I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free... so other people would be also free.
-Rosa Parks

We have come together this evening for many reasons. We are here because Spring is all around, the Earth is reborn, and it is a good time to celebrate with family and friends. We are here because we are Jews and friends of Jews. We are here to honor the Jewish nation’s deep historic roots and its old important memories.

We are here to remember the old story of the liberation of the ancient Hebrews from slavery in Egypt – a great struggle for freedom and dignity. We are here because the struggle for human freedom never stops. We are here to remember all people – Jews and non-Jews – who are still struggling for their freedom.

Let us sing: HEE-NAY MA TOV

Hee-nay ma tov oo-ma na-yeem

She-vet a-kheem gam ya-khad.

Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to live together in unity!

The celebration of Passover represents the perennial rebirth and survival of the Jewish people and the world of nature. The light of these candles symbolizes a renewal of life, a reaffirmation of freedom.

Light candles.

Let us sing the Song of Light: Ba-Rookh Ha-or Ba-Olam

Ba-rookh ha-or ba-o-lam. 

Ba-rookh ha-or ba-a-dam. 

Ba-rookh ha-or ba-pe-sakh. 

Ba-rookh ha-toov ba-o-lam. 

Ba-rookh ha-toov ba-a-dam. 

Ba-rookh ha-toov ba-pe-sakh. 

Precious is the light of the world.

Precious is the light of humankind.

Precious is the light of Passover.

Precious is the goodness of the world.

Precious is the goodness of humankind.

Precious is the goodness of Passover.

Let us all fill our glasses with wine... Spring is the season of new growth and new life. Every living thing must either grow, or die.

Our bodies grow taller. Our minds and hearts growwhenwe learn new things.

Let us raise our cups in gratitude for life and forgrowing.

Together we say:

Na-eem ha-kha-yeem ba-olam  

Na-eem ha-kha-yeem ba-adam

We are awed by all life in the world.

How beautiful is the life of human beings!

Let us all now drink the first cup of wine.

Song: Heyveynu shalom aleichem

Heyveynu shalom aleichem

Heyveynu shalom aleichem

Heyveynu shalom aleichem

Heyveynu shalom, shalom, shalom aleichem!

Peace to everyone!

Passover is the celebration of life. The story of the Jewish people is truly a triumph of life. Against the odds of history, the Jewish people have done more than survive - we have changed and grown to each new time, each new place, from the birth of our people to the present day. Even though death has pursued us relentlessly, time and time again, we have chosen to live.

During the many centuries of the Jewish experience, bad memories are softened by the knowledge that the world can also be good. We have endured slavery and humiliation. We have also enjoyed freedom and power. Darkness has been balanced by light. Our forebears traveled the Earth in search of the safety and liberty they knew must exist. We have learned to endure. We have learned to progress.  We are proud survivors. We celebrate how good our lives are and we work to make the world a better place for all people.

ARBA HAKOOSHYOT--THE FOUR QUESTIONS

MA NEESH-TA-NAH HA-LIE-LAH HA-ZEH MEE-KOHL HA-LAY LOHT? Why is this night different from all other nights?

1. SHE-B'-KHOL HA-LAY-LOHT A-NOO O-KH'-LEEN KHA-MAYTZ OO-MA- TSA. HA-LIE-LA HA-ZEH KOO-LOH MA-TSA.? On all other nights we eat either bread or matsah. Why, on this night, do we eat only matsah?

2. SHE-B'-KHOL HA-LAY-LOHT A-NOO O-KH'-LEEN SH'-AR YIH'- RAH- KOHT. HA-LIE-LA HA-ZEH MA-ROR? On all other nights we eat herbs of any kind. Why, on this night, do we eat only bitter herbs?

3. SHE-B'KHOL HA-LAY-LOHT AYN A-NOO MAT-BEE-LEEN AFEE-LOO PA-AM EH-KHAT. HA-LIE-LA HA-ZEH SH'TAY F'-AHMEEM? On all other nights, we do not dip our herbs even once. Why, on this night, do we dip them twice?

4. SHE-B'KHOL HA-LAY-LOHT A-NOO O-KH'-LEEN BAYN YOSH'-VEEN OO-VAYN M'-SOO-BEEN. HA-LIE-LA HA-ZEH KOOLA-NOO M'-SOO-BEEN? On all other nights, we eat either sitting or leaning. Why, on this night, do we eat while leaning?

