Passover celebrates freedom and liberation from bondage. The Hebrew word for Egypt—םִיַרְצִמ Mitzrayim—reminds us of the word רַמצ ֶmetzar—“strait” or “narrow place.” We gather together to celebrate not only the Exodus from Egypt, but also our own coming out of narrow places

We celebrate Passover—חַסֶפּ Pesach—as a commemoration of events long past. We recall the years of bitter bondage. We remember that final, terrible plague which “passed over” —חַפּס pasach—the homes of the Israelites, who would that very night leave Egypt, their dough still unleavened. JQ International’s GLBTQ Passover Haggadah notes that “the holiday of Passover has grown to represent a time to remember the struggle for civil liberty in our current day lives— or in other words, individuals whose recognition of rights and validation of identity have been ‘passed over’” by the broader culture (Los Angeles, 2008, available online; 2). Tonight, we listen to voices that have been too long passed over, and we call out for stories of Exodus—of יאָהִצְי yetziah. These are stories of going forth into freedom. Stories of coming out.

In some ways, this seder is like any other seder. And yet tonight is different. Tonight we especially honor those too often marginalized and ignored. We gather as a fully inclusive family with special attention to our queer community, broadly defined. This seder is for everyone—queer, Jewish, both, or neither. 

Seder  literally translates to order. There is a specific order of the night tonight, so here is our table of contents so you know what to expect!

1. Kadesh / pour first cup of wine

2. Urchatz / handwashing (no blessing!)

3. Karpas / parsley → hopefulness of spring 

4. Yachatz / break and hide afikomen

5. Maggid / second cup

6. Rachtzah / second hand washing

7. Motzi / blessing specifically for eating unleavened bread

8. Matzah / bless the matzah 

9. Maror / bitter herbs

10. Korech / hillel sandwich 

11. Shulchan orech / eat!

12. Tzafun / search for afikomen

13. Barech / berkat amazon

14. Hallel / fourth cup

15. Nirtzah / "L'shanah haba'a b'irushalayim!"

The Seder Plate

We place a Seder Plate at our table as a reminder to discuss certain aspects of the Passover story. Each item has its own significance.

Maror  – The bitter herb. This symbolizes the harshness of the lives of the Jews in Egypt.

Charoset  – A delicious mix of sweet wine, apples, cinnamon, and nuts that resembles the mortar used as bricks of the many buildings the Jewish slaves built in Egypt

Karpas  – A green vegetable, usually parsley, is a reminder of the green sprouting up all around us during spring and is used to dip into the saltwater

Zeroah  – A roasted lamb or shank bone symbolizing the sacrifice made at the great temple on Passover (The Paschal Lamb)

Beitzah  – The egg symbolizes a different holiday offering that was brought to the temple. Since eggs are the first item offered to a mourner after a funeral, some say it also evokes a sense of mourning for the destruction of the temple.

Orange  - The orange on the seder plate has come to symbolize full inclusion in modern-day Judaism: not only for women, but also for people with disabilities, intermarried couples, and the LGBT Community.

Olive - The olive branch is a universal symbol of peace and hope. The olive is added to the plate to represent the importance in peace and freedom for everyone globally.

Matzah

Matzah is the unleavened bread we eat to remember that when the Jews fled Egypt, they didn’t even have time to let the dough rise on their bread. We commemorate this by removing all bread and bread products from our homes during Passover.

Elijah’s Cup

The fifth ceremonial cup of wine poured during the Seder. It is left untouched in honor of Elijah, who, according to tradition, will arrive one day as an unknown guest to herald the advent of the Messiah. During the Seder dinner, biblical verses are read while the door is briefly opened to welcome Elijah. In this way, the Seder dinner not only commemorates the historical redemption from Egyptian bondage of the Jewish people but also calls to mind their future redemption when Elijah and the Messiah shall appear.

