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The seder officially begins with the lighting of the candles. This marks a transition in time, from the day that is ending to the one that is beginning. From ordinary time to sacred time. As we light the candles, we say a traditional blessing. Throughout this seder, we will read together in English, but you will find the Hebrew prayers included for reference.

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Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.

Everyone together: Blessed are you, God, Queen of the Universe, who has made us holy with your word and asks us to light these candles.

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Many of you are familiar with the God is a Woman Haggadah. It is a unique Haggadah that seeks to challenge tradition and empower women and marginalized people while celebrating historic and contemporary women leaders AND telling the story of Passover. Tonight we will honor the traditions of our ancestors, recognize the beginning of Spring, and come together in laughter and love. While we may not do everything correctly - shankbones continue to thwart me - we do act with respect and gratitude. Tonight, I am grateful for that we can come together and celebrate in person again. What are you grateful for?

What’s on the table? There a number of special items on the table tonight. Here is a brief summary:

Maror – A bitter herb (horseradish) symbolizing the pain of slavery.

Charoset – A mixture of apples and nuts that represents the mortar used by Jewish slaves to build bricks.

Karpas – A green vegetable (parsley) that recalls the bounty of springtime.

Zeroah – A roasted lamb shankbone that commemorates the sacrifice made at the temple the night the ancient Jews fled Egypt.

Beitzah – A roasted egg representing a second sacrifice that was brought to the temple, as well as the cycle of life.  

Chazeret - A second bitter herb (romaine lettuce) that also symbolizing the bitterness of slavery.

Orange - Signifies full inclusion in modern day Judaism (women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+)

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Matzah

Matzah is the unleavened bread we eat to remember that when the Jews fled Egypt, they didn’t have time to let their dough rise into bread.

Elijah’s Cup

A glass of wine left untouched in honor of the Prophet Elijah, who, according to tradition, will arrive one day as an unknown guest to herald the advent of the Messiah.

Miriam’s Cup

A glass of water is 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 wandered through the desert legend says that a well of water followed Miriam. We honor Miriam’s role in the story of the Jewish people as we honor all women, who nurture their families just as Miriam helped sustain the Israelites.

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Tonight we will drink four ceremonial glasses of wine, and surely a few additional glasses as we enjoy our meal! The ceremonial glasses symoblize the four stages of the path to liberation: (1) Becoming aware of oppression, (2) Opposing oppression, (3) Imagining alternatives, (4) Accepting personal and communal responsibility to act.

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*pours first glass of wine*

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This will be our first official glass as part of our seder. But first, we say the Kiddush blessing.

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

Everyone together: We praise you, God, Queen of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, she-hechiyanu v’key’manu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh.

Everyone together: We praise you, God, Queen of the Universe, who has given us life, raised us up, and brought us to this happy moment.

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All Jewish celebrations, from holidays to weddings, include wine as a symbol of joy—not to mention a practical way to increase that joy. Kiddush is the opening act of every shabbat and holiday meal. 

Drink up!

Passover combines the celebration of a historical event with a recognition of the cycles of nature. As we remember the liberation from Egypt, we also recognize the beginning of spring and the rebirth happening in the world around us.

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Take a piece of parsley (representing our joy at the dawning of spring after a long, cold winter) and dip it in salt water (a symbol of the tears our ancestors shed as slaves). Before we eat it, we recite a short blessing.

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

Everyone together: We praise God, Queen of Everything, creator of the fruit of the earth.

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We all have aspects of ourselves that sometimes get buried under the stresses of our busy lives. What is an element of your own life that you hope to revive this spring?

There are three pieces of matzah stacked on the table. Take the middle piece and break it into two pieces. Give the larger of the two new pieces to the host, who will wrap it in a napkin and, at some point between now and the end of dinner, discreetly slip away to hide it. This hidden piece of matzah is called the afikoman, literally “dessert” in Greek. After dinner, we will hunt for the afikoman, and whoever finds it will win a prize!

