Thank you for joining us as we gather tonight to read the words of this Haggadah that has been designed to tell the story of Passover, guide us as we hear of the how the Jewish people were freed from being slaves in Egypt and engage us to think about our very own freedom.

For over 2000 years, the Jewish people have celebrated the Exodus from Egypt. Back nearly 4000 years ago, our people were slaves in the land of Egypt. Today we are free. Yet, there are many others who are not. We keep our prayers with these people in the wish that one day, they too will be free.

As history tells it, on a night such as this, our ancestors went forth out of Egypt, leaving behind slavery. Tonight we celebrate their freedom and ours. May this seder tonight inspire us and our children to light the torch of freedom for all the world.

The Seder Plate

Think of the Seder Plate as a “combination plate” dinner that formed the meal in ancient days. The foods were not merely symbolic, but were eaten—from the plate. As the Seder menu changed, the foods on the Seder Plate required explanation. (clockwise from the upper-right-of-center)

Zeroa (shankbone), represents the Passover offering made in Temple times.

Beitzah(boiled or roasted egg), represents the holiday offering made in the days of the Temple.

Maror (bitter herbs), is horseradish and represents the bitterness of slavery in Egypt.11 It will be explained during the Seder.

Charoset ( a mixture of chopped nuts, apples and wine (and other wonderful ingredients) represents the clay the Jews used to make bricks for the Egyptians.

Chazeret another bitter herb, a bitter lettuce.

Karpas any green vegetable (parsley, celery—some traditions suggest a boiled potato), represents the new

Our Passover Things

(To be sung to the tune of "My favorite things", from The Sound of Music)

Cleaning and cooking and so many dishes
Out with the hametz, no pasta, no knishes
Fish that's gefiltered,
horseradish that stings
These are a few of our Passover things.

Matzoh and karpas and chopped up haroset
Shankbones and kidish and Yiddish neuroses
Tante who kvetches and uncle who sings
These are a few of our Passover things.

Motzi and maror and trouble with Pharoahs
Famines and locust and slaves with wheelbarrows
Matzoh balls floating and eggshell that clings
These are a few of our Passover things.

CHORUS

When the plagues strike
When the lice bite
When we're feeling sad
We simply remember our Passover things
And then we don't feel so bad.

Our seder now is set to start

sweet juice from grapes to warm the heart

Four cups in all, we will soon drink

each time be sure, our minds should think...

Of that great and awesome time...

when God who's strong and wise and kind

gave us freedom and good laws to bind...

Each of us to one another...

parent, spouse, sister, brother.

The Torah tells us loud and clear

just listen now, you're sure to hear

Hey...Chaya, Eli, you there Chayim

Ho-tzei-tee et-chem mee ta-chat seev-lot meetz-ra-yeem.

(Shemot 6:6)

Our Torah teaches that God said:  "I am the Lord. I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians."  (Exodus 6:6)

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam, Bo-rei, pe-ree ha-ga-fen

O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation, we praise You for creating the fruit of the vine.

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,

She-he-che-ya-nu, v'kee-ya-ma-nu, v'hee-gee-ya-nu, laz-man Ha-zeh

O Holy One of the Blessing, Your Presence fills creation thank You, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for bringing us to this happy time!

Urchatz is the time

We wash our hands, we wash them well

Who will be first, I will not tell?

Ok....I will choose if I must.

Whoever I pick will be neat, I trust.

Our tale to tell, both happy and sad,

like all great lore, some good, some bad

On our table the symbols abound

you needn't look far, they're all around

Look on your plate, for parsley green

a sign of Spring when it is seen.

And somewhere near there is salt water,

tears of slavery, hard work with mortar

And so together, we now recall

the green around, the tears that fall.

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,

Bo-rei pe-ree ha-a-da-mah.

Oh Holy One of Blessing, Your presence fills creation,

We praise You for creating the fruit of the ground!

source: A Family Pesach Seder In Rhyme

Leader: When we abuse our bodies, we too become broken. We do not treat our bodies with love and honor and so our souls die within us. Let us continue on in our brokenness with the hope that we can be made whole again.