Miriam’s Cup

Another relatively new Passover tradition is that of Miriam’s cup. The cup is filled with water and placed next to Elijah’s cup. Miriam was the sister of Moses and a prophetess in her own right. After the exodus when the Israelites are wandering through the desert, just as Hashem gave them Manna to eat, legend says that a well of water followed Miriam and it was called ‘Miriam’s Well’. The tradition of Miriam’s cup is meant to honor Miriam’s role in the story of the Jewish people and the spirit of all women, who nurture their families just as Miriam helped sustain the Israelites.

Miriam's Cup

We include on our seder table םַיְרִמ כּוֹס kos Miryam, Miriam’s cup. Legend tells of a mysterious well filled with living waters that followed the Israelites through their wandering in the desert while Miriam was alive.

AS WE PASS AROUND MIRIAM’S CUP, EACH PERSON POURS SOME WATER FROM THEIR OWN GLASS INTO THE CUP.

In every generation, we experience both oppression and liberation. In our wanderings, both as a people and as individuals, Miriam’s well still accompanies us as a sustaining presence in the desert, enabling us not just to survive, but to thrive. Miriam’s well reminds us that our journey has both direction and destination—to a place where freedom is proclaimed for all. A land flowing with milk and honey.

Elijah's Cup

Let us open the door and invite Elijah to enter and join with us as we drink the wine of our freedom

Eliyahu Ha-Navi (“Elijah the Prophet” in English) was a biblical prophet who lived in the 9th century BCE during the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel in the Kingdom of Israel. His prophetic fervor and fierce defense of God in the face of pagan influences in comparison with all other Israelite biblical prophets earned him the honor of being the ‘guardian angel’ of the Israelites and subsequently, the Jewish people. Because he was considered the strongest defender of God, he was said to be the forerunner of the Messiah. In the Book of Malachi, Malachi, who was the last of the Israelite prophets, states that Elijah would reappear just before the coming of the Messianic Age. (Malachi 3:1)

All Jewish celebrations, from holidays to weddings, include wine as a symbol of our joy – not to mention a practical way to increase that joy. The seder starts with wine and then gives us three more opportunities to refill our cup and drink.

וַיְהִי עֶֽרֶב וַיְהִי בֹֽקֶר
יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי.

וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַֽיִם וְהָאָֽרֶץ
וְכׇל צְבָאָם.
וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי
מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה.
וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי
מִכׇּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה.
וַיְבָֽרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי
וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ, כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכׇּל 
מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ,
מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּֽפֶן.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ,
מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ

מִכׇּל עָם וְרוֹמְמָֽנוּ מִכׇּל לָשׁוֹן,
וְקִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֺתָיו.

וַתִּֽתֶּן לָֽנוּ, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, בְּאַהֲבָה
שַׁבָּתוֹת לִמְנוּחָה
וּמוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה,
חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְשָׂשׂוֹן, אֶת–יוֹם
הַשַּׁבָּת הַזֶּה וְאֶת יוֹם
חַג הַמַּצּוֹת הַזֶּה,

זְמַן חֵרוּתֵֽנוּ בְּאַהֲבָה,
מִקְרָא קֹֽדֶשׁ, זֵֽכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָֽיִם.
כִּי בָֽנוּ בָחַֽרְתָּ וְאוֹתָֽנוּ קִדַּֽשְׁתָּ
מִכׇּל הָעַמִּים וְשַׁבָּת
וּמוֹעֲדֵי קׇדְשֶׁךָ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן
בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְשָׂשׂוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּֽנוּ.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ, מְקַדֵּשׁ
הַשַּׁבָּת וְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַזְּמַנִּים.

Vay'hi erev vay'hi voker yom hashishi. 

Vay'chulu hashamayim v'haaretz v'chol tz'vaam.  Vay'chal Elohim bayom hash'vi-i m'lachto asher asah.  Vayishbot bayom hash'vi-i mikol m'lachto asher asah.

Vay'varech Elohim et yom hash'vi-i vay'kadeish oto,  ki vo shavat mikol m'lachto asher bara Elohim laasot.