These are important questions. But before we answer them, let us listen to a story of Jewish hope. The tale of our people'sfirst quest for freedom from slavery in Egypt was written so long ago that no one knows how much of it is fact and how much is fiction. Like all good stories, however, we can learn from the lessons it teaches.

It is written that long ago, during a time of famine, the ancient Israelites traveled to Egypt. According to this legend, the Israelites at that time were all in a single family – Jacob and his children. One of Jacob's sons was Joseph, whose wisdom caused the Pharaoh – the ruler of Egypt – to make him a leader over all the people of Egypt.

But as time passed, another Pharaoh became the ruler of Egypt. He did not remember about Joseph and his wise leadership. This new Pharaoh turned the Israelites into slaves, and burdened them with heavy work and sorrow.

After the Israelites were in Egypt for over 400 years, a man arose among them. He demanded that Pharaoh let his people go! Many times he risked his life to insist on the freedom of his people, until he finally succeeded.

At our Passover Seder, we celebrate the story of Moses and the people he led out of slavery 3000 years ago. We celebrate the struggle of all people to be free. Throughout the centuries, the story of Moses and the exodus from Egypt has inspired Jews and non-Jews in time of persecution and hardship.

Let us remember that the thirst for freedom exists in all people. Many centuries after the time of Moses, African people were brought to America as slaves. These slaves longed for freedom, and they were inspired by the story of Moses and the ancient Israelites. When the Black slaves in America sang "Go Down Moses," they were thinking of their own leaders who were working to end slavery. Let us sing that beautiful song.

GO DOWN MOSES

When Israel was in Egypt land,

Let my people go!

Oppressed so hard they could not stand,

Let my people go!

CHORUS

Go down Moses,

Way down in Egypt land,

Tell old Pharaoh

To let my people go.

When Moses took them from their toil,

Let my people go!

He led them all to freedom's soil

Let my people go!

The freedom we celebrate tonight is not only freedom from slavery. It is also the freedom to live in peace, with dignity and with hope for a bright future. This constant vision has inspired the Jewish people since the ancient times recorded in the Bible.

For many centuries, most Jews lived outside of the land of Israel - from Europe toNorthAfrica to India, where they were often persecuted. Their lives were very hard.

There came a time when many Jewish families heard of a place called America, where they could live without fear. This was the promise that America held out to them and to many other suffering people.

By the thousands, and then by the millions, year after year they crossed a large ocean, enduring the dangers of that long voyage before reaching the shores of America.

Even then for a time they suffered from poverty and homelessness, but because of their perseverance, courage, and skills, they [we] are here tonight celebrating this festival of freedom in a free land.

This evening, as we celebrate this [our own] freedom let us take notice of the struggles toward freedom in many other parts of the world. Let us celebrate all these struggles with our freedom song,

KHEH-ROOT L'YISRAEL.

Kheh-root, kheh-root l-yis-ra-el,

Kheh-root, kheh root la-a-dam.

Kheh-root, kheh root l-yis-ra-el,

Kheh-root, kheh-root la-o-lam.

Freedom for Israel.

Freedom for humankind.

Freedom for the whole world.

Let us all fill our cups with wine.Tonight we drink four cups of the fruit of the vine. There are many explanations for this custom. They represent, some have said, the four corners of the earth, for freedom must live everywhere; the four seasons of the year, for freedom's cycle must last through all the seasons; or the four matriarchs: Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel.

A full cup of wine symbolizes complete happiness. The triumph of Passover, when we escaped from slavery in Egypt, is diminished by the sacrifice of many human lives when ten plagues were visited upon the people of Egypt. In the ancient story, the plagues that befell the Egyptians resulted from the decisions of tyrants, but the greatest suffering occurred among those who had no choice but to follow. It is fitting that we mourn their loss of life, and express our sorrow over their suffering. For as Jews and as Humanists we cannot take joy in the suffering of others. Therefore, let us diminish the wine in our cups as we recall the ten plagues that befell the Egyptian people.

As each plague is named, everyone dips a finger in wine and then touches a plate to remove the drop.

Dahm  - Blood

Ts'far-day-a  - Frogs

Kee-neem  - Gnats

Ah-rov  - Flies

Deh-vehr  - Cattle Disease

Sh'kheen  - Boils

Bah-rahd  - Hail

Ar-beh  - Locusts

Kho-shekh  - Darkness

Ma-kat b'kho-rot  - Death of the Firstborn.

