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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Haroset
Maror
Beitzah (Egg)
Zroah (Pascal Lamb/Shankbone)
Karpas (Greens)
Melah (Salt Water)
I chose the Seder Plate because I believe that the seder plate is a visual representation of Passover. When I see the seder plate I automatically think of Passover and is the main importance of Passover. The Passover seder has each food representing the different aspects of Passover. The shank bone represents the Passover sacrifice, the egg represents the circle of life, bitter herbs represent the bitterness of slavery, the karpas represent hope, and the sweet paste (haroset) represents the clay that was used for bricks during Egyptian slavery.
The four cups of wine represent Kadesh because Kadesh is the prayer for the four cups of wine. I chose this one because the sanity of Shabbat and other Jewish customs are presented by a cup of wine. The Kadesh brings families together when the prayer is recited and all attention is brought to the prayer, connecting the family as one. We leave all the negativeness behind with the sweet cups of wine which is nice to see at the seder. I enjoy seeing my family happy and connected together.
This image symbolizes how out of the entire seder, urchatz surrounds the meaning of Passover. The Passover seder is the most important part of Passover because it brings everyone's families together. Urchatz means washing and cleaning of hands. There is more meaning to Urchatz, rather than just washing our hands. Our hands obey our emotions and are used for love, emotion, any kind of expression, and reflect our mental states. The water represents wisdom once it is poured from our heart and then to where we interact with the world. I think that the water surrounding the seder in the photo expresses the true meaning of why we do passover and how our mind sees one way, as our hearts see another.
This image represents Karpas in my eyes because Karpas is a piece of parsley or lettuce, that is dipped in saltwater. We do this on Passover because the vegetable symbolizes the lowly origins of the Jewish people and the water represents the tears shed. Passover is meant to commemorate the past and remember how the Jewish people suffered. I have a connection with this photo because it shows the exact representation of the karpas and the saltwater. I think Karpas is important in the seder because I think it is beneficial to recognize what us Jews went through.
We break the matzah and hide one part (the Afikomen). We recognize that liberation is made by imperfect people, broken, fragmented — so don’t be waiting until you are totally pure, holy, spiritually centered, and psychologically healthy to get involved in tikkun (the healing and repair of the world). It will be imperfect people, wounded healers, who do the healing as we simultaneously work on ourselves.
The Bread of Affliction
Raise the middle matzah so that everyone can see it and say:
This is the bread of affliction. Let everyone who is hungry come and eat. But when saying that traditional line — let all who are hungry come and eat — we must also recognize the stark contrast between the generosity of the Jewish people expressed in this invitation, and the actual reality in which we live. In the past year the U.S. Congress has passed tax legislation that would return hundreds of billions of dollars to the well-to-do, and yet our country has no money to deal with the needs of the poor, the homeless, and the hungry. We should be taking those hundreds of billions of dollars and using them to rebuild the economic infrastructures of the impoverished all around the world, and providing decent housing and food for those who are in need. Instead, we live in a world in which we try to build barriers to protect ourselves against the poor and the homeless, which demeans them and blames them for the poverty they face.
So when we say “hah lachmah anya — this is the bread of affliction, let all who are hungry come and eat,” we remind ourselves that it is this spirit of generosity that is the authentic Jewish spirit. It is meant to be a contrast to the messages of class society, which continually try to tell us “there is not enough” and therefore that we can’t afford to share what we have with others. We are the richest society in the history of the human race, and we may be the stingiest as well — a society filled with people who think that we don’t have enough.
We who identify with Tikkun and are part of the Network of Spiritual Progressives proudly proclaim: there is enough, we are enough, and we can afford to share.
Yachatz is an important part of the Passover seder because it is the breaking of the afikomen into two halves. We do this because we recognize the imperfectness in people and welcome anyone into this action. The article talks about how the U.S. Congress has passed tax legislation that would return hundreds of billions of dollars to wealthy people, leaving out support for the homeless. This article drew my attention and made me realize how the world is separated into two halves and should be brought together. Passover is the action bringing both halves together.
Moving Traditions believes that when we come together face-to-face to honestly explore challenging issues, we bring meaning and joy to our lives. This is the beauty of our programs, from b'nai mitzvah family education sessions to ground-breaking teen groups, Rosh Hodesh for girls, Shevet for boys and Tzelem for transgender and nonbinary teens. Here's a way for you to bring the experience to your Seder.