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

Baruch atah, Adonai, Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher bachar banu mikol am v'rom'manu mikol lashon v'kid'shanu b'mitzvotav.

Vatiten lanu, Adonai Eloheinu, b'ahavah Shabbatot lim'nuchah u mo-adim l'simchah, chagim uz'manim l'sason, et yom HaShabbat hazeh v'et yom Chag HaMatzot hazeh, z'man cheiruteinu, mikra kodesh, zeicher litziat Mitzrayim. 

Ki vanu vacharta v'otanu kidashta mikol haamim v'Shabbat umo-adei kodsh'chah b'ahavah uv'ratzon b'simchah uv'sason hinchaltanu.

Baruch atah Adonai, m'kadeish HaShabbat v'Yisrael v'haz'manim.

And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

The heaven and the earth were finished, and all their array. On the seventh day God finished the work that God had been doing, and God ceased on the seventh day from all the work that God had done. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because on it God ceased from all the work of creation that God had done. (Genesis 1:31-2:3)

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who has chosen us from among the peoples, exalting us by hallowing us with mitzvot. In Your love, Adonai our God, You have given us Shabbatot of rest, feasts of gladness and seasons of joy; this Shabbat day and this festival of Pesach, season of our freedom, a sacred occasion, a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us from all the peoples and consecrated us to Your service, and given us Shabbat, a sign of love and favor, and the Festivals, a time of gladness and joy.

Blessed are You, Adonai, who sanctifies Shabbat, Israel, and the Festivals.

Water is refreshing, cleansing, and clear, so it’s easy to understand why so many cultures and religions use water for symbolic purification. We will wash our hands twice during our seder: now, with no blessing, to get us ready for the rituals to come; and then again later, we’ll wash again with a blessing, preparing us for the meal, which Judaism thinks of as a ritual in itself. (The Jewish obsession with food is older than you thought!)

To wash your hands, you don’t need soap, but you do need a cup to pour water over your hands. Pour water on each of your hands three times, alternating between your hands. If the people around your table don’t want to get up to walk all the way over to the sink, you could pass a pitcher and a bowl around so everyone can wash at their seats… just be careful not to spill!

Too often during our daily lives we don’t stop and take the moment to prepare for whatever it is we’re about to do.

Let's pause to consider what we hope to get out of our evening together tonight. Go around the table and share one hope or expectation you have for tonight's  seder.

Passover, like many of our holidays, combines the celebration of an event from our Jewish memory with a recognition of the cycles of nature. As we remember the liberation from Egypt, we also recognize the stirrings of spring and rebirth happening in the world around us. The symbols on our table bring together elements of both kinds of celebration.

We now take a vegetable, representing our joy at the dawning of spring after our long, cold winter. We now dip it into saltwater, a symbol of the tears our ancestors shed as slaves. Before we eat it, we recite a short blessing:

Baruch Atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, borei p’ri ha-adama. בּ ְ ָרוּך אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלְֶך הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה. Blessed are You, Eternal our God, sovereign of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.

There are three pieces of matzah stacked on the table. We now break the middle matzah into two pieces. The host should wrap up the larger of the pieces and, at some point between now and the end of dinner, hide it. This piece is called the afikomen, literally “dessert” in Greek. After dinner, the guests will have to hunt for the afikomen in order to wrap up the meal… and win a prize.

We eat matzah in memory of the quick flight of our ancestors from Egypt. As slaves, they had faced many false starts before finally being let go. So when the word of their freedom came, they took whatever dough they had and ran with it before it had the chance to rise, leaving it looking something like matzah.

WE BREAK THE MIDDLE PIECE OF MATZAH, HIDING IT AS THE AFIKOMAN, THE RETRIEVAL OF WHICH WILL END OUR SEDER.

Maggid means retelling the story of the exodus from Egypt.

In every generation, we must see ourselves as if we personally were liberated from Egypt. We gather tonight to tell the ancient story of a people's liberation from Egyptian slavery. This is the story of  our  origins as a people. It is from these events that we gain our ethics, our vision of history, our dreams for the future. We gather tonight, as two hundred generations of Jewish families have before us, to retell the timeless tale.

