immigration of a small group of Israelites to Egypt to escape a famine in Canaan. Within a few generations, their population had expanded, and a new pharaoh came to power who felt threatened by the prosperity of this minority group. To keep this group from becoming too powerful, and to provide Egypt with cheap labor, Pharaoh enslaved the entire Israelite population, who suffered bitterly.
To prevent the Israelite population from expanding further, Pharaoh ordered the killing of all newborn Jews whose bodies were deemed by the state to be male. One Jewish mother, in a desperate attempt to save her child, set him adrift in a basket in the Nile, where he was found by Pharaoh’s daughter. She adopted him and named him Moses (meaning “drawn from the water”).
Years later, Moses came upon an Egyptian overseer beating an Israelite. Outraged, Moses slew the Egyptian, but then fled Egypt for fear that his action would be discovered. Following his escape, Moses settled down in a new community and worked as a shepherd. While herding sheep, he came upon a burning bush that was not consumed by the flames. G-d’s voice came forth from the bush, commanding Moses to go back and lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
Moses went to Pharaoh and demanded the release of the Israelites. Pharaoh repeatedly said no--nine times. Each time he said no, another plague (blood, frogs, lice, wild animals, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts and darkness) struck Egypt. Finally, God struck dead all the Egyptian first born. After this final tenth plague, Pharaoh finally said “yes” and the Israelites left Egypt.
Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his army to chase the Israelites, who were soon trapped between the Egyptian army and the Sea of Reeds. But the Sea miraculously split and they crossed safely while the Egyptian soldiers drowned in the returning waters.
We've been dealing with some heavy topics in this seder, and there is more of that to come, so now seems like a good time for something a bit more fun and lighthearted. No, it's not time for the food yet (keep nibbling on that parsley). It's also not yet time for the second glass of wine/EANAB (although it's coming up—pour yourself a glass now so you're ready).
It's time for us to sing a children's Passover song! (This is what happens when you let a preschool teacher design your seder). This song is about the second of the ten plagues—the frogs!
One morning when Pharaoh awoke in his bed
There were frogs in his bed and frogs on his head!
Frogs on his nose and frogs on his toes,
Frogs here, frogs there, frogs were jumping everywhere!
(Chords: D A / A D / D A / A A7 A A7 A D)
A full cup of wine is a symbol of joy. Because the Egyptians suffered under the ten plagues, our joy is diminished. As we recite each plague, dip a finger in your wine glass and spill a drop of wine onto a plate or napkin. Traditionally, we do not lick our finger afterwards, as these drops of red wine symbolize the blood that was shed during the process of liberation (so licking them would be kind of messed up).
After you pour out a drop of wine for each of the ten plagues that Egypt suffered, we invite you to then pour out drops of wine for ten modern plagues afflicting refugee communities worldwide and in the United States. After you have finished reciting the plagues, choose a few of the expanded descriptions to read aloud.
1. Violence 2. Dangerous journeys 3. Poverty 4. Food insecurity 5. Lack of access to education 6. Xenophobia 7. Anti-refugee legislation 8. Language barriers 9. Workforce discrimination 10. Loss of family
Violence
Most refugees initially flee home because of violence that may include sexual and gender-based violence, abduction, or torture. The violence grows as the conflicts escalate. Unfortunately, many refugees become victims once again in their countries of first asylum. A 2013 study found that close to 80% of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) living in Kampala, Uganda had experienced sexual and gender-based violence either in the DRC or in Uganda.
Dangerous Journeys
Forced to flee their home due to violence and persecution, refugees may make the dangerous journey to safety on foot, by boat, in the back of crowded vans, or riding on the top of train cars. Over the last two years, the United States has seen record numbers of unaccompanied minors fleeing violence in Central America. Many of these children have survived unimaginably arduous journeys, surviving abduction, abuse, and rape. Erminia, age 15, came to the United States from El Salvador two years ago. As she walked through the Texas desert, her shoes fell apart and she spent three days and two nights walking in only her socks. “There were so many thorns,” she recalls, “and I had to walk without shoes. The entire desert.”