Step 1: Start with a Jewish idea or text and put a contemporary frame on it.
Ma nishtana halayla hazeh? Why is this night different from all other nights?
Because on all other nights we may not have the patience for differences of opinion, but tonight we create a brave space and welcome a diversity of perspectives.
Step 2: Pick a current topic to discuss and connect it to the Haggadah.
Sexism and Antisemitism. How do women-identified Jews manage multiple oppressions?
Welcoming the Stranger. How do our family immigration stories relate to what is happening today?
When does it liberate us and when does it enslave us?
Step 3: Share discussion guidelines, such as those we use in our teen groups.
Debate to solve problems rather than to win.
Attack issues, not people—so you can preserve relationships.
Check your motivations for engaging in a conflict.
Listen to the other side and be open to admitting that you may be wrong.
Consider that you might both be right, even if you hold opposite opinions.
Step 4: Add secular Inspiration, like this poem by Micky ScottBey Jones.
Together we will create brave space
Because there is no such thing as a “safe space”
We exist in the real world
We all carry scars and we have all caused wounds.
In this space
We seek to turn down the volume of the outside world,
We amplify voices that fight to be heard elsewhere,
We call each other to more truth and love
We have the right to start somewhere and continue to grow.
We have the responsibility to examine what we think we know.
We will not be perfect.
This space will not be perfect.
It will not always be what we wish it to be
but
It will be our brave space together,
and
we will work on it side by side
Step 5: Now go and do.
The maggid is the main story of Passover which is read and has important songs sang during the seder. The maggid is beneficial to the understanding of the story of the Jewish people in Egypt, and why we continue the Passover to this day. I chose this photo because it represents where the Maggid is read and how it is the most important factor of Passover. Without the maggid I wouldn't know exactly why we do the customs we do during Passover.
The four questions asked on Passover are:
1. On all other nights we eat either bread or matsah. Why, on this night, do we eat only matsah?
2. On all other nights we eat herbs of any kind. Why, on this night, do we eat only bitter herbs?
3. On all other nights, we do not dip our herbs even once. Why, on this night, do we dip them twice?
4. On all other nights, we eat either sitting or leaning. Why, on this night, do we eat while leaning?
The first questions asks why we eat only matzah and this is because Matzah is the symbol of our affliction and our freedom. We eat matzah to feel how the Jews felt when that was their easiest resource of food in replacement of bread. This is because when Moses and the Jews fled Egypt, they moved so quickly that the bread they baked did not have time to rise. The second question asks about the bitter herbs. We consume the bitter herbs because it reminds us of the time of our slavery. During the seder it is crucial to remember how the Jewish people were wrongfully treated. Third, the question asks why they are dipped twice. This is because 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 resources and life we have on earth. Fourth question asks why we eat while leaning and this is because at that time only rich people ate while reclined, so the Jewish people celebrate freedom. I chose this page because it is the exact reasons why we ask the four questions. This also engages children to join the seder.
FOUR QUESTIONS
Traditionally, the youngest person present asks:
Why is this night different from all other nights?
1. On all other nights we eat either bread or matsah. Why, on this night, do we eat only matsah?
2. On all other nights we eat herbs of any kind. Why, on this night, do we eat only bitter herbs?
3. On all other nights, we do not dip our herbs even once. Why, on this night, do we dip them twice?
4. On all other nights, we eat either sitting or leaning. Why, on this night, do we eat while leaning?
A different guest readers each ANSWER:
1. MATZAH:
Matzah is the symbol of our affliction and our freedom. 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-matsot, 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 all eat a piece of matzah.
2. BITTER HERBS
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, the horseradish is the stimulus of life, reminding us that struggle is better than the complacent acceptance of injustice. Let us all eat bitter herbs.
3. DIPPING
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. Let us all dip the parsley in salt water twice.
4. RECLINING
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:
Reader: 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 roasted shank bone (z'ro-ah), and a roasted egg (baytsa). Why are they here?
A different guest reads each answer:
Charoset: 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 matsah.
Shank bone: The bone represents the lamb that was the special Paschal sacrifice on the eve of the exodus from Egypt, and annually, on the afternoon before Passover, in the Holy Temple.
