Cleaning and cooking and so many dishes

Out with the hametz, no pasta, no knishes

Fish that’s gefillted, horseradish that stings

These are a few of our passover things.

Matzoh and karpas and chopped up haroset

Shankbones and kiddish 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 locusts and slaves with wheelbarrows

Matzah balls floating and eggshell that cling

These are a few of our Passover things.

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.

Rabbi Baum talks about leading a chocolate seder for Passover.  Complete with all the symbols:

Parsley instead of strawberries

Chocolate sauce instead of salt water

Frosting/pudding with marshmallows and chocolate chips instead of typical charoset (made of apples, nuts and wine)

Chocolate covered matzah or chocolate graham crackers in place of boring matzah

Chocolate milk in place of wine

Bittersweet chocolate in place of maror (bitter herbs, usually horesradish)

Cadburry eggs instead of roasted eggTwix bar in place of shankbone

הא לחמא עניא- Ha Lachma Anya

Magid starts with Ha Lachma Anya. We invite anyone to come join us at our seder. 

Ha Lachma Anya is not said in Hebrew, like the rest of the Hagada. It is in Aramaic. Why is it in Aramaic?                 

1. One answer is that at the time, most people spoke Aramaic. We want to invite anyone who wants to come, and if the people do not understand, our invitation is pointless.                                                                                                    

2. Another answer is that Aramaic is the only language that the Malachim (Angels of G-d) don't understand. On the night of the Seder we are at such a high level of holiness, that we are talking straight to G-d himself, with no Angels in between.

We sing Ha Lachma Anya:

הא לחמא עניא די אכלו אבהתנא בארעא דמצרים. כל דכפין ייתי ויכל. כל דצריך ייתי ויפסח. השתא הכא. לשנה הבאה בארעא דישראל. השתא עבדי. לשנה הבאה בני חורין

Ha lachma anya di achalu avahatana b'ara d'Mitzrayim. Kal dichfin yeitei v'yeichul. Kal ditzrich yeitei v'yifsach. Hashata hacha, l'shanah haba'ah b'ara d'Yisrael. Hashata avdei. L'shana haba'ah b'nei chorin.

This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need come and celebrate Passover. Now we are here. Next year in the land of Israel. Now we are slaves. Next year we will be free.

Seder Night Fever

set to the music of I Will Survive

lyrics by Carolyn Gage & Fae Silverman

Copyright 2008

PHAROAH:

At first I was afraid

That I’d be mummified

Kept thinking I could never live

With Hebrews by my side

But then I spent so many nights

Thinking how to make them slaves

And I grew strong

And learned that I could not be wrong

But now you’re back

You’re in my space

You just walked in to find me here

And I’ve got boils on my face

I should have changed that stupid law

I should have taken all your straw

If I’d have known for just one second

Just how much you’d shock-and-awe

Go on now go

Walk out the door

Just turn around now

Cause you’re not welcome anymore

Weren’t you the one who tried to

Break me with the plagues

Did you think I’d crumble?

Yeah well take it to the Hague

MOSES:

Let’s not be vague

We’re not afraid

Oh as long as we know who we are

We know we’ve got it made

We’ve got all our lives to live

We’ve got all our love to give

It’s time to wade

It’s time to wade

Hey hey

It took all the faith we had

To make the Red Sea part

Kept trying hard to mend

The pieces of our broken hearts

And we spent oh so many nights

Just feeling sorry for ourselves

We used to cry

But now we hold our heads up high

Now you see us

So catch a clue

We’re not that chained up little Hebrew

Still enslaved by you

And then you thought you’d change your mind

And just expect us to agree

But now we’re saving all our loving

For ourselves because we’re free

PHAROAH:

Go on now go

Walk out the door

Just turn around now

Cause you’re not welcome anymore

Weren’t you the one who tried to break me with the frogs?

Did you think I’d crumble?

And be scared of polliwogs?