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We eat matzah, unleavened bread, to remind us that when the Israelites were finally freed, they fled Egypt so quickly that their bread did not have time to rise.

Uncover and hold up the remaining three pieces of matzah. This is the bread of affliction, which our mothers ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need come and celebrate Passover with us. Today, we are slaves. Next year, we will be free.

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Everyone finishes their glass of wine.

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*pours second glass of wine*

Pass this section to the youngest person at the table.

These are the Four Questions. (There is actually one main question with four subsidiary questions.)

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Ma nishtana halaila hazeh mikol haleilot?

Why is this night different from all other nights?

Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin chameitz u-matzah. Halaila hazeh kulo matzah?

Why do we eat both leavened bread and matzah on all other nights, but only matzah tonight?

Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin shi’ar yirakot haleila hazeh maror?

Why do we eat all kinds of vegetables on all other nights, but only bitter herbs tonight?

Shebichol haleilot ain anu matbilin afilu pa-am echat. Halaila hazeh shtei fi-amim?

Why do we not dip our vegetables at all on other nights, but dip them twice tonight?

Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin bein yoshvin uvein m’subin. Halaila hazeh kulanu m’subin?

Why do we eat sitting normally or reclining on all other nights, but only reclinging tonight?

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Avadim hayinu. Ata b’nei chorin.

Everyone together: We were slaves. Now we are free.

Jewish tradition tells of four daughters with unique ways of understanding Passover: the wise daughter, the wicked daughter, the simple daughter, and the silent daughter. I will read their questions, and we will answer them together.

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The wise daughter asks, “What are the laws that God has given us?” She is inquisitive, caring, and eager to learn.

Everyone together: “We must teach her the rules of Passover.”

The wicked daughter asks, “What does this service mean to you?” By using the word you and not us, this daughter is not including herself in the community. She is detached, suspicious, and challenging.

Everyone together: “This service helps US remember and learn from OUR people’s journey to freedom.”

The simple daughter asks, “What is happening?” She does not understand why we are here.

Everyone together: “We are telling the story of the ancient Israelites journey to freedom.”

The silent daughter does not know how to ask a question. She is quiet, searching for the right words, listening in silence.

Everyone together: “We help this daughter by telling the story of Exodus.”

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Some say the story of the Four Daughters is a metaphor for different attitudes toward tradition, toward belonging, and toward being active or passive in the face of injustice. At different points in our lives, we have been each of these children, and each person at our seder is coming from a different place. Which daughter do you relate to tonight?

Our story starts in ancient times, with Abraham, the first person acknowledge a monotheistic God. He said, “My one, when all is said and done. You'll believe God is a woman.”

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God made Abraham a promise that his family would become a great nation, but this promise came with a frightening vision of the troubles along the way. Generations later, Abraham’s descendents lived in Egypt. Pharaoh and the leaders of Egypt were alarmed, so they enslaved them. But that was not enough to quell their fears, so Pharaoh ordered that Jewish baby boys be drowned in the Nile, to prevent the Israelites from overthrowing the Egyptians.

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Moses was one of these baby boys who was ordered to be drowned. But a kind woman saved him, and he was adopted by the Pharaoh’s daughter and raised in the palace. One day, Moses saw an Egyptian overseer beating a Jewish slave. He was so enraged he killed the Egyptian and was forced to flee to the desert. There God appeared in the form of a burning bush and told Moses to lead the Jews to freedom. Moses returned to Egypt and urged Pharaoh to free his people. Pharaoh refused, so God was forced to send the ten terrible plagues.

When Pharaoh refused to free the Jews, God sent down ten plagues to convince him. Take ten index cards and write each plague on a card. Fold each card and place it in a bowl. 