Egg: The egg represents life. Each of us begins as an egg and grows to adulthood. The egg reminds us of our evolutionary past and the gifts of human inheritance. But the egg is fragile. It represents potential that can be destroyed. Left alone, it would perish. Growing life needs warmth and love and security, guidance, hope, and vision. To achieve their full potential, human beings need the support and encouragement of family and community. The egg symbolizes the fragility and interdependence of life.
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.”
-
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?
The four children are the wicked, wise, simple, and the one who doesn't know how to ask a question. Each children shares an important part of passover. The first child asks, "What are the testimonies and laws which God commanded you?" This shows how there must be a lesson for the rules taught to children on Passover. The second child ask, "What does this service mean to you?" This teaches us to appreciate what hashem does for us. The third child asks, “With a strong hand God took us out of Egypt, where we were slaves.” We are supposed to helo the fourth child realise It is because of what God did for us to take us out of Egypt. This article connected with me because it taught me the four children and why they ask those questions.
Our story starts in ancient times, with Abraham, the first person to have the idea that maybe all those little statues his contemporaries worshiped as gods were just statues. The idea of one God, invisible and all-powerful, inspired him to leave his family and begin a new people in Canaan, the land that would one day bear his grandson Jacob’s adopted name, Israel.
God had made a promise to Abraham that his family would become a great nation, but this promise came with a frightening vision of the troubles along the way: “Your descendants will dwell for a time in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and afflicted for four hundred years; however, I will punish the nation that enslaved them, and afterwards they shall leave with great wealth."
Raise the glass of wine and say:
וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ וְלָֽנוּ
V’hi she-amda l’avoteinu v’lanu.
This promise has sustained our ancestors and us.
For not only one enemy has risen against us to annihilate us, but in every generation there are those who rise against us. But God saves us from those who seek to harm us.
The glass of wine is put down.
In the years our ancestors lived in Egypt, our numbers grew, and soon the family of Jacob became the People of Israel. Pharaoh and the leaders of Egypt grew alarmed by this great nation growing within their borders, so they enslaved us. We were forced to perform hard labor, perhaps even building pyramids. The Egyptians feared that even as slaves, the Israelites might grow strong and rebel. So Pharaoh decreed that Israelite baby boys should be drowned, to prevent the Israelites from overthrowing those who had enslaved them.
But God heard the cries of the Israelites. And God brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and outstretched arm, with great awe, miraculous signs and wonders. God brought us out not by angel or messenger, but through God’s own intervention.
The exodus story starts when Abraham began to worship idols along with the other Jewish people. Hashem punished us and while we began to built our nation, Pharaoh and the leaders of Egypt enslaved us. Pharaoh decreed that Israelite baby boys should be drowned, to prevent the Israelites from overthrowing those who had enslaved them. God heard our cries and took us out of Egypt. The story of Passover makes us realize how important it is to have faith in Hashem and faith in our nation. This passage reminds me of the story and how grateful I am to be able to have faith in Hashem.
The Haggadah collection at the National Library of Israel is considered the most comprehensive in the world, and includes over 8,500 Haggadahs from all ages and throughout the world. This is an image of the 10 Plagues from the Amsterdam Haggadah from the 1738.
The 10 plagues were the punishments placed on the Egyptians because of Pharoahs actions. The 10 plauges were: Blood, Frogs, Bugs, Wild Animals, Pestilence, Boils, Hail, Locust, Darkness, and the death of first borns. The red sea was turned into blood which killed all the sea life and caused the Egyptians to not have water. Frogs scattered the land and Wild animals ran over people and the town. Pestilence, boils, hail, locust, and darkness was brutal for theEgyptians. Most importantly, the death of the firstborn caused all firstborn to be killed. This photo shows the photos representing the 10 plauges and their affects.
The first thing about “Dayenu”: It is a magnificent song. We have discussed the intimate connection of music and memory, and “Dayenu” demonstrates it. Its words and its lyrics are among the most recognized parts of any Seder. But it is the familiar things, those that we think we know, that often require the most investigation.
An initial look at the content of “Dayenu” should arouse curiosity. We sing that if God had split the sea but not led us through to dry land, it would have been enough for us. But we would have drowned. We sing that if he had led us through to dry land but not drowned our oppressors, it would have been enough for us. But the Egyptians would have enslaved and/or killed us. We sing that if God had provided for our needs in the desert for forty years but did not feed us manna, it would have been enough for us.
