• 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.

The Elephant At Your Passover Seder

There’s an elephant in the room, he’d like some attention and frankly, he should get it. This elephant has been around as long as the Jewish people, but he is getting bolder and meaner. That elephant, of course, is antisemitism. There’s the familiar white supremacy movement that pretty much hates everyone who doesn’t look like them, the run-of-the-mill antisemites, and a relatively new form of hate directed at Israel which crosses the line to antisemitism too often. 

Hate is hate. Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, atheists… everyone is worse off for it. Are we going to end it? No. But that doesn’t give us permission to throw our hands up and accept it, make excuses, or discount it. It’s exactly the opposite. We must talk about it, write about it, learn about it, and call it out. This is a time for all Jews and allies to be extra courageous.

Now that we’ve acknowledged the elephant, let’s not let him plunder the table. If we do, we’ll never get to the Four Questions, and besides, the matzah ball soup will get cold. Seders end with the phrase  Next Year in Jerusalem. We may be going out on a limb here, but we’re guessing that most of us won’t be in Jerusalem next year. We’ll probably be sitting right here. But we can’t take that for granted. We’ve already learned the bitter lesson that true hate is never little, it is never unimportant, and it should never, ever be ignored. 
-A JewBelong Original

Candle Lighting

READER: The day ends. The earth turns from sunshine to dusk and then to darkness. We assume for ourselves the task of kindling candles in the night, to enlighten the dark corners of our world. We still live in perilous times. Behind us, though receding into the memories of even the oldest among us, we can still sense the fires of Auschwitz and Hiroshima. Before us, the threat of acts of terrorism and gun violence. We gather tonight to create from fire, not the heat of destruction, but the light of instruction; indeed, to see more clearly the wisdom, strength and caring that glows from within each of us.

TOGETHER: May these candles, lit on the Festival of Freedom, bring light into our hearts and minds, May they renew our courage to act for justice and freedom here and now. May they illumine the path to truth, justice and peace. And so we repeat the ancient blessing:

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kiddishanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu lehadlik neir shel [Shabbat v’shel] Yom Tov.

We praise God, Spirit of the Universe, who has directed us to kindle [the Shabbat] and holiday lights.

On This Night

We retrace our steps from then to now, reclaiming years of desert wandering.

On this night,
We ask questions, ancient and new, speaking of servitude and liberation, service and joy.

On this night,
We welcome each soul, sharing stories of courage, strength and faith.

On this night,
We open doors long closed, lifting our voices in songs of praise.

On this night,
We renew ancient hopes and dream of a future redeemed.

On this night,
We gather around Seder tables, remembering passage from bondage to freedom.

On this night,
We journey from now to then, telling the story of freedom.
-Author Unknown

This Year We Are Slaves

“This year we are slaves.” What do these words mean? We are slaves because yesterday our people were in slavery and memory makes yesterday real for us.

We are slaves because today there are still people in chains around the world and no one can be truly free while others are in chains.

We are slaves because freedom means more than broken chains.

Where there is poverty and hunger and homelessness, there is no freedom; where there is prejudice and bigotry and discrimination, there is no freedom; where there is violence and torture and war, there is no freedom.

And where each of us is less than he or she might be, we are not free, not yet.

And who, this year, can be deaf to the continuing oppression of the downtrodden? Who can be blind to the burdens and the rigors that are now to be added to the most vulnerable in our midst?

If these things be so, who among us can say that he or she is free?
-Author Unknown

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.

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.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who chose us from all peoples and languages, and sanctified us with commandments, and lovingly gave to us special times for happiness, holidays and this time of celebrating the Holiday of Matzah, the time of liberation, reading our sacred stories, and remembering the Exodus from Egypt. For you chose us and sanctified us among all peoples. And you have given us joyful holidays. We praise God, who sanctifies the people of Israel and the holidays.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
 שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה

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

We praise God, Ruler of Everything,
who has kept us alive, raised us up, and brought us to this happy moment.

Drink the first glass of wine!

The 14 Steps Of The Seder

Our Passover meal is called a Seder, which means  order  in Hebrew, because we go through 14 specific steps as we retell the story of our ancestors’ liberation from slavery in Egypt.