Yet our tradition requires that on Seder night, we do more than just tell the story. We must live the story. Tonight, we will re-experience the liberation from Egypt. We will remember how our family suffered as slaves; we will feel the exhilaration of redemption. We must re-taste the bitterness of slavery and must rejoice over our newfound freedom. We annually return to Egypt in order to be freed. We remember slavery in order to deepen our commitment to end all suffering; we recreate our liberation in order to reinforce our commitment to universal freedom.

So what is the story?

How did the Jews end up as slaves in Egypt?

The story goes that in ancient times this guy Abraham started to realize that the statues his friends worshiped were just statues. The idea of a spiritual—rather than physical—God inspired him to leave his family (in the Torah he really just dips out in the middle of the night) and begin a new people in Canaan, the land that would become Israel. Abraham asked God for guidance and God promised that he would give rise to a great nation, but that his "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,... afterward they shall leave with great wealth."

In the years that the Jews lived in Egypt, numbers grew, and soon the Jewish community became the People of Israel. Pharaoh was freaked out by this, so he enslaved us. We were forced to build pyramids and do difficult labor. The Egyptians feared that even as slaves, the Israelites might grow strong and rebel, so Pharaoh decreed that all Israelite baby boys should be drowned. At this point, God stepped in, by speaking to Moses via a burning bush. God told Moses to demand that Pharaoh release the Jews, and explain that things would go super awry if Pharaoh didn't listen. Naturally, Pharaoh didn't, and so God hit Egypt with io plagues, each increasingly worse.

Passover is one of the most meaningful holidays in Jewish culture not only because we celebrate liberation, but also we celebrate the fact that God himself—not an angel or prophet—acted to free the Jewish people and lead us to Israel.

The tray with the matzot is moved aside, and the second cup is poured.

The telling of the Passover story requires involvement in questions. Traditionally these are the four questions that are asked.

While we are singing consider a fifth question—We are commanded to celebrate as if each one of us were personally liberated from Egypt. In the next year, how do you hope to bring yourself closer to your place of freedom?

Why is this night different from all other nights?

On all other nights we eat either leavened bread or  matzah.  Why, on this night, do we eat only  matzah?
On all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs. Why, on this night, do we eat only bitter herbs?
On all other nights we do not dip herbs. Why, on this night, do we dip them twice?
On all other nights we eat sitting or reclining on pillows. Why, on this night, do we eat only reclining upon pillows?

מַה נִשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָׇּל־הַלֵּילוֹת

שֶׁבְּכָׇל־הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה

הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלּוֹ מַצָּה

שֶׁבְּכָׇל־הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת

הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מָרוֹר

שֶׁבְּכָׇל־הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת

הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים

שֶׁבְּכָׇל־הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין

הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלָּנוּ מְסֻבִּין

Mah nish-ta-na ha-lai-lah ha-zeh mi-kol ha-lei-lot!
Sheh-beh-chol ha-lei-lot a-nu och-lin ha-metz u-matzah. Ha-lai-lah ha-zeh, ku-lo matzah?
Sheh-beh-chol ha-lei-lot a-nu och-lin sh’ar y’ra-kot. Ha-lai-lah ha-zeh, maror?
Sheh-beh-chol ha-lei-lot ein a-nu mat-bi-lin a-fi-lu pa-am e-hat. Ha-lai-lah ha-zeh, sh-tei fi-ah-mim?
Sheh-beh-chol ha-lei-lot a-nu och-lin bayn yosh-vin ou-vein mis-u-bin. Ha-lai-lah ha-zeh, ku-la-nu mis- u-bin?

The traditional Haggadah speaks of four sons—one who is wise, one who is wicked, one who is simple, and one who does not know to ask. Each of these sons phrases his question about the seder in a different way. Today, many choose to modernize this language by instead discussing the four "children" rather than "sons" as, after all, children of any gender could fall into these categories. We are told to answer each child according to their question.