Lack of access to education
Though the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees affirms that the right to education applies to refugees, a recent education assessment found that 80% of Syrian refugee children in Lebanon were not in school.4 Research shows that refugee children face far greater language barriers and experience more discrimination in school settings than the rest of the population. Muna, 17, a Syrian refugee living in Jordan, who dropped out of school, said, “We can’t get educated at the cost of our self-respect.”
Loss of Family
It is not uncommon for refugees to lose multiple immediate family members in the violent conflicts that cause them to flee home. These losses, as well as the fact that they may become separated from their family members during flight, can have major consequences on the family structure. Paola7, a refugee living in Jaque, Panama8 explains, “Fifteen years ago, paramilitaries invaded my community in Jurado, Colombia. The group began to massacre the locals, forcing many of us to flee our lifelong homes. I escaped across the border to Panama. Before the massacre, I had five children. Two of them died in the violence, and I don’t know anything about the remaining three, who all left the community many years ago. I am now 62 years old. I have two young grandchildren for whom I am the sole caretaker and provider.”
Xenophobia
Just as a 1939 poll from the American Institute of Public Opinion found that more than 60% of Americans opposed bringing Jewish refugees to the United States in the wake of World War II, today we still see heightened xenophobia against refugees. This fear can manifest through workplace discrimination, bias attacks against Muslim refugees, and anti-refugee legislation. In recent months, there has been a frightening surge in anti-refugee sentiment here in the United States, a trend we expect will grow in the months to come.
from the HIAS Seder Supplement http://www.hias.org/passover2016-supplement
Just as we remember all of the times throughout history when the nations of the world shut their doors on Jews fleeing violence and persecution in their homelands, so, too, do we remember with gratitude the bravery of those who took us in during our times of need — the Ottoman Sultan who welcomed Spanish Jews escaping the Inquisition, Algerian Muslims who protected Jews during pogroms in the French Pied -Noir, and the righteous gentiles hiding Jews in their homes during World War II. In the midst of the current global refugee crisis, we aspire to stand on the right side of history as we ask our own government to take a leadership role in protecting the world’s most vulnerable refugees. May we find the bravery to open up our nation and our hearts to those who are in need. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, who delivers those in search of safety.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.
Blessed are You, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
"Dayenu," Hebrew for "It would have been enough for us," is a song of gratitude for our liberation. The full song has many verses, but for the sake of time we will sing three of them tonight.
Ilu ho-tsi, ho-tsi-a-nu,
Ho-tsi-a-nu mi-Mitz-ra-yim,
Ho-tsi-a-nu mi-Mitz-ra-yim, Da-ye-nu!
CHORUS: Dai, da-ye-nu, Dai, da-ye-nu,
Dai, da-ye-nu, Da-ye-nu da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu! (x2)
Ilu na-tan, na-tan la-nu,
Na-tan la-nu et-ha-Sha-bat,
Na-tan la-nu et-ha-Sha-bat, Da-ye-nu! (CHORUS)
Ilu na-tan, na-tan la-nu,
Na-tan la-nu et-ha-To-rah,
Na-tan la-nu et-ha-To-rah, Da-ye-nu! (CHORUS)
[Verses: C G7 C G7 – C G7 C G7 – C G7 C F – C/G G7 C]
[Chorus: C G7 G7 C]
[Everyone read the bolded text together]
If G-d had brought us out of Egypt but not given us Shabbat, it would have been enough.
If G-d had given us Shabbat but not given us the Torah, it would have been enough.
If G-d had given us the Torah but not brought us into the land of Israel, it would have been enough.
We take the uppermost Matzah and break it into pieces and distribute it to each participant at our Seder.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheynu Melech Ha’Olam Ha’Motzi Lechem Min Ha’Aretz.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, Who brings forth sustenance from the Earth.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָּה
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheynu Melech Ha’Olam
Asher Kidshanu Bemitzvotav Ve-Tzivanu Al Achilat Matzah.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who sanctifies us with commandments, and commands us to eat Matzah.
We now eat the maror (bitter herbs or horseradish) to remind us of the bitterness of slavery.