1. Kiddush (the blessing over wine) – KADEISH

2. Ritual hand-washing in preparation for the Seder – URCHATZ

3. Dipping a green vegetable in salt water – KARPAS

4. Breaking the middle of matzah – MATZAH YACHATZ

5. Telling the story of Passover – MAGGID

6. Ritual hand-washing in preparation for the meal – RACHTZA

7. The blessing over the meal and matzah – MOTZI MATZAH

8. Dipping the bitter herb in sweet – CHAROSET MAROR

9. Eating a sandwich of matzah and bitter herb – KOREICH

10. Eating the meal – SCHULAN OREICH

11. Finding and eating the Afikomen – TZAFOON

12. Saying grace after the meal and inviting Elijah the Prophet – BAREICH

13. Singing songs that praise God – HALLEL

14. Ending the Seder and thinking about the future – NIRTZAH
-Author Unknown

KARPAS ~Dipping of the Greens

Reader 1: Long before the struggle upward begins, there is tremor in the seed. Self-protection cracks, roots reach down and grab hold. The seed swells, and tender shoots push up toward light. This is karpas: spring awakening growth. A force so tough it can break stone.

Reader 2: Why do we dip karpas into salt water?

Reader 1: At the beginning of this season of rebirth and growth, we recall the tears of our ancestors in bondage.

Reader 2: And why should salt water be touched by karpas?

Reader 1: To remind us that tears stop. Even after pain. Spring comes.
Take some greens and dip them in the salt water, lemon juice or vinegar and say:

Some parsley, lettuce or watercress is distributed to all present who dip it in salt water or in vinegar, and before partaking of it say in unison:

BORUCH ATTO ADONOI ELOHENU MELECH HO‘OLOM BORE P’RI HO’ADOMO.

Praised art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the earth.

What Happens To Them Happens To Me

LEADER: Prejudice is like a monster which has many heads, an evil which requires many efforts to overcome. One head sends forth poison against the people of a different race, another against the people of a different religion or culture. Thus the evil of prejudice is indivisible.

GROUP: Human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and the persistent work of dedicated individuals who are willing to be co-workers with God. Without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the insurgent and primitive forces of irrational emotionalism and social stagnation.

LEADER: What is called for is not a silent sigh, but a voice of moral compassion and indignation, the sublime and inspired screaming of a prophet uttered by a whole community.

GROUP: The voice of justice is stronger than bigotry and the hour calls for that voice as well as the concerted and incessant action.

LEADER: I have personal faith. I believe firmly that in spite of the difficulties of these days, in spite of the struggles ahead, we will and we can solve this problem. I believe there will be a better world.
-Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham J. Heschel

Passover Remembered

Pack nothing. Bring only your determination to serve and your willingness to be free.
Don’t wait for the bread to rise. Take nourishment for the journey, but eat standing, be ready to move at a moment’s notice.

Do not hesitate to leave your old ways behind – fear, silence, submission. Do not take time to explain to the neighbors. Tell only a few trusted friends and family members.

Then begin quickly, before you have time to sink back into the old slavery. Set out in the dark. I will send fire to warm and encourage you.

I will be with you in the fire, and I will be with you in the cloud. You will learn to eat new food and find refuge in new places. I will give you dreams in the desert to guide you safely home to that place you have not yet seen.

The stories you tell one another around your fires in the dark will make you strong and wise.

Outsiders will attack you, some will follow you, and at times you will weary and turn on each other from fear and fatigue and blind forgetfulness. You have been preparing for this for hundreds of years.

I am sending you into the wilderness to make a way and to learn my ways more deeply. Those who fight you will teach you. Those who fear you will strengthen you. Those who follow you may forget you.

Only be faithful. This alone matters. Some of you will die in the desert, for the way is longer than anyone imagined. Some of you will give birth. Some will join other tribes along the way, and some will simply stop and create new families in a welcoming oasis.

Some of you will be so changed by weathers and wanderings that even your closest friends will have to learn your features as though for the first time. Some of you will not change at all. Sing songs as you go, and hold close together.

You may, at times, grow confused and lose your way.

Continue to call each other by the names I’ve given you to help remember who you are. You will get where you are going by remembering who you are.

Tell your children lest they forget and fall into danger – remind them even they were not born in freedom, but under a bondage they no longer remember, which is still with them, if unseen.