But we would have starved. How does that work? Why are we effectively expressing gratitude for something that would have ended in death?
Read or sung in a vacuum, that dispositive question leads to only one answer: We shouldn’t be! However, nothing about “Dayenu” occurs in a vacuum. Instead, it comes immediately after Rabbi Akiva shows us why it is better to count more miracles. Rabbi Akiva shows us why we should count many miracles, and “Dayenu” expresses how we should do so. The success of gratitude, the defining quality of the Jew, requires both the idea and the execution. So the authors of the Haggadah give us the section on miracles followed immediately by “Dayenu.”
Rabbi David Fohrman shows how “Dayenu” is the ancient Jewish expression of the modern scientific discovery of irreducible complexity. This term irreducible complexity was invented by Professor Michael Behe, who describes it as “a single system of several interacting parts, and where the removal of any one of the parts causes the system to cease functioning.”
How do we express our gratitude for gifts of irreducible complexity— to our parents for creating and sustaining us or to God for doing the same with that and everything else . . . among other things? In exactly the same way as “Dayenu” instructs. It is by showing appreciation for every component that we express gratitude for the system as a whole.
So does it make sense outside of this context to say that if he had split the sea for us but had not led us through to dry land, it would have been enough for us? No, we would have drowned. Inside the concept of irreducible complexity, the answer is different. The splitting of the sea was meaningless by itself. But it was not by itself. It was an indispensable part of the system working. We should be grateful for it as if our lives depended on it— because they did.
Dayenu is the song sang during the Passover seder. This song provides Rabbi Akiva showing us why we should count many miracles. We do this to show the success of gratitude and the defining quality of the Jew. If we think that Hashem had split the sea for us but had not led us through to dry land, it would have been enough for us? No, we would have drowned. Even though the splitting of the sea in the moment didn't cause anything, it lead to us being able to go through without drowning. This song is sung to sing the appreciation we have for Hashem. The article teaches us why we sing Dayenu and how the splitting of the sea saved us from drowning.
--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.
Rachtzah is the deeper washing of our hands. We wash our hands earlier in the seder, but we re-experience it again later on. During the washing, we feel our People's story more and re-experience the same holiness. We recognize how Hashem saved us and sanctified us with commanments, pulling us out of slavery. I chose this article because it represents the blessing life gives us.
The blessing over the meal and matzah | motzi matzah | מוֹצִיא מַצָּה
The familiar hamotzi blessing marks the formal start of the meal. Because we are using matzah instead of bread, we add a blessing celebrating this mitzvah.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמּוֹצִיא לֶֽחֶם מִן הָאָֽרֶץ
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha-aretz.
We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who brings bread from the land.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתַָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָּה
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat matzah.
We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who made us holy through obligations, commanding us to eat matzah.
Distribute and eat the top and middle matzah for everyone to eat.
We bless the matzah we eat when we sing Motzi Matzah. This is the prayer that blesses what we ate when we were unable to consume bread because of how little time we had to let it bake. Matzah was the food that saved our lives that Hashem provided us. We eat matzah during Passover to relive how the Jewish people did. This si the prayer which is stated in this article which I found very connecting and beneficial; We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who made us holy through obligations, commanding us to eat matzah. Distribute and eat the top and middle matzah for everyone to eat.
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.
Maror is the bitter herb used in the Passover seder. Most people, especially my family, use Romaine lettuce and we dip it in haroset. Maror is not very bitter but is still allowed to be used on Passover. My family is Sephardic, so it is completely allowed and I enjoy doing it that way. We also recite the blessing that thanks Hashem for teaching us holiness through commandments, commanding us to eat the bitter herb.
Korech כּוֹרֵךְ
זֵכֶר לְמִקְדָּשׁ כְּהִלֵּל. כֵּן עָשָׂה הִלֵּל בִּזְמַן שבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הָיָה קַיָים: הָיָה כּוֹרֵךְ מַצָּה וּמָרוֹר וְאוֹכֵל בְּיַחַד, לְקַיֵים מַה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: עַל מַצּוֹת וּמְרֹרִים יֹאכְלֻהוּ.