In the same spirit, our celebration today is also shadowed by our awareness of continuing sorrow and oppression in all parts of the world. Ancient plagues are mirrored in modern tragedies.

We are a world people, living in many lands and among many nations. The power of science has shrunk our planet and has made all of us the children of one human family. We are all victims together of enormous social problems. We share in their effects and in the responsibility to overcome them.

As the pain of others diminishes our joys, let us once more diminish the wine of our festival as we repeat the names of these modern plagues:

Hunger

War

Crime

Disease

Racism

Abuse

Poverty

Discrimination

Destruction of the Environment

Indifference to Human Suffering

Let us sing a song expressing our hope for a better world

Y'HEE SHALOM

Y-hee sha-lom to va oo v'ra kha

Hayn, hayn, hayn va khe-sed, khe-sed v'ra-kha-meem

May there be peace, kindness, happiness, and compassion.

The second cup of wine is dedicated not only to the struggles of the Jewish people, but to all people seeking a secure life free of fear and persecution. May all the peoples of the Earth come to enjoy freedom and peace. For, as the prophet Isaiah said: 

They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not take up sword against nation, they shall never again know war. But they shall sit every one under their vines and fig trees, and none shall make them afraid. 

Let us all hold up our glasses of wine.

Na-eem ha-kha-yeem ba-olam 

Na-eem ha-kha-yeem ba-adam

We are awed by all life in the world.

 How beautiful is the life of humankind.

Now let us all drink our second cup of wine.  

Just as the food of our Passover seder nourishes our bodies, our sharing and our reflections at this seder uplift our spirits. Let us celebrate the bounty of our lives by singing our version of that old favorite "DAYENU." 

DAYENU
["Dayenu" means "Enough for us."]

`Im yesh la-nu herute-nu (3x)
dayenu.

Chorus:
Day, day-enu, day, day-enu, day, day-enu, dayenu, dayenu. (repeat)

`Im yesh la-nu simhate-nu (3x)
dayenu.

Chorus

`Im yesh la-nu tiqva-te-nu (3x)
daye-nu.

Chorus

If we have our freedom, it is enough for us.
If we have our happy occasion (our seder), it is enough for us.
If we have our hope, it is enough for us. 

 And now it is time to answer those four questions about what makes this night different from all other nights.

MATZAH--UNLEAVENED BREAD 

MATZAH --Why do we eat matzah? 

Legend has it that when Moses and his followers fled Egypt, they moved so quickly that the bread they baked did not have time to rise.

However, scholars have noted that long before the Jews celebrated Passover, farmers of the Middle East celebrated Khag Ha-matzot, the festival of unleavened bread, at this time of year. This was a festival where unleavened bread was made from the new grain harvest that took place at this time of the year.

The old fermented dough was thrown out so that last year's grain would not be mixed with this year's. Therefore, the new season began with the eating of unleavened bread--matsah. Later on, the Jewish people incorporated this agricultural festival into the celebration of freedom and renewal we now call Passover.

Let us now sing the song about the bread made from the grain that grows out of the earth.

B'ROO-KHA A-DA-MA

B'-roo-kha a-da-ma b'-feer-ya oo-v'too-va.

B'-roo-kha a-da-ma b'-khol ohd teef-ar-ta.

We celebrate the bread of health and goodness

We celebrate the products of the earth.

Let us all now eat a piece of matsah. 

Maror--The Bitter Herb Reader

Maror--Why do we eat maror?

Tradition says that this root is to remind us of the time of our slavery. We force ourselves to taste pain so that we may more readily value pleasure.

Scholars inform us that bitter herbs were eaten at the Spring festival in ancient times. The sharpness of the taste awakened the senses and made the people feel at one with nature's revival. Thus, maror is the stimulus of life, reminding us that struggle is better than the complacent acceptance of injustice.

Let us all now take bitter herb and eat it.

 BEE M'KOM

Bee m'kom she'ayn ana-shim

Hish-ta-dayl l'hiyot ish

Bee m'kom she'ayn ana-shim

Hish-ta-dayl l'hiyot ish

Where people are less than human,

Strive to be human. 

Dipping of the Greens in Salt Water

Salt Water--Why do we dip our food in salt water two times on this night?

The first time, the salty taste reminds us of the tears we cried when we were slaves. The second time, the salt water and the green help us to remember the ocean and green plants and the Earth, from which we get air and water and food that enable us to live. All dip parsley into salt water two times and eat it.

Leaning

Leaning--Why do we eat while leaning on this night?