So long ago you fell into slavery, slipped into it unaware, out of hunger and need. Do not let your children sleep through the journey’s hardship. Keep them awake and walking on their own feet so that you both remain strong and on course.

So you will be only the first of many waves of deliverance on these desert seas. Do not go back. I am with you now and I am waiting for you.
-Alla Bozarth-Campbell

During the time when Pharaoh issued his decree to kill Israelite males, Moses, who later was to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to freedom, was an infant. His concerned mother, Jochebed placed him in a basket of reeds in the Nile River while Moses’ sister Miriam watched from a distance to see who would come to find him. The basket was found by the Pharaoh’s daughter, who decided to raise the infant as her own son and named him Moses. She unknowingly hired Jochebed as a nurse to care for him, and Jochebed secretly taught Moses his Israelite heritage. At age 40, on a visit to see his fellow Israelites, Moses saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating an Israelite slave and in his rage, killed the Egyptian. Fearing for his life, Moses fled Egypt. He fled across the desert, for the roads were watched by Egyptian soldiers, and took refuge in Midian, an area in present-day northwestern Saudi Arabia along the eastern shores of the Red Sea.

While in Midian, Moses met a Midianite priest named Jethro and became a shepherd for the next 40 years, eventually marrying one of Jethro’s daughters, Zipporah. Then, when Moses was about 80 years of age, God spoke to him from a burning bush and said that he and his brother Aaron were selected by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to freedom. At first, Moses hesitated to take on such a huge task, but eventually Moses and his brother Aaron set about returning to Egypt, commencing what was to be the spectacular and dramatic events that are told in the story of Passover. It is said that the Israelites entered Egypt as a group of tribes and left Egypt one nation. It has also been estimated that the Passover exodus population comprised about 3 million people, plus numerous flocks of sheep who all crossed over the border of Egypt to freedom in Canaan.

Under the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III in Egypt in 1476 BCE, the Israelite leader Moses (“Moshe” in Hebrew) – guided by God – led his people out of Egypt after a series of 10 plagues that were created by God and initiated by Moses. Prior to most of the plagues, Moses had warned the Pharaoh about each plague and that it would devastate his people, if he refused to let the Israelites go. After the first two plagues, the Pharaoh refused to let them go because his court magicians were able to re-create the same miracles, and so the Pharaoh thought: “This proves that the Israelite God is not stronger than I.” But when the third plague occurred, the Pharaoh’s magicians were not able to duplicate this miracle; however, that still did not change the Pharaoh’s mind about letting the Israelites leave Egypt. After each subsequent plague, the Pharaoh agreed to let the Israelites go, but the Pharaoh soon changed his mind and continued to hold the Israelites as slaves. Finally, after the 10^th plague, the Pharaoh let the Israelites go for good.

With your finger tip, remove one drop of wine from your cup and wipe it on your plate, as each plague is mentioned…

The Second Cup – The 10 Plagues

Blood – דָּם

Frogs – צְפֵרְדֵּעַ

Lice – כִּנִים

Wild Beasts – עָרוֹב

Blight – דֶּבֶר

Boils – שְׁחִין

Hail – בָּרַד

Locusts – אַרְבֶּה

Darkness – חשֶׁךְ

Slaying of the First-Born – מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת

When the Pharaoh finally agreed to free the Israelite slaves, they left their homes so quickly that there wasn’t even time to bake their breads. So they packed the raw dough to take with them on their journey. As they fled through the desert they would quickly bake the dough in the hot sun into hard crackers called matzah. Today to commemorate this event, Jews eat matzah in place of bread during Passover.

Though the Israelites were now free, their liberation was incomplete. The Pharaoh’s army chased them through the desert towards the Red Sea. When the Israelites reached the sea they were trapped, since the sea blocked their escape. When the Israelites saw the Egyptian army fast approaching toward them, they called out in despair to Moses. Fortunately, God intervened and commanded Moses to strike his staff on the waters of the Red Sea, creating a rift of land between the waves, enabling the Israelites to cross through the Red Sea to safety on the other side. Once the Israelites were safely across, God then commanded Moses to strike the waters of the Red Sea with his staff again, just as the Egyptian army followed them through the parted Red Sea. The waters came together again, drowning the entire Egyptian army and the Israelites were saved.