The wise child asks "  What are the statutes, the testimonies, and the laws that God has commanded you to do?  " They are answered fully:  You should reply to him with all the laws of pesach: one may not eat any dessert after the paschal sacrifice.

The wicked child, who asks, "  What is this service to you?  ", is characterized by the Haggadah as isolating himself from the Jewish people, standing by objectively and watching their behavior rather than participating. Therefore, they are rebuked by the explanation that "  It is because God acted for my sake when I left Egypt. For me. Not you. If you were in Egypt, you would not have deserved to have been set free.  "

The simple child, who asks, "  What is this?  " is answered with " With a strong hand the Almighty led us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage. "

And the one who does not know to ask is told, " i t is because of what the Almighty did for us when we left Egypt. "

Now, we add a fifth child: The one who is absent from the Seder table. He asks no questions and poses no questions. He knows nothing of the Seder. These are the Jewish children who live in oppression, who perished in the tragedy, or because of their identity have been made to feel as though they do not belong in the retelling of the Jewish story. Together, we can pray that one day, those in oppression will be freed to learn of their heritage and those who were never given a chance will find themselves welcome at a Seder table next year. 

Some people may immediately find themselves identifying with a particular child. While this is valuable, many argue that within us we all have a bit of all four children. 

As we rejoice at our deliverance from slavery, we acknowledge that our freedom was hard-earned. We regret that our freedom came at the cost of the Egyptians’ suffering, for we are all human beings made in the image of God. We pour out a drop of wine for each of the plagues as we recite them.

Dip a finger or a spoon into your wine glass for a drop for each plague.

These are the ten plagues which God brought down on the Egyptians:

Blood | dam | דָּם

Frogs | tzfardeiya |  צְפַרְדֵּֽעַ

Lice | kinim | כִּנִּים

Beasts | arov | עָרוֹב

Cattle disease | dever | דֶּֽבֶר

Boils | sh’chin | שְׁחִין

Hail | barad | בָּרָד

Locusts | arbeh | אַרְבֶּה

Darkness | choshech | חֹֽשֶׁךְ

Death of the Firstborn | makat b’chorot | מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת

The Egyptians needed ten plagues because after each one they were able to come up with excuses and explanations rather than change their behavior. Could we be making the same mistakes? Make up your own list. What are the plagues in your life? What are the plagues in our world today? What behaviors do we need to change to fix them? 

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who redeemed us and our ancestors from Egypt, enabling us to reach this night and eat matzah and bitter herbs. May we continue to reach future holidays in peace and happiness.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Drink the second glass of wine!

One of most beloved songs in the Passover seder is "Dayenu". A few of us will read the stanzas one at a time, and then everyone else will respond, "Dayenu" – meaning, “it would have been enough”.

How many times do we forget to pause and notice that where we are is exactly where we ought to be? Dayenu is a reminder to never forget all the miracles in our lives. When we stand and wait impatiently for the next one to appear, we are missing the whole point of life. Instead, we can actively seek a new reason to be grateful, a reason to say “Dayenu.”

אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִצְרַיִם וְלֹא עָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים, דַּיֵּנוּ.

If God had taken us out of Egypt and not made judgements on them; [it would have been] enough for us.

Ilu hotzianu mi’Mitzraim ve’lo asha bahem shfatim, dayenu.

אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים, וְלֹא עָשָׂה בֵאלֹהֵיהֶם, דַּיֵּנוּ.

If God had made judgments on them and had not made [them] on their gods; [it would have been] enough for us.

Ilu asa bahem shfatim velo asha be’eloheheim, dayenu.

אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בֵאלֹהֵיהֶם, וְלֹא הָרַג אֶת־בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם, דַּיֵּנוּ.

If God had made [them] on their gods and had not killed their firstborn; [it would have been] enough for us.

Ilu asha be’eloheheim, ve’lo harag et-bechoreheim, dayenu.