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Blood (dam)

Frogs (tzfardeiya)

Lice (kinim)

Beasts (arov)

Cattle disease (dever)

Boils (sh’chin)

Hail (barad)

Locusts (arbeh)

Darkness (choshech)

Death of the Firstborn (makat b’chorot)

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Pass around the bowl. Each guest picks a card and acts out the plague written on it, while the other guests attempt to guess which plague they picked. After the plague has been guessed correctly, everyone should dip a finger or a spoon into their wine glass and pour out a drop for the plague.

The plagues and subsequent redemption from Egypt are just one example of the compassion God has shown throughout history. We say the word “dayeinu” to express the feeling that if God had done any one of the many kindnesses she has, it would have been enough. 

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Ilu hotzi- hotzianu, Hotzianu mi-mitzrayim Hotzianu mi-mitzrayim, Dayeinu

Everyone together: If God had only taken us out of Egypt, that would have been enough!

Ilu natan natan lanu, natan lanu et ha-Torah, Natan lanu et ha-Torah , Dayeinu

Everyone together: If God had only given us the Torah, that would have been enough!

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The complete lyrics to Dayeinu tell the entire story of the Exodus from Egypt as a series of miracles God performed for us. (The full lyrics are included in the Appendix if we feel like singing it now.)

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Dayeinu also reminds us that each of our lives is the cumulative result of many blessings, small and large.

As we transition from the formal telling of the Passover story to the celebratory meal, we once again wash our hands to prepare ourselves. In Judaism, a good meal together with friends and family is itself a sacred act, so we prepare for it just as we prepared for our holiday ritual, recalling the way ancient priests once prepared for service in the Temple.

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Get up and go to the bathroom again to rinse your hands. This time, we say the following blessing.

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Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al n’tilat yadayim.

Everyone together: We praise God, Queen of Everything, who makes us holy through obligations, asking us to wash our hands.

The hamotzi blessing marks the formal start of the meal. Because we are using matzah instead of bread, we add a blessing celebrating this mitzvah.

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Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha-aretz.

Everyone together: We praise God, Queen of Everything, who brings bread from the land.

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat matzah.

Everyone together: We praise God, Queen of Everything, who made us holy through obligations, asking us to eat matzah.

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Break apart the top and middle matzah for everyone to eat.

In creating a holiday about the joy of freedom, we turn the story of bitter history into a sweet celebration. We recognize this by dipping our bitter herbs into the sweet charoset. As we taste the bitterness of the herb, we are grateful for the sweetness of our delicious charoset.

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Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat maror.

Everyone together: We praise God, Queen of the universe, who made us holy by asking us to eat bitter herbs.

When the Temple stood in Jerusalem more than a thousand years ago, the most important sacrifice was the pesach, or lamb sacrifice. The great sage Hillel would put the lamb meat in a sandwich made of matzah, along with some of the bitter herbs. While Jews no longer make sacrifices, we honor this custom by eating a sandwich of the remaining matzah and bitter herbs. Many will also include charoset in the sandwich to remind us again of the sweetness of freedom.

Cheers! Now we get to enjoy our delicious meal. Thank everyone at the table for their contributions. 

But don’t forget we still have a little more seder to go, including the final two cups of wine!

It's time to find the afikomen. Good luck!

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Once the afikomen is found, the winner breaks it into pieces and shares some with everyone at the seder. The winner is also awarded their prize. Congratulations!

Now that our meal is over, we give thanks to God. As it says in the Torah: when you have eaten and are satisfied, give praise to your God who has given you this good earth. We praise God for the earth and for its sustenance.

May the source of peace grant peace to us, and to the entire world. Amen.

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Everyone finishes their glass of wine.

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*pours third glass of wine*

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The blessing over the meal is immediately followed by another blessing over the wine:

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

Everyone together: We praise God, Queen of Everything, who creates the fruit of the vine.

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Drink the third glass of wine!

Now we open the front door to invite the prophet Elijah to join our seder.

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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.