Four Questions

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The telling of the story of Passover is framed as a discussion with questions and answers. The tradition that the youngest person asks the questions reflects the idea of involving everyone at the Seder.

Ma nishtana halaila hazeh mikol haleilot?

Why is this night different from all other nights?

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

Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either bread or matzah, but on this night we eat only matzah?

2. Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin shi’ar yirakot haleila hazeh maror.

Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs, but on this night we eat only bitter herbs?

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

Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip our herbs even once, but on this night we dip them twice?

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

Why is it that on all other nights we eat either sitting or reclining, but on this night we eat in a reclining position?

It is a tradition at the Seder to include a section entitled “the Four Children.” We have turned it upside down, to remind us that as adults we have a lot to learn from youth. From the U.S. to South Africa to Palestine, young people have been, and are, at the forefront of most of the social justice movements on this planet. If there is a mix of ages of people at your seder, perhaps some of the older people would like to practice asking questions, and the younger folks would like to respond:

The Angry Adult – Violent and oppressive things are happening to me, the people I love and people I don’t even know. Why can’t we make the people in power hurt the way we are all hurting? Hatred and violence can never overcome hatred and violence. Only love and compassion can transform our world.

Cambodian Buddhist monk Maha Ghosananda, whose family was killed by the Khmer Rouge, has written: It is a law of the universe that retaliation, hatred, and revenge only continue the cycle and never stop it. Reconciliation does not mean that we surrender rights and conditions, but means rather that we use love in all our negotiations. It means that we see ourselves in the opponent -- for what is the opponent but a being in ignorance, and we ourselves are also ignorant of many things. Therefore, only loving kindness and right-mindfulness can free us.

The Ashamed Adult – I’m so ashamed of what my people are doing that I have no way of dealing with it?!? We must acknowledge our feelings of guilt, shame and disappointment, while ultimately using the fire of injustice to fuel us in working for change. We must also remember the amazing people in all cultures, who are working to dismantle oppression together everyday.

Marianne Williamson said: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of G-d. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of G-d that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

The Fearful Adult – Why should I care about ‘those people’ when they don’t care about me? If I share what I have, there won’t be enough and I will end up suffering. We must challenge the sense of scarcity that we have learned from capitalism and our histories of oppression. If we change the way food, housing, education, and resources are distributed, we could all have enough.

Martin Luther King said: It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. We are made to live together because of the interrelated structure of reality.

The Compassionate Adult – How can I struggle for justice with an open heart? How can we live in a way that builds the world we want to live in, without losing hope? This is the question that we answer with our lives.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote: Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy. And yet being alive is no answer to the problems of living. To be or not to be is not the question. The vital question is: how to be and how not to be…to pray is to recollect passionately the perpetual urgency of this vital question.

Anne Frank wrote: It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all of my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too; I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end and that peace and tranquility will return again. In the meantime, I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the time will come when I shall be able to carry them out."

Each of us bears in our own belly the angry one, the ashamed one, the frightened one, the compassionate one. Which of these children shall we bring to birth? Only if we can deeply hear all four of them can we truthfully answer the fourth question. Only if we can deeply hear all four of them can we bring to birth a child, a people that is truly wise.

--------------

Love and Justice in Times of War Haggadah.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/14072054/Love-Justice-in-times-of-war-Haggadah

The Twelve Plagues of Antisemitism

This year we have strong, black coffee on our Seder table as a symbol for the Jewish community, and anyone who stands for justice and against hate, to wake up to the vicious rise in antisemitism. Many of our ancestors came here as refugees, worked hard and contributed to society so we could enjoy good lives. But something has shifted and the insidious nature of antisemitism is growing. Antisemitism has become normalized. Even if you have yet to experience it personally, keep reading because it may just be a matter of time. It was the “paranoid” Jews in Europe in the 1930s who survived. The good news is that it’s not too late to wake up and activate. Start now. 

(Take turns reading the plagues aloud while everyone takes a sip of their coffee.)

Plague 1: Self-centered
“I’ve never experienced antisemitism, so how bad could it be?” Well, very. Even if you have not experienced it, your people have, your community has, your family has. Isn’t that enough? Frankly, antisemitism has become so normalized that you may not always notice it. Like when someone says Jews are cheap, or run the media, or that our community doesn’t need allies because we’re all white/privileged. That’s antisemitism. 