אִלּוּ הָרַג אֶת־בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת־מָמוֹנָם, דַּיֵּנוּ.

If God had killed their firstborn and had not given us their money; [it would have been] enough for us.

Ilu harag et bechoreihem ve’lo natan lanu et mamonam, dayenu.

אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת־מָמוֹנָם וְלֹא קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת־הַיָּם, דַּיֵּנוּ.

If God had given us their money and had not split the Sea for us; [it would have been] enough for us.

Ilu natan lanu et mamonam ve’lo kara lanu et hayam, dayenu.

אִלּוּ קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת־הַיָּם וְלֹא הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה, דַּיֵּנוּ.

If God had split the Sea for us and had not taken us through it on dry land; [it would have been] enough for us.

Ilu kara lanu et hayam ve’lo he’eviranu b’tocho b’charavah, dayenu.

אִלּוּ הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה וְלֹא שִׁקַּע צָרֵנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ דַּיֵּנוּ.

If God had taken us through it on dry land and had not pushed down our enemies in [the Sea]; [it would have been] enough for us.

Ilu he’eviranu b’tocho b’charavah, ve’lo sheka tzarenu be’tocho, dayenu

אִלּוּ שִׁקַּע צָרֵנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ וְלֹא סִפֵּק צָרְכֵּנוּ בַּמִדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה דַּיֵּנוּ.

If God had pushed down our enemies in [the Sea] and had not supplied our needs in the wilderness for forty years; [it would have been] enough for us.

Ilu shikah tzarenu b’tocho ve’lo sipek tzarchenu ba’midbar arba’im shana, dayenu!

אִלּוּ סִפֵּק צָרְכֵּנוּ בְּמִדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה וְלֹא הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת־הַמָּן דַּיֵּנוּ.

If God had supplied our needs in the wilderness for forty years and had not fed us the manna; [it would have been] enough for us.

Ilu sipek tzarchenu bamidbar arba’im shanah, ve’lo he’echilanu et ha’man, dayenu.

אִלּוּ הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת־הַמָּן וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת־הַשַׁבָּת, דַּיֵּנוּ.

If God had fed us the manna and had not given us the Shabbat; [it would have been] enough for us.

Ilu he’echilanu et ha’man ve’lo natan lanu et ha’Shabbat, dayenu.

אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת־הַשַׁבָּת, וְלֹא קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי, דַּיֵּנוּ.

If God had given us the Shabbat and had not brought us close to Mount Sinai; [it would have been] enough for us.

Ilu natan lanu et ha’Shabbat ve’lo kervanu lifnei har Sinai, dayenu.

אִלּוּ קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי, וְלא נַתַן לָנוּ אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה. דַּיֵּנוּ.

If God had brought us close to Mount Sinai and had not given us the Torah; [it would have been] enough for us.

Ilu kirvanu lifnei har Sinai, ve’lo natan lanu et ha’Torah, dayenu.

אִלּוּ נַתַן לָנוּ אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה וְלֹא הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, דַּיֵּנוּ.

If God had given us the Torah and had not brought us into the land of Israel; [it would have been] enough for us.

Ilu natan lanu et ha’Torah ve’lo hichnisanu l’eretz Israel, dayenu.

אִלּוּ הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא בָנָה לָנוּ אֶת־בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה דַּיֵּנוּ.

If God had brought us into the land of Israel and had not built us the ‘Chosen House’ [the Temple; it would have been] enough for us.

Ilu hichnisanu l’eretz Israel, ve’lo bana lanu et beit ha’bchirah, dayenu

B’ruchah At, Yah, Eloheinu Ruach ha-olam, ha-motzi’ah lechem min ha-aretz .

בְּרוּכָה ְאַת יָה ,אֱלֹהֵינוּ ַ רוּח הָעוֹלָם , הַמּוֹצִיאָה לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ.

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

WE BLESS AND EAT THE MATZAH.