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We also have Miriam's cup on the table tonight. Miriam was the sister of Moses and a prophetess in her own right. After the exodus when the Israelites wandered through the desert legend says that a well of water followed Miriam. We honor Miriam’s role in the story of the Jewish people as we honor all women, who nurture their families just as Miriam helped sustain the Israelites.

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Everyone pours a bit of water out of their drinking glass into Miriam's cup and shares how they hope to carry the themes of the seder with them in the coming year. 

This is the time set aside for singing. Some of us might sing traditional prayers from the Book of Psalms. Others take this moment for the Passover classic Halo, included in the Appendix. If there's a song you would like to sing, now's the time to pull out your phone, Google the lyrics, and lead the group in a rousing rendition. 

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Everyone finishes glass of wine.

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*pours fourth glass of wine*

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As we come to the end of the seder, we drink one more glass of wine. With this final cup, we give thanks for the experience of celebrating Passover together, for the traditions that help inform our daily lives and guide our actions and aspirations.

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

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

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Drink the fourth and final glass of wine!

Nirtzah marks the conclusion of the seder. Traditionally, we conclude with the blessing "Next year in Jerusalem!" It may feel conflicting to say these words today, as Jerusalem has becoming increasingly politicized. Rabbi Katie Mizrahi from the Or Shalom Jewish Community in San Francisco writes beautifully about this issue, so before we say our blessing we will read her words:

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How can I say “next year in Jerusalem” after an Israeli election full of fearmongering and hate? An election many say has buried the prospect of peace and democracy if not the long-term viability of a Jewish or a Palestinian state? Would I really want to live in today’s Jerusalem, where the religious right declares me not to be a rabbi, because they do not like rabbis to come in female bodies? In 2019, can I still say “next year in Jerusalem”?

For me, the answer is yes. I do still want to be part of it, broken though it may be. I refuse to relinquish the sacred symbolic language or ideals of my people to those who would corrupt them with narrow, fear-based politics. I refuse to let religious extremists “own” Jerusalem or define Judaism. And still I hold out hope that the heavenly Jerusalem can yet manifest in that earthly city I hold so dear.

But when I say, “next year in Jerusalem” on Passover, I will also have Jeremiah in my heart. And I will be praying, with all my soul, that the Jewish people can yet mend our ways and prove ourselves worthy of the great gift and responsibility of sovereignty with which our generation has been entrusted.

When I say these words at my seder this week, this is what I will mean:

Next year in Jerusalem, may there be peace and justice for all who dwell there. Next year in Jerusalem, may there be hope, may there be love. Next year in Jerusalem, may there be freedom — for Jews, for Muslims, for Christians, for people of all faiths. Next year, may my small life in some real way, move the earthly Jerusalem closer to its heavenly potential.

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L’shana haba-ah biy’rushalayim

Everyone together: Next year in Jerusalem!

HALO

Remember those walls I built
Well, baby, they're tumbling down
And they didn't even put up a fight
They didn't even make a sound

I found a way to let you win
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now

It's like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you break it
It's the risk that I'm taking
I ain't never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby, I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby, I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo

Hit me like a ray of sun
Burning through my darkest night
You're the only one that I want
Think I'm addicted to your light

I swore I'd never fall again
But this don't even feel like falling
Gravity can't forget
To pull me back to the ground again

Feels like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you break it
The risk that I'm taking
I'm never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby, I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby, I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo

I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
Halo, halo

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby, I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby, I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo

I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo

One of most beloved songs in the Passover seder is "Dayenu". A few of us will read the stanzas one at a time, and the 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.”

Fun fact: Persian and Afghani Jews hit each other over the heads and shoulders with scallions every time they say Dayenu! They especially use the scallions in the ninth stanza which mentions the manna that the Israelites ate everyday in the desert, because Torah tells us that the Israelites began to complain about the manna and longed for the onions, leeks and garlic. Feel free to be Persian/Afghani for the evening if you’d like.