Plague 2: Academia
43% of Jewish students in American colleges and universities have personally experienced antisemitism or witnessed antisemitic activity on campus. Enough said. We need to listen, learn and support our kids. 

Plague 3: Webinars 
There is a well-funded, professional antisemitism campaign masquerading as social justice. This organized effort working to promote antisemitism is flourishing. Yet too often the Jewish community wants to “educate” the problem away. But education only works when people are open minded. When people hate Jews, it is real and dangerous, and webinars alone can’t fix it. 

Plague 4: Silence 
From tucking your Star of David necklace into your t-shirt, to letting an antisemitic slur slide, to not using your platform for good – if we assimilate out of fear and abandon our Jewishness, the bigots win. 

Plague 5: Inequity 
Name the social cause and Jews are often standing out front supporting it. It’s outrageous that Jews are unwelcome by some progressive groups. While a basic Jewish value is to improve the world, it is important that Jews support the Jewish community, too. Standing up for others more than ourselves isn’t the answer. 

Plague 6: Instagram 
Not everyone needs to be a Middle East expert, but getting information from social media influencers on a complex geopolitical situation is not the way to go. We must elevate experts with the credentials to accurately discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, rather than blindly trusting influencers and celebrities.

Plague 7: Narrow-mindedness 
It is entirely possible to stand for the humanity of both Palestinians and Israelis. We do not need to be pro anything except pro-peace. 

Plague 8: Politics 
Politicians on the far right and left are using the Jewish community as a political football because it plays well with their radical biases. But, this isn’t a game and we aren’t political pawns. We must depoliticize antisemitism. 

Plague 9: Blame 
When antisemitic crimes take place against Orthodox Jews who are visibly Jewish, the reaction is often, “Well, they asked for it.” Since when is being outwardly Jewish “asking for it?” This perpetuates an atmosphere of fear. Jews are not responsible for the hate that is targeted against us. 

Plague 10: “Who’s the better Jew?” 
This is a game with no winners. Please stop judging other Jews for how they practice. Everyone is on their own Jewish journey, from those with no Jewish education to the most observant at the table. We make each other stronger. 

Honorable Mentions: 

Plague 11: Horns 
We put out a request for personal experiences of antisemitism and received so many similar responses that we categorized them and created a booklet called Horns, You Killed Jesus, Pennies: Your Antisemitism Stories. (It’s on JewBelong.com in the Antisemitism section.) 

Plague 12: Only Playing Defense
Athletes know that it’s more fun to play offense than defense. Same with being Jewish! Fighting antisemitism is hard, but being a proud Jew? That is a joy! There is a reason that the Jewish people have survived for thousands of years. Stay on the offensive. Be proud, loud and continue to use Jewish values as a touchstone in this very troubled world. 

A Contemporary Dayeinu

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Let’s bring Dayeinu into the present. We are grateful, and yet what miracles and accomplishments would be sufficient (Dayeinu) in today’s world for us to be truly satisfied?

1. When all workers of the world receive just compensation and respect for their labors, enjoy safe, healthy and secure working conditions, and can take pride in their work… DAYEINU (everyone says this out loud each time)

2. When governments end the escalating production of devastating weapons, secure in the knowledge that they will not be necessary… DAYEINU

3. When technology is for the production and conservation of energy and our other natural resources is developed so that we can maintain responsible and comfortable lifestyles and still assure a safe environment for our children… DAYEINU

4. When the air, water, fellow creatures and beautiful world are protected for the benefit and enjoyment of all… DAYEINU

5. When all politicians work honestly for the good of all… DAYEINU

6. When all women and men are allowed to make their own decisions on matters regarding their own bodies and their personal relationships without discrimination or legal consequences… DAYEINU

7. When people of all ages, sexes, races, religions, cultures and nations respect and appreciate one another… DAYEINU

8. When all children grow up in freedom, without hunger, and with the love and support they need to realize their full potential… DAYEINU

9. When all children, men and women are free of the threat of violence, abuse and domination; when personal power and strength are not used as weapons… DAYEINU