Baruch Atah, Adonai Eloheinu, melech haolam, asher kideshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al acilat matzah.

בּ ְ ָרוּך אַתָּה יְיָ ,אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלְֶך הָעוֹלָם ,אֲשֶׁ ר קִדְּשָׁ נוּ בְּמִצְוֹתַָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָּה.

blessed are You, Eternal our God, sovereign of the universe, who sanctifies us with commandments and commands us concerning the eating of matzah.

Maror is the bitter herb. We include it to remember the bitter harsh life as slaves to Pharoh in Egypt.

WE BLESS AND EAT THE MAROR.

B’ruchah At, Yah, Eloheinu Ruach ha-olam, asher kideshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat maror.

בְּרוּכָה ְאַת יָה ,אֱלֹהֵינוּ ַ רוּח הָעוֹלָם ,אֲשֶׁ ר קִדְּשָׁ נוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מָרוֹר..

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, spirit of the universe, who sanctifies us with commandments and commands us concerning the eating of bitter herbs.

Our building is an organization is called Hillel, but why? Hillel was a famous Jewish sage and scholar. He is considered a master of biblical commentary and interpretation of Jewish tradition. 

So why is the sandwich named after him? Hillel decided that on Passover it is important to combine the sweet with the bitter, so we eat this sandwich in honor of him. This sandwich can also remind us of the realities of our own lives which mix the sweet and bitter or the giving and the stubborn. 

WE MAKE A SANDWICH WITH MATZAH, MAROR, AND CHAROSET.

IN GOOD JEWISH TRADITION, PRIZES FOR THOSE WHO FIND THE AFIKOMAN!

Join us in benching and thanking Hashem for this meal!

WE FILL, LIFT, AND DEDICATE THE THIRD CUP OF WINE.

B’ruchah At, Yah, Eloheinu Ruach ha-olam, boreit p’ri ha-gafen.

בְּרוּכָה ְאַת יָה ,אֱלֹהֵינוּ ַ רוּח הָעוֹלָם ,בּוֹרֵאת פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן.

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, spirit of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַנָּבִיא, אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּי, אֵלִיָּֽהוּ, אֵלִיָּֽהוּ, אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַגִּלְעָדִי. בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ, יָבֹא אֵלֵֽינוּ, עִם מָשִֽׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד, עִם מָשִֽׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד. אֵלִיָּֽהוּ …

Eliyahu hanavi, Eliyahu Ha Tishbi, Eliyahu ha Galadi. Bimheirah v’yameinu, yavo eileinu. im Mashiach ben David.

May Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Tishbi, Elijah of Gileadite: quickly in our day come to us, heralding redemption.

Who knows one? I know one. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. In the Heavens and on Earth. (Ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh I said ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh)

Who knows two? I know two. Two are the tablets of the covenant. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. In the Heavens and on Earth. (Ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh I said ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh)

Who knows three? I know three. Three are the fathers. Two are the tablets of the covenant. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. In the Heavens and on Earth. (Ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh I said ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh)

Who knows four? I know four. Four are the mothers. Three are the fathers. Two are the tablets of the covenant. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. In the Heavens and on Earth. (Ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh I said ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh)

Who knows five? I know five. Five are the books of the Torah. Four are the mothers. Three are the fathers. Two are the tablets of the covenant. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. In the Heavens and on Earth. (Ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh I said ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh)

Who knows six? I know six. Six are the books of the Mishnah. Five are the books of the Torah. Four are the mothers. Three are the fathers. Two are the tablets of the covenant. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. In the Heavens and on Earth. (Ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh I said ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh)

Who knows seven? I know seven. Seven are the days of the week. Six are the books of the Mishnah. Five are the books of the Torah. Four are the mothers. Three are the fathers. Two are the tablets of the covenant. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. in Heaven and Earth

Who knows eight? I know eight. Eight are the days for circumcision. Seven are the days of the week. Six are the books of the Mishnah. Five are the books of the Torah. Four are the mothers. Three are the fathers. Two are the tablets of the covenant. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. In the Heavens and on Earth. (Ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh I said ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh)