Put some maror on your matzah as we recite this blessing together.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מָרוֹר
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheynu Melech Ha’Olam
Asher Kidshanu Bemitzvotav Ve-Tzivanu Al Achilat Maror.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe,
who sanctifies us with commandments, and commands us to eat Maror.
We now take some maror and charoset and put them between two pieces of matzah and give the sandwich to the person on our left.
In combining maror with charoset, we recall our sage Hillel (head of the supreme council of Yisrael, 1st century B.C.E.) who, in remembrance of the loss of the Temple, created the Korech sandwich. He said that by eating the Korech, we would taste the bitterness of slavery mixed with the sweetness of freedom. This practice suggests that part of the challenge of living is to taste freedom even in the midst of oppression, and to be ever conscious of the oppression of others even when we feel that we are free.
If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
But if I am for myself only, what am I?
And if not now, when?
-- Hillel
And if not with others, how? -- Adrienne Rich
.
Eating the meal! | shulchan oreich | שֻׁלְחָן עוֹרֵךְ
Enjoy! But don’t forget when you’re done we’ve got a little more seder to go, including the final two cups of wine!
All menu items are vegan.
Homemade matzah
Apple charoset with EANAC option (Ashkenazi)
Date charoset (Sephardic)
Persian charoset (Persian)
Tofus Haminados (adapted from a Sephardic egg recipe)
Matzah ball soup (Ashkenazi)
Fattet Makdous — Syrian eggplant with lentils and tahini (Sephardic)
Spinach with Pine Nuts & Raisins, but pine nuts are expensive so we used almonds (Sicilian/Roman/Venetian)
Sabzi Piyoz — Carrots & Onions (Bukharan)
Ashkenazim—Historically Yiddish-speaking (Judeo-German) Jews of Central and Eastern Europe
Sephardim—Historically Ladino-speaking (Judeo-Spanish) Jews whose ancestors fled the Spanish Inquisition, resettling mostly in North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeastern Europe
Bukharan—Historically Bukhori-speaking (Judeo-Tajik) Jews from Central Asia
Emboldened to welcome refugees into our communities, may we remember that true welcome is not completed upon a person’s safe arrival in our country but in all the ways we help people to rebuild their lives. As God provided for our needs on the long journey from slavery to the Promised Land, let us give the refugees in our communities the tools they need not just to survive but to thrive: safe homes to settle into, quality education for their children, English language tutoring, access to jobs, and all of the things we would want for ourselves and our families. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, who gives us the opportunity to be your partner in ongoing redemption.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.
Blessed are You, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
If time allows, we'll sing some songs now before we conclude with our final cup of wine! Song lyrics are at the end of the Haggadah.
When we rise up from our Seder tables, let us commit ourselves to stamping out xenophobia and hatred in every place that it persists. Echoing God’s words when God said, “I take you to be my people,” let us say to those who seek safety in our midst, “we take you to be our people.” May we see past difference and dividing lines and remember, instead, that we were all created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God. May we see welcoming the stranger at our doorstep not as a danger but as an opportunity – to provide safe harbor to those seeking refuge from oppression and tyranny, to enrich the fabric of our country and to live out our Jewish values in action. Blessed are You, Adonai Our God, who has created us all in Your image.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.
Blessed are You, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
The Cup of Elijah
We now refill our wine glasses one last time and open the front door to invite the prophet Elijah to join our seder.
In the Bible, Elijah was a fierce defender of God to a disbelieving people. At the end of his life, rather than dying, he was whisked away to heaven. Tradition holds that he will return in advance of messianic days to herald a new era of peace, so we set a place for Elijah at many joyous, hopeful Jewish occasions, such as a baby’s bris and the Passover seder.
אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַנָּבִיא, אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּיאֵלִיָּֽהוּ, אֵלִיָּֽהוּ,אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַגִּלְעָדִי
בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵֽנוּ יָבוֹא אֵלֵֽינוּ
עִם מָשִֽׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד
עִם מָשִֽׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד
Eliyahu hanavi
Eliyahu hatishbi
Eliyahu, Eliyahu, Eliyahu hagiladi
Bimheirah b’yameinu, yavo eileinu
Im mashiach ben-David,
Im mashiach ben-David
Elijah the prophet, the returning, the man of Gilad:
return to us speedily,
in our days with the messiah,
son of David.