Zeicher l'mikdash k'hileil. Kein asah hileil bizman shebeit hamikdash hayah kayam. Hayah koreich pesach, matzah, u-maror v'ocheil b'yachad. L'kayeim mah shene-emar. “Al matzot um'rorim yochlu-hu.”
Eating matzah, maror and haroset this way reminds us of how, in the days of the Temple, Hillel would do so, making a sandwich of the Pashal lamb, matzah and maror, in order to observe the law “You shall eat it (the Pesach sacrifice) on matzah and maror.”
Koreich is the practice of Hillel, at the time the Temple was still in existence. He combined the unleavened bread and the bitter herbs and ate them together. We use Pashal lamb, matzah, and maror, which represents the Passover sacrifice. My saba helps direct my family when we make the sandwich and says the prayer aloud. My cousins all join in and have a fun time remembering why we make the sandwich and how beneficial it is.
Shulchan Oreich is like the code of Jewish laws on Passover. The passage says that we also commemorate the Beit Hamikdash where everyone was required to eat the korban Pesach together. This reminds me of when I sit with my family all dressed up in my fancy attire and I feel like royalty. I feel very put together and respected when I sit and feast with my family. This also leads back to the importance of the splitting of the red sea, and how important Hashem is.
GREEK FOR DESSERT
Enjoy something sweet. Then, after you’ve eaten all you can eat, eat a small piece of the Afikoman (remember when we created it earlier?) – it’s traditionally the last thing we eat at a Seder, and a cash prize is given to the finder of the Afikoman.* This year, discuss among your FriendsederTM guests how much prize money you would give to the Afikoman- finder and choose a charity to donate the prize money to!
*A prize is a slick reframe for ‘ransom money.’ Because the seder can’t be completed until the Afikoman is returned to its partner-matzah, Afikoman-finders have the leverage to charge the Seder leader for a bigger allowance to get it back!**
**Though in family settings, seder-leaders usually have extra leverage to dictate bedtimes – so watch out you Afikoman- finders!
Tzafun means hidden, which is why we hide the afikomen. This article reminds me of fun memories I had with my cousins and I have every year when searching for the Afikomen. My other cousin Jakob always finds it first, but last year I finally found it and there were twenty dollars in it. It took us about 20 minutes to find it and it was the first year that the afikomen wasn't in the same place as the prior years. I love spending time with my family and this is definitely my favorite part of Passover.
CUP OF REDEMPTION
At a traditional seder we fill a cup of wine for the prophet Elijah who is a symbol of redemption.
At this seder we are raising a cup of water as a symbol of the redemption that women have brought through the generations.
All: Water is the symbol of life.
Reader: The biblical prophet Miriam saved her brother from the waters of the Nile, she led the song of victory aber the waters of the red sea parted and God gave abundant water to the people.
Reader: We remember Miriam the prophet, who danced at the Sea of Reeds to celebrate the Exodus, a well of fresh water was said to follow her in the desert so that the Israelites always had water to drink. We remember Prophet Miriam
Reader: Instead of being enslaved, Harriet Tubman, known as a conductor of the Underground Railroad, set out with her two brothers, and followed the North Star in the sky to guide her north to freedom always walking near the water’s edge.
Reader: We remember, Harriet Tubman, conductor on the Underground Railroad, who led 300 captured Africans from slavery to freedom, as she sang Wade in the Water, a warning to those who followed that the water would protect them from trouble and offer redemption.
All: We acknowledge that water itself is necessary to sustain life. Water is the symbol of redemption.
The Racial Justice & Inclusivity Haggadah
Download here: https://globaljews.org/resources/holidays/passover/racial-justice-and-inclusivity-haggadah/
Bareich is the cup of redemption which a traditional seder we fill a cup of wine for the prophet Elijah who is a symbol of redemption. The water symbolizes life which we recognize after being pulled out of Egypt. The cup of wine feels like a reward after eating all the foods that represent the negatives at that time. This article represents how American history relates to the torah. Harriet Tubman set out with her two brothers, and followed the North Star in the sky to guide her north to freedom always walking near the water’s edge. She says water is the redemption of life just like we do with wine.