10. When all people have access to the information and care they need for their physical, mental and spiritual well-being… DAYEINU

11. When food and shelter are accepted as human rights, not as commodities, and are available to all… DAYEINU

12. When no elderly person in our society has to fear hunger, cold, or loneliness… DAYEINU

13. When the people of the Middle East, and all people living in strife, are able to create paths to just and lasting peace… DAYEINU

14. When people everywhere have the opportunities we have to celebrate our culture and use it as a basis for progressive change in the world… DAYEINU

All: If tonight each person could say this year I worked as hard as I could toward my goals for improving this world, so that one day all people can experience the joy and freedom I feel sitting with my family and friends at the Seder table… DAYEINU, DAYEINU
-Author Unknown

(raise second cup of wine)

The fate of every Jew is bound up with the fate of the Jewish people and the destiny of the Jewish people cannot be separated from the destiny of all humanity. Let us drink this cup of wine to symbolize our pledge to break the bonds of slavery for all who are not free.

L'CHAIM!
(Drink the second cup of wine)

At this point in our festivity, let us reflect upon the significance of Passover. Passover celebrates freedom. Can we be free while others are not?   If there are people anywhere who are oppressed, then we cannot celebrate Passover with a clear conscience.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. 
Injustice to any people is a threat to justice to ALL people.
I will not remain silent in the face of injustice."
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

רחצה

Rachtzah

Wash hands while reciting the traditional blessing for washing the hands:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדַיִם.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu al n'tilat yadayim.

Praised are you, Adonai, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has taught us the way of holiness through commandments, commanding us to wash our hands.

Motzi Matzah (Eating the Matzah)

Raise the matzah and recite two blessings: the regular bread blessing and then one specifically mentioning the mitzvah of eating matzah at Passover.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha-aretz. Amen.

We praise God, Spirit of the Universe, who brings bread from the land.

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

Blessed are You, God, Spirit of the Universe, who commands us to eat matzah.

A Meditation on Maror By Ira Steingroot 

(from A Different Night:: The Family Participation Haggadah, by Noam Zion and David Dishon)

Personally, I cannot imagine Passover without horseradish. Its combination of intense pleasure and pain makes a good analog for the bittersweet nature of our memories at Passover. We remember good times with family and friends, often with those who are no longer with us or are far away. We give our brief lives added dimension by linking them to the pain and triumph of Jewish history. As the Irish fiddler Seamus Connolly once said in the name of this mother, "We're never so happy as when we're crying." We never enjoy the horseradish so much as when it brings tears to our eyes.

Korech (Matzah Sandwich Of Bitter Herb And Charoset)

While the English Earl of Sandwich is generally credited for inventing the snack of his namesake, Hillel may have originated it two thousand years ago by combining matzah, a slice of paschal lamb, and a bitter herb, often referred to as a “Hillel Sandwich.” Jews no longer sacrifice and eat a lamb, so now the Passover sandwich is only matzah, charoset, and a bitter herb. Most people just make it and eat it, although some people say these words first:

“This is what Hillel did, at the time that the Temple stood. He wrapped up some Pesach lamb, some matzah and some bitter herbs and ate them together.”

The pita might not be kosher for Passover, the lamb shawarma is perfect for this point in the seder where we - and the Avengers - finally get to eat. 

[Image Source: GIPHY]

After the meal we search for the afikoman. When the afikoman is found and returned to the leader, an olive-sized piece is distributed to each person, and all consume the afikoman with enthusiasm!

Barech/Birkat Hamazon (Grace After The Meal)

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha’olam, hazan et ha’olam kulo b’tuvo b’chen b’chesed w’rachamin. Hu noten lechem l’chol basar ki l’olam chasdo. Uv’tuvo hagadol tamid lo chasar lanu v’al yech’sar lanu mason l’olam va’ed. Ba’avur sh’mo hagadol ki hu zan um’farnes lakol umetiv lakol umechin mazon l’chol b’riyotav asher bara. Baruch atah Adonai hazan et hakol.

We praise God, Spirit of the Universe, whose goodness sustains the world. You are the origin of love and compassion, the source of bread for all, food for everyone. As it says in the Torah: When you have eaten and are satisfied we thank you for the earth and for its sustenance. Renew our spiritual center in our time. May the source of peace grant peace to us, to the Jewish people, and to the entire world. Amen.