So here's the story ...

When history started

when people began

they would bow down to idols

that just looked like a man.

But then came a moment

a long time ago

when a fellow named Abraham

realized something ... so, soooo

...So amazing that it changed everything ...

one God, one Creator, one Lord, one King

that God cares for all that is found in our sight

every elephant, octopus, human and mite

To Abraham, God made a promise,

a brit so to speak

our people would find shelter

from a life short and bleak

And we Jews, we agreed,

to this God we'd be faithful

We respect all God's laws,

we'd avoid all that's hateful

Well in time Abraham died

but the brit, it lived on

first to Isaac then Jacob

from father to son

Then came Joseph

with all of his dreams and his style

his heroics saved Egypt

from the Red Sea to the Nile

But time went on

the years went fast

and as things happened

the good life passed

There arose in Egypt a Pharaoh new

he was mean and selfish and forgetful too

of Joseph's greatness, he knew not

so against our people he did plot

This Pharaoh, he looked 'round and 'round

and lots of Hebrews he sure found

he devised a nasty and most devious plan

to enslave each Hebrew

every child, woman and man

The slaves endured the work and toil

in the hot sun, they did broil

they had no peace;  they had no choice

they thought that none would hear their voice

Just when it seemed as though all was a loss

that Pharaoh forever would be their cruel boss 

God heard the cry, the wail of the slaves

and God is a caring Creator who saves

And God set about to change Pharaoh's mind

Sending messengers like Moses and Aaron to find ...

…To find out if perchance...

Pharaoh might behave as mentsch

and release all the Hebrews from servitude's clench

But Pharaoh was nasty, he thought it was funny

that a God yet unseen, a God without money

could actually tell him what to do

So Pharaoh laughed, and just wouldn't give

the slaves labored on, no live and let live

Now God has love and God cares too

God certainly looks out for me and you

But God can sometimes get mad

and Pharaoh ... he was worse and bad

God had to act

with plagues, in fact

that would make all of Egypt feel sad.

(Professor Eliezer Segal, http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/)   Why is it only  on Passover night we never know how to do anything right?   We don't eat our meals in the regular ways, the ways that we do on all other days.   `Cause on all other nights we may eat all kinds of wonderful good bready treats,   like big purple pizza that tastes like a pickle, crumbly crackers and pink pumpernickel, sassafras sandwich and tiger on rye, fifty falafels in pita, fresh-fried, with peanut-butter and tangerine sauce spread onto each side up-and-down, then across, and toasted whole-wheat bread with liver and ducks, and crumpets and dumplings, and bagels and lox, and doughnuts with one hole and doughnuts with four, and cake with six layers and windows and doors.    Yes-- on all other nights we eat all kinds of bread, but tonight of all nights we munch matzah instead.   And on all other nights we devour vegetables, green things, and bushes and flowers, lettuce that's leafy and candy-striped spinach, fresh silly celery (Have more when you're finished!) cabbage that's flown from the jungles of Glome by a polka-dot bird who can't find his way home, daisies and roses and inside-out grass and artichoke hearts that are simply first class! Sixty asparagus tips served in glasses with anchovy sauce and some sticky molasses-- But on Passover night you would never consider eating an herb that wasn't all bitter.

מַה נִּשְּׁתַּנָה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה,

-הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כּוּלוֹ מַצָּה.
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת,

 - הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מָרוֹר.
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אֶנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת,

- הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים.
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין,

 - הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלָנו מְסֻבִּין

On all other nights, we eat either leavened bread or matzah;  

on this night ... only matzah.

On all other nights, we eat all kinds of greens;  

on this night, we especially eat bitter herbs.

On all other nights, we do not dip our greens at all; 

on this night we dip them twice.

On all other nights, we eat in an ordinary manner.  

For this celebration, we have a special ceremony.

You ask good questions

sung clear and loud

of each of  you,

we all are proud

And now some answers you shall hear

this is your story

come, draw near.

No matter what your age ...

no matter how you think ...

from the sweet well of Torah, all can drink.