We drink four cups for four promises fulfilled.
The first cup as God said, “I will free you from the labors of the Egyptians.”
The second as God said, “And I will deliver you from their bondage.”
The third as God said, “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.”
The fourth because God said, “I will take you to be My People.”
We know, though, that all are not yet free. As we welcome Elijah the Prophet into our homes, we offer a fifth cup, a cup not yet consumed.
A fifth cup for the 60 million refugees and displaced people around the world still waiting to be free— from the refugee camps in Chad to the cities and towns of Ukraine, for the Syrian refugees still waiting to be delivered from the hands of tyrants, for the thousands of asylum seekers in the United States still waiting in detention for redemption to come, for all those who yearn to be taken in not as strangers but as fellow human beings.
This Passover, let us walk in the footsteps of the One who delivered us from bondage. When we rise from our Seder tables, may we be emboldened to take action on behalf of the world’s refugees, hastening Elijah’s arrival as we speak out on behalf of those who are not yet free.
Leader:
At the beginning of the Passover Seder, we are commanded to consider ourselves as though we, too, had gone out from Egypt. At the end of the Seder (and once in the middle) – we say the words, “Next year in Jerusalem” to recognize that, just as redemption came for our ancestors, so, too, will redemption come for us in this generation. For those of us fortunate enough to have a roof over our heads, we may understand these words to mean that the parts of us that feel adrift will find steady footing. However, for the world’s 65 million displaced people and refugees, these words can be a literal message of hope that they will be able to rebuild their lives in a safe place.
Reader:
After experiencing unimaginable trauma and often making harrowing journeys out of danger, refugees across the United States are finding liberation after oppression. For Mohammad Ay Toghlo and his wife, Eidah Al Suleiman, the dream of “Next year in Jerusalem” has become a reality in Buffalo, New York. After war came to their village outside Damascus, they witnessed the murder of their pregnant daughter and the kidnapping of their son. They sold their car to pay a large ransom and then ultimately escaped to Lebanon. After a lengthy vetting process, Mohammed, Eidah, and their youngest son, Najati, received word they would be resettled by HIAS through the Jewish Family Service of Buffalo. Mohammed says that, when he found out, he thought he was dreaming because “the United States is such a big thing for us that I don’t even see that in my dreams; I was so happy.” Najati is learning English and enrolled in school, and he says that, when he finds himself on the street on the way to school or to an appointment and he needs assistance, people go out of their way to communicate with him and help, even reading his body language to try to understand what he needs. While the family’s move is bittersweet because their oldest son, daughter-in- law, and grandchildren remain in Lebanon and they worry constantly about their safety, Najati says that, here, in the United States, “wherever we go, we nd helpful, loving people.” As he settles into his new life here, Najati made a drawing to express his gratitude for the opportunities that the Jewish Family Service of Buffalo and the United States government have provided him and his family. The drawing expresses thanks to the United States and features a large Jewish star, surrounded by the phrase “Thank you, Jewish Family” in Arabic. The family’s life in Buffalo is not free from di culty, but they are beginning to pick up the broken pieces of the trauma they have experienced to fulfill new hopes and new dreams here in America.
Group:
As we now end the Seder, let us pass around a 5th cup into which we will each pour a drop of wine as we express our prayers for the world’s refugees.
Pass an empty wine glass around the Seder table and have everyone add a drop of wine from their cup into this new cup. After everyone has added some wine to this 5th cup, read this blessing aloud together:
Tonight we honor the strength and resilience of refugees across the globe. We commit ourselves to ensuring that our country remains open to them, to supporting them as they rebuild their lives, and to championing their right for protection. Just as our own people now eat the bread of liberation, we pray that today’s refugees will fulfill their dreams of rebuilding their lives in safety and freedom in the year to come.
Blessed are all those who yearn to be free. Blessed are we who commit ourselves to their freedom. Blessed are You, Adonai Our God, source of strength and liberation.