Elijah’s Cup

We now refill our wine glasses one last time and open the front door to invite the prophet, Elijah to join our Seder. 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, so we set a place for Elijah at many joyous, hopeful Jewish occasions.

Eliyahu hanavi Eliyahu hatishbi Eliyahu, Eliyahu,
Eliyahu hagiladi Bimheirah b’yameinu,
Yavo eileinu Im mashiach ben-David
Im mashiach ben-David
Elijah the prophet,
the returning, the man of Gilad:
return to us speedily, in our days with the messiah, son of David.

We place a cup of wine for the prophet, Elijah at the center of the Seder table. At this dramatic moment in the Seder, the door is opened to welcome this unseen guest into our home in the hope that the final, messianic, redemption of all people is at hand. Our ancient traditions tell us that final redemption will come at the season of Israel’s redemption from Egyptian bondage – on some Passover to come.

We sing Elijah’s song, and watch expectantly for the wine in the cup to diminish, a sure sign that Elijah has visited. Kids love this part because, well… basically, we are sitting there waiting for some ghost to come in and drink some wine! How cool is that?

Of more recent origin is the custom of placing a second cup, but this one has water instead of wine, on the Seder table for a second unseen but deserving guest – the prophetess, Miriam, sister of Moses and Aaron. If you recall the story, Miriam was a hero. She disregarded her own safety and had the nerve to approach the Pharaoh’s daughter, Princess of Egypt, and offer to find a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby. Miriam was also a great motivator because after the Israelites crossed the sea, Miriam was the one who grabbed her timbrel (tambourine) and led everyone in dancing and singing. Who wouldn’t want to have her at a party? Although, as far as we know, there is no tradition that she is going to visit and drink some of the water. Maybe if it were wine…

Blessing:

It was Miriam, the Prophetess, symbol of all the courageous and worthy women who kept the home fires burning, even when the men became discouraged and despaired of redemption. If the Cup of Elijah is one symbolizing hope for future redemption, Miriam’s Cup symbolizes redemption realized through the tireless efforts of Israel’s women. Let us honor her for her heroism, and through her, all the brave, capable, devoted, faithful and loyal women of Israel who have been, and continue to be, the ongoing source of Israel’s strength. For the sake of our righteous women were our ancestors redeemed from Egypt. Amen.

The cups are filled for the fourth time.

The leader lifts the cup of wine and reads:
The festive service is completed. With songs of praise, we have lifted up the cups symbolizing the divine promises of salvation, and have called upon the name of God. As we offer the benediction over the fourth cup, let us again lift our souls to God in faith and in hope. May He who broke Pharaoh's yoke for ever shatter all fetters of oppression, and hasten the day when swords shall, at last, be broken and wars ended. Soon may He cause the glad tidings of redemption to be heard in all lands, so that mankind—freed from violence and from wrong, and united in an eternal covenant of brotherhood—may celebrate the universal Passover in the name of our God of freedom.

All read in unison:

May God bless the whoel house of Israel with freedom, and keep us safe from danger everywhere. Amen.

May God cause the light of His countenance to shine upon all men, and dispel the darkness of ignorance and of prejudice. Amen. 

May He be gracious unto us. Amen.

May God lift up His countenance upon our country and render it a true home of liberty and a bulwark of justice. And may He grant peace unto all mankind. Amen

‏בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָֽעוֹלָֽם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּֽפָּן׃‎

 BORUCH ATTO ADONOI ELOHENU MELECH HO‘OLOM BORE P’RI HAGGOFEN

Praised art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who createst the fruit of the vine

Nirtzah (Ending The Seder)

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, as we say…

L’shana haba-ah biy’rushalayim

NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM.

What Is Freedom?

When did we leave Egypt and when did Egypt leave us? When were the chains of slavery broken and when did we finally truly feel free? Freedom came in steps. It was part of the journey from Egypt to Canaan our people took and we can still take. Freedom is courage and hope and clear vision. Freedom is walking to a place we can’t see. Freedom in knowing that we can find food in the desert.  Freedom is feeling safe though our houses are booths. Freedom is choosing good rules to live by and freedom is singing our very own song.
-Lewis John Eron