Perhaps you're wise, you want to know

from whence we've come

to where we'll go

Maybe you're rebellious,

could be you're rude,

if this is the case, yourself you exclude.

Some of us are simple,

basic questions we ask,

straightforward answers

no long drawn out task.

And then there are some

who are just very young ...

they don't even know what to say

we tell them of wonders,

God's strength, Pharaoh's blunders

the rest to be told another day

Cruel Pharaoh believed having slaves, it was fun

that's until God changed his mind with plague number one

Think where there's water

in oceans and sinks

in lakes and in clouds and in fountains for drinks

Now imagine the horror

to say nothing of dread

if all that clear water

should like blood become red 

Well in Egypt it happened

the Nile turned to blood

all the people they panicked

as red seeped through the mud 

Pharaoh seemed ready

to let the slaves go

but then the plaque ended

and Pharaoh said "No!

Pharaoh was stupid, he hadn't a clue

But God caught his attention with plague number two

You may know a frog

a tadpole from birth

now imagine if frogs

covered all of the earth

Well in Egypt it happened

frogs everywhere

in gardens and basements

on clothes and in hair

No one could stand it

the green and the slime  

and everywhere "ribbit"

certainly not a good time.

Pharaoh seemed ready 

to let the slaves go

but then the plague ended

and Pharaoh said "No!"

Pharaoh was foolish, believing the bad was no more

until there appeared plagues three and then four

After frogs, there came lice

causing itching and scratching

and then came the beasts

with their growling and snatching

With each plague, Pharaoh seemed ready

to let the slaves go

but then the plague ended

and Pharaoh said "No!"

Pharaoh believed that the plagues were just tricks

until God opened his eyes with plagues five and then six

Along came a sickness that killed all livestock

the cattle, the camels, the sheep in the flock

And after that plague came boils o' so sore

all the people were screaming,

they could bear it no more.

And yet again with each plague, Pharaoh seemed ready

to let the slaves go

 but then the plague ended

and Pharaoh said "No!"

The worn out Egyptians then faced plague number seven

as hail it poured forth from the reaches of heaven

there was no escaping the hard ice as it struck

it seemed certain that Pharaoh had run out of luck

And again, Pharaoh seemed ready

to let the slaves go

but then the plague ended

and Pharaoh said "No!"

Just when Pharaoh perceived a slight change in his fate

God tormented Egypt with a plague number eight

Locusts are insects,

in great swarms they do fly

hovering over the horizon

they darken the sky

Locusts cause trouble where ever they land

for they eat all the crops

and make fields become sand

Well in Egypt they landed

and they ate all the wheat

the people soon panicked

afraid of nothing to eat

And yet again, Pharaoh seemed ready

to let the slaves go

but then the plague ended

and Pharaoh said "No"!

Pharaoh relaxed for he thought all was fine

But then God struck his kingdom with plague number nine

Try to think, if you will

of a day without light

incredible darkness

a terrible fright

Well, in Egypt it happened

the sun didn't shine

Not a thing could be seen,

just a horrible time

Once again, Pharaoh seemed ready

to let the slaves go

but then the plague ended

and Pharaoh said "No!"

Pharaoh was stubborn,

he thought he was smart

with the end of each plague he would harden his heart

he was cruel, he was foolish, he was dumb, he was mean

to ignore all the warnings of that God yet unseen

The God of compassion had really no choice

for Pharaoh would not listen to God's clear holy voice

The Hebrews still suffered

slavery without end

God demanded freedom, but Pharaoh just wouldn't bend

I shudder to tell you of plague number ten

it was tragic and painful

it was it was very sad when ...

…When on that still and restless night ...

the angel of death passed through Egypt

causing sorrow, leaving fright.

All the first born Egyptians

where wealthy or poor

there were no exceptions

each went through death's dark door

The anguish was felt in every city and town

the kingdom was shattered

only death to be found

And then, in the shadow of that awesome tragedy 

there emerged a small ray of hope  

Pharaoh finally relented

he gave up and repented

no more plagues, nor more death could he cope

Pharaoh was defeated, his arrogance depleted

the moment of truth had arrived

the Hebrews went free

what a great victory!