Who knows nine? I know nine. Nine are the months of pregnancy. Eight are the days for circumcision. Seven are the days of the week. Six are the books of the Mishnah. Five are the books of the Torah. Four are the mothers. Three are the fathers. Two are the tablets of the covenant. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. In the Heavens and on Earth. (Ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh I said ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh)

Who knows ten? I know ten. Ten are the TEN COMMANDMENTS. Nine are the months of pregnancy. Eight are the days for circumcision. Seven are the days of the week. Six are the books of the Mishnah. Five are the books of the Torah. Four are the mothers. Three are the fathers. Two are the tablets of the covenant. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. In the Heavens and on Earth. (Ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh I said ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh)

Who knows eleven? I know eleven. Eleven are the stars in Joseph's Dream. Ten are the TEN COMMANDMENTS Nine are the months of pregnancy. Eight are the days for circumcision. Seven are the days of the week. Six are the books of the Mishnah. Five are the books of the Torah. Four are the mothers. Three are the fathers. Two are the tablets of the covenant. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. In the Heavens and on Earth. (Ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh I said ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh)

Who knows twelve? I know twelve. Twelve are the tribes of Israel. Eleven are the stars in Joseph's Dream. Ten are the TEN COMMANDMENTS Nine are the months of pregnancy. Eight are the days for circumcision. Seven are the days of the week. Six are the books of the Mishnah. Five are the books of the Torah. Four are the mothers. Three are the fathers. Two are the tablets of the covenant. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. In the Heavens and on Earth. (Ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh I said ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh)

Who knows thirteen? I know thirteen. Thirteen are the attributes of God. Twelve are the tribes of Israel. Eleven are the stars in Joseph’s Dream. Ten are the TEN COMMANDMENTS. Nine are the months of pregnancy. Eight are the days for circumcision. Seven are the days of the week. Six are the books of the Mishnah. Five are the books of the Torah. Four are the mothers. Three are the fathers. Two are the tablets of the covenant. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. One is Hashem. In the Heavens and on Earth. (Ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh I said ooh ahh ooh ahh ahh)

Chad gadya. Chad gadya. 

That Father bought for two zuzim, Chad gadya. Chad gadya.

Then came a cat and ate the goat, That Father bought for two zuzim, Chad gadya. Chad gadya. 

Then came a dog and bit the cat, that ate the goat, That Father bought for two zuzim, Chad gadya. Chad gadya. 

Then came a stick and beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the goat, That Father bought for two zuzim, Chad gadya. Chad gadya. 

Then came fire and burnt the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the goat, That Father bought for two zuzim, Chad gadya. Chad gadya. 

Then came water and quenched the fire, that burnt the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the goat, That Father bought for two zuzim, Chad gadya. Chad gadya. 

Then came the ox and drank the water, that quenched the fire, that burnt the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the goat, That Father bought for two zuzim, Chad gadya. Chad gadya. 

Then came the butcher and slaughtered the ox, that drank the water, that quenched the fire, that burnt the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the goat, That Father bought for two zuzim, Chad gadya. Chad gadya. 

Then came the Angel of Death and killed the butcher, that slaughtered the ox, that drank the water, that quenched the fire, that burnt the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the goat, That Father bought for two zuzim, Chad gadya. Chad gadya. 

Then came the Holy One, Blessed be He and slew the the Angel of Death, that killed the butcher, that slaughtered the ox, that drank the water, that quenched the fire, that burnt the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the goat, That Father bought for two zuzim, Chad gadya. Chad gadya. 

WE FILL, LIFT, AND DEDICATE THE FOURTH CUP OF WINE.

B’ruchah At, Yah, Eloheinu Ruach ha-olam, boreit p’ri ha-gafen.

בְּרוּכָה ְאַת יָה ,אֱלֹהֵינוּ ַ רוּח הָעוֹלָם ,בּוֹרֵאת פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן.

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, spirit of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.