This concludes our Hammarskjöld Refugee Seder. We would like to thank Hillel and the Jewish Social Justice Collective for their support. We would also like to thank HIAS, the Jewish refugee agency, for developing refugee-related haggadah supplements that formed the backbone of this seder. Please see the next page of this haggadah for more information on HIAS and on how you can help refugees.
We also have a lot of dishes that need cleaning! When you leave, please don't forget to hash your personal dishes, and if everyone could also hash an additional item or two it would be greatly appreciated!
We hope you are inspired to take action on behalf of refugees after tonight’s Seder and will become part of the Jewish response to the global refugee crisis at this critical moment in history.
Add your voice and advocate for the most needed reforms in American and international policy to protect all refugees at www.hias.org/take-action.
Call your elected officials to tell them that you support refugees and ask them to act to ensure that refugees are welcomed and protected in the United States. Instructions and script at the link below.
Ask your synagogue to join the hundreds of synagogues stepping up for refugees through HIAS’ Welcome Campaign at www.hias.org/hias-welcome-campaign.
Educate yourself and others using HIAS’ FAQs, fact sheets, holiday resources, Jewish sources, and more on www.hias.org/resources.
Volunteer locally with refugees in your community.
Donate to support HIAS’ vital work helping refugees rebuild their lives in the U.S. and around the world. Visit hias.org/helprefugees for more information about all of these ways to help refugees.
Music by Debbie Friedman
Chorus:
And the women dancing with their timbrels,
Followed Miriam as she sang her song,
Sing a song to the One whom we've exalted,
Miriam and the women danced and danced the whole night long
And Miriam was a weaver of unique variety
The tapestry she wove was one which sang our history.
With every strand and every thread she crafted her delight!
A woman touched with spirit, she dances toward the light
And the women...
When Miriam stood upon the shores and gazed across the sea
The wonder of this miracle she soon came to believe.
Whoever thought the sea would part with an outstretched hand
And we would pass to freedom and march to the promised land!
And the women...
And Miriam the prophet took her timbrel in her hand,
And all the women followed her just as she had planned,
And Miriam raised her voice in song-
She sang with praise and might
We've just lived through a miracle: We're going to dance tonight!!
And the women...
CHORUS: Pharaoh, Pharaoh, whoa baby, let my people go! (2x)
A burnin' bush told me just the other day
That I should go to Egypt and say,
"It's time to let my people be free -
Listen to God if you won't listen to me!"
CHORUS
Well me and and my people goin' to the Red Sea,
With Pharaoh's best army comin' after me.
I took my staff, stuck it in the stand,
And all of God's people walked on dry land.
Singin...
CHORUS
Now Pharaoh's army was a-comin' too,
So whattaya think that God did do?
Had me take my staff and clear my throat,
And all of Pharaoh's army wished they had a boat.
CHORUS
Well that's the story of the stubborn goat.
Pharaoh should've know that chariots don't float.
The lesson is simple, it's easy to find,
When God says, "GO!" you had better mind!
"Go Down Moses" was first sung in the 1850s by enslaved and formerly enslaved African Americans. The Exodus story was a source of inspiration to America's enslaved people and was often applied symbolically to emancipation from slavery. For instance, Harriet Tubman, who personally guided over 70 enslaved people to freedom and helped them escape to Canada as refugees, was known as the Moses of her people. As we sing this song, we remember the ways in which the Passover story has inspired past liberation movements and contemplate the ways in which it can inspire such movements today.
CHORDS
Verse: Em B7 EM (x4)
Chorus: Em Am7 B7 Em (x2)
1. When Israel was in Egypt's land,
let my people go;
oppressed so hard they could not stand,
let my people go.
Refrain:
Go down, (go down) Moses, (Moses)
way down in Egypt's land;
tell old Pharaoh
to let my people go!
2. "Thus spoke the Lord," bold Moses said,
let my people go;
"if not, I'll smite your first-born dead,"
let my people go.
(Refrain)
3. No more shall they in bondage toil,
let my people go;
let them come out with Egypt's spoil,
let my people go.
(Refrain)
4. We need not always weep and mourn,
let my people go;
and wear those slavery chains forlorn,
let my people go.
(Refrain)