That brit, God's great promise survived.

(Leaving a drop of wine/juice for each plague:

Dam/Blood, Tzfardeya/Frogs, Kinim/Lice, Arov/Wild Beasts, Dever/Blight, Sh'hin/Boils, Barad/Hail, Arbeh/Locusts, Hoshech/Darkness, Makat B'chorot/Slaying of the First Born

Our ancestors found freedom

on that incredible night

by the thousands they left Egypt

what a staggering sight!

There's much more to our story

of traditions so dear

of wonders to tell you

so much you should hear

But for the moment, at least, I think that we've told

enough of our story, of our God strong and bold

The story is wondrous

it's yours and it's mine

it's my hope and my prayer

that in freedom you'll find ... 

 ... All of the opportunity 

to learn and to grow

to read and to listen

more Torah you'll know

Two times so far we've talked about

this matzah here to figure out

And now's our chance to take a bite

to remind us of the slaves rushed flight

But first some blessings say we should

Thank God for our gifts so good

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,

Ha-mo-tzee le-chem meen ha-a-retz.

O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation;

Thank you for the nourishing goodness of bread.

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,

a-sher keed-sha-nu be-meetz-vo-tav, vee-tzee-va-nu

al a-chee-lat ma-tzah.

O Holy One of Blessing, your Presence fills creation;

You have made us special with your Mitzvot, and You have

Instructed us to eat Matzah during Pesach

A wise Rabbi Gamliel, long ago taught

These symbols each Seder must have a clear thought

First Pesach reminds us that on the night we went free

God "passed over" our houses,

no death did we see

While all Egypt suffered,

while each home saw great strife

in the homes of our ancestors,

there were new signs of life

And the Matzah we eat to remember through taste

that from Egypt our ancestors departed in haste

they didn't have time to pause and surmise

they hadn't a moment to let their bread rise

And then there's the maror, the meal's bitter herb

a reminder of slavery, our senses disturb

The maror's a symbol intended to teach

that enslavement is evil wherever its reach

In each generation we are called and commanded

to do more than just read and then eat

our Seder is special, our gathering quite sacred

for our tradition we actually meet

At a time such as this, we really should feel

that it was we who went free on that night

For with that sensation

we are one, we're a nation

we're together for all that is right

Now let's take a deep breath

let's pause and let's think

and from the sweet cup of freedom

we'll then take a drink

We're thankful and lucky to be in this place

where the blessing of freedom

brings joy to the face

A free people are we

we're both happy and proud

we thank God for the goodness

with our prayer, clear and loud

For our Torah, it tells us

that our God strong and calm

heetz-chal-tee et-chem me-a-vo-da-tam

(Our Torah teaches that God promised our enslaved ancestors that:  “ I will

deliver you from the Egyptian bondage.”  Exodus 6:6)

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu, Me-lech Ha-o-lam

Bo-rei, pe-ree ha-ga-fen.

O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation,

We praise you for creating the fruit of the vine.

Some time ago, as we spoke

this matzah here we held and broke

It's called afikomen -- desert by and by

a fun tradition now to try

Well that matzah has now been hidden

for the moment at least, it's been lost

but I'll make you a deal, I'll give you my word

if you can find it, we'll pay the cost

(Young participants search for Afikomen.)

Our Seder's joyous interlude

our celebration soon conclude

we hope the day so soon to come

when songs of freedom all will hum

When God, the Brit did reaffirm

a promise made, in time's good turn

one day in freedom, peace and calm

"La-kach-ti et-chem lee l'am"

(Our Torah teaches that God said:  "I will take you to be my people." Exodus 6:7)

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam

Bo-rei, pe-ree ha-ga-fen.

O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation,

We praise you for creating the fruit of the vine.

Now's the time to say good bye

we soon depart, our head held high

We pray a day when we shall see

that all God's children will be free

Perhaps next year we'll celebrate

an end to war and fear and hate

We pray as well, dear Chaya and Chaim

L'shana ha-ba-ah b'Ye-ru-sha-la-yeem

Next year in Jerusalem!!!