This question goes back to ancient times in Rome, when it was the custom for rich people to eat while lying on a couch leaning on one elbow as slaves and servants fed them. The Jewish people thought of this relaxed type of eating as a sign of freedom and prosperity, so they would lean to one side eating at the Seder on Passover, the festival of freedom. Today, we who are free eat while sitting up, even at Passover, but the question remains in the service as a reminder of how it was when our people longed for freedom.

More Questions  

We have answered the four traditional questions, but there are still more questions to be answered. There are other special foods on our Seder plate: a sweet condiment ( kharoset ), a roast lamb's bone ( z'ro-ah ),and a roasted egg ( baytsa ). Why are they here?

Kharoset --Why do we eat kharoset ? 

Apples, nuts, cinnamon, and wine are combined to make this sweet condiment. It is the color of clay or mortar. It reminds us of the bricks and mortar that the Israelites are said to have made when they built the Pharaohs' palaces and cities. At the same time, the taste of kharoset is sweet, and it reminds us of the sweetness of freedom.

 Let us now all eat kharoset on a piece of matzah.

 There is an interesting tradition to take a piece of matzah and place upon it some bitter herb (maror) and some kharoset. As you eat this, the full meaning of Passover - the bitterness of slavery and the sweetness of freedom - is felt through this combination. 

Z'Roa --Shankbone

 Z'roa means shankbone or thigh bone. This shankbone takes us back, once again, to ancient times to the shepherd's festival of Pesakh. It was celebrated at the time of the full moon in the month the lambs and goats were born. At that time, each family would slaughter a young lamb or goat for a Spring feast. 

Baytsah --Egg

The egg is the symbol of life and rebirth in the spring. 

Yachatz--Breaking the Matsah 

We have drunk the wine and tasted the special foods of the Passover celebration. They symbolize our attachment to the traditions of our culture, to freedom, and to life itself. Before we enjoy our feast, let us set aside a bit of Matzah, to be the final food of this Passover supper, reminding us of why we are gathered here and what it is we celebrate.

We break the matzah into two pieces. One half stays on the table. The other half we will wrap in a napkin and save until the end of the meal. This piece is called the AFIKOMEN. Without it the Seder cannot end, so we must make sure that it doesn't get lost!

We were slaves in Egypt. We have much to remember.

We drink the third cup of wine to those who were taken from us and to those who fought for freedom and life. 

Let us all fill our wine glasses.

This is the cup of Elijah. According to Jewish tradition, the Prophet Elijah was a brave man who denounced the slavery of his day. Legend teaches that he will return one day to lead everyone to peace and freedom. It was customary during the Passover Seder to open the door of the house for Elijah, in the hope that the age of universal peace may soon be at hand.

 We, too, open the door to peace, knowing that Elijah's task is really our own. Only when we have made a world where nation shall not lift up sword against nation, where justice is universal, and where each person is free, will the age-old dream of peace be real. Let us bring peace and justice to the world!

Let us now open the door. We will now raise our glasses and sing a song of Peace symbolized by the cup of Elijah:

NA-A-SEH SHA-LOM

Na-a-seh sha-lom ba-o-lam

Na-a-seh sha-lom a-ley-nu

V'al kol ha-o-lam

V'im-ru im-ru sha-lom.

Na-a-seh sha-lom

Na-a-seh sha-lom

Sha-lom a-ley-nu

V'-al kol ha-o-lam. 

We shall make peace in the world.

We shall make peace for ourselves.

And peace for all the world. 

Jewish history shows that life is ever-changing, and we must learn how to survive under all conditions. When we are persecuted, we must fight for our own freedom. When we are free, we must join the fight to free others.

This is the lesson of Passover. This is why we celebrate the Festival of Freedom.

 Let us now conclude our celebration of Life, of Freedom, and of Peace by standing to sing our song of hope:

HATIKVAH

Kohl od bah-lay-vahv p'nee-mah.

Neh-fesh y'hoo-dee ho-mee-ya.

Oo-l'fa-a-tay miz'rakh kah-dee-mah.

Ay-een l'tsee-yon tso-fee-yah.

Od lo ah-v'dah tik-vah-tay-noo.

Ha-tik-va sh'not ahl-pah-yeem.

Lee-h'yot ahm hahf'shee b'ar'tseh-noo.

Eh-rets tsee-yon vee-roo-shah-lie-yeem. 

Thank you for participating! Chag Pesach Sameach - Happy Passover!