This cup is not for Elijah. Elijah knows he is welcome here. We welcome him in our traditional seders, and we sing Eliyahu Hanavi throughout the year. This cup is for the queer Jew who has not yet found this community. They may not know they are queer yet. They may not know that there are out and proud and healthy queer Jews. They may know we exist, but haven’t build up the courage to attend an LGBTQ seder yet. So this cup is for them. Let all who are hungry come and eat, and let our doors always be open for those that need this community.
Hallel is the mitzvah proceeded by a blessing that says, "Blessed are you our king, our god." Every day in tefillah I say that statement, so I know that this is an important and beneficial statement that we say to Hashem. We welcome Eiliyah, the prophet, without giving him a cup of wine. We save this cup for the Jewish people who do not feel welcomed. This dialogue relates to the LGBTQ community because some of them do not feel welcome just like some Jewish people on Passover who may be a part of it.
Nirtzah marks the conclusion of the seder. Our bellies are full, we have had several glasses of wine, we have told stories and sung songs, and now it is time for the evening to come to a close. At the end of the seder, we honor the tradition of declaring, “Next year in Jerusalem!”
For some people, the recitation of this phrase expresses the anticipation of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem and the return of the Messiah. For others, it is an affirmation of hope and of connectedness with Klal Yisrael, the whole of the Jewish community. Still others yearn for peace in Israel and for all those living in the Diaspora.
Though it comes at the end of the seder, this moment also marks a beginning. We are beginning the next season with a renewed awareness of the freedoms we enjoy and the obstacles we must still confront. We are looking forward to the time that we gather together again. Having retold stories of the Jewish people, recalled historic movements of liberation, and reflected on the struggles people still face for freedom and equality, we are ready to embark on a year that we hope will bring positive change in the world and freedom to people everywhere.
In The Leader's Guide to the Family Participation Haggadah: A Different Night, Rabbi David Hartman writes: “Passover is the night for reckless dreams; for visions about what a human being can be, what society can be, what people can be, what history may become.”
What can we do to fulfill our reckless dreams? What will be our legacy for future generations?
Our seder is over, according to Jewish tradition and law. As we had the pleasure to gather for a seder this year, we hope to once again have the opportunity in the years to come. We pray that God brings health and healing to Israel and all the people of the world, especially those impacted by natural tragedy and war. As we say…
לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בִּירוּשָׁלָֽיִם
L’shana haba-ah biy’rushalayim
NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!
Nirtzah is the ending of our seder, also called the conclusion. This article says that we recite, “Next year in Jerusalem!” This gives us hope and connects us with he jewish community with the people yearning for peace in Israel. At the end of the Passover seder, we have already retold stories of the Jewish people, recalled historic movements of liberation, and reflected on the struggles people still face for freedom and equality. This is key to the ending of the seder to make us remember what we went through and all the prayers we recited. At my passover seder we do this and it gets everyone involved so they can all share their opinions at the table.
But not preserved our hope for return...
Had G-d preserved our hope for return,
But not sent us leaders to make the dream a reality...
Had G-d sent us leaders to make the dream a reality,
But not given us success in the UN vote in 1947...
Had G-d given us success in the UN vote in 1947,
But not defeated our attackers in 1948...
Had G-d defeated our attackers in 1948,
But not unified Jerusalem...
Had G-d unified Jerusalem,
But not led us toward peace with Egypt and Jordan
Had G-d returned us to the land of our ancestors,
But not filled our land with our children...
Had G-d filled our land with our children,
But not caused the desert to bloom...
Had G-d caused the desert to bloom,
But not built for us cities and towns...
Had G-d rescued our remnants from the Holocaust,
But not brought our brothers from Arab lands...
Had G-d brought our brothers from Arab lands,
But not opened the gate for Russia's Jews...
Had G-d opened the gate for Russia's Jews,
But not redeemed our people from Ethiopia...
Had G-d redeemed our people from Ethiopia,
But not strengthened the State of Israel...
Had G-d strengthened the State of Israel,
But not planted in our hearts a covenant of one people...
Had G-d planted in our hearts a covenant of one people,
But not sustained in our souls a vision of a perfected world...
Peace, Dayeinu
My favorite song is Dayeinu when we sing at the passover seder. I think it has the most important meaning because it recites all that Hashem has done for us. Hashem is the reason why the Jewish people were saved and rescued out of Egypt. Hashem has done everything for the Jewish people and set us up for opportunities to build our future. I enjoy passover and I enjoy singing this song with my family.