MOSES:

Call off the dogs

We’ll dialogue

Oh as long as we can find our way back to the synagogue

We’ve got all our lives to live

We’ve got all our love to give

It’s time to jog

It’s time to jog

Oh-h-h

PHAROAH:

Go on now go

Walk out the door

Just turn around now

Cause you’re not welcome anymore

Weren’t you the one who tried to break me with the lice?

Did you think I’d crumble?

Just because you can’t be nice?

MOSES:

Oh no, no dice

Let’s be precise

Oh as long as we behave ourselves

We’ll get to paradise

We’ve got all our lives to live

We’ve got all our love to give

So just be nice

So just be nice

So just be nice

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

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.

And on all other nights

you would probably flip

if anyone asked you

how often you dip.

On some days I only dip

one Bup-Bup egg

in a teaspoon of vinegar

mixed with nutmeg,

but sometimes we take

more than ten thousand tails

of the Yakkity-birds

that are hunted in Wales,

and dip them in vats

full of Mumbegum juice.

Then we feed them to Harold,

our six-legged moose.

Or we don't dip at all!

We don't ask your advice.

So why on this night

do we have to dip twice?

And on all other nights

we can sit as we please,

on our heads, on our elbows,

our backs or our knees,

or hang by our toes

or on top of a camel

with one or two humps,

with our foot on the table,

our nose on the floor,

with one ear in the window

and one out the door,

doing somersaults

over the greasy k'nishes

or dancing a jig

without breaking the dishes.

Yes--

on all other nights

you sit nicely when dining--

So why on this night

must it all be reclining?

As it happens, the four Jewish characters in McKinley High School’s glee club map quite neatly onto the four children of the Passover Seder, and the way each of them performs his or her Jewishness shines a different light on American Jewish identity, and on the themes of the Passover holiday.

 

Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) is the “Wise Child” — to a fault. She endlessly touts her Jewishness in one way or another, from Barbra Streisand songs to protests at Christmastime. She is also an irritating control freak, just like the unctuous Wise Child, who asks annoying, detailed questions about the statutes, laws and ordinances that God has commanded. The Haggadah obviously wants us to praise this kid, but most years I just want to slap him. Just like Rachel, he’s a know-it-all and a drama queen. “Look at me!” the Wise Child brags, just as Rachel does. Look how smart and good I am! Like Rachel in her goody-two-shoes sweaters, the Wise Child is intolerable. Rachel is a quintessential Jewish stereotype — smart, Semitic-looking, Magen-David-wearing — and yet she performs her Jewishness in the same way she performs her many solos on the show: in your face, turned up to 11. The Wise Child is the same way.

Noah “Puck” Puckerman (Mark Salling) is the “Wicked Child.” His is the most original of the Jewishnesses on “Glee,” contradicting every stereotype that Rachel serves to uphold. ... He’s a big, strong kid who doesn’t act or “look Jewish” in stereotypical ways. Often this is played for laughs, since his character is so un-stereotypically Jewish that his high level of pride and Jewish knowledge seems out of place.

Artie Abrams (Kevin McHale) is the “Simple Child.” He’s not unintelligent, but in terms of Jewishness, his is the simplest and the least interesting. Obviously, Artie is Jewish: Not just his name, but his brown-haired-white-guy-with-dorky-glasses nerd look marks him as stereotypically Jewish in every way Puck is not. Yet unlike Puck and Rachel, Artie hasn’t  performed  his Jewishness in any way whatsoever. There’s nothing to Artie’s Jewishness; it’s just there. Like the simple son, he shows up at the Seder but does little more.

Finally, Tina Cohen-Chang (Jenna Ushkowitz) is the “Child Who Does Not Know There’s a Question To Ask.” Like Artie, Tina is no dummy — but her Jewishness is completely invisible save for that double-barrel, presumably interfaith name. Because she is Asian, and because her Chinese heritage is central to her identity (she is now dating Mike Chang, the “other Asian,” and they commiserate about their ethnicity often), her Jewishness has effectively vanished. As with Artie, it’s not mentioned. The priestly name is there, but that’s as far as it goes.

Read more: http://forward.com/articles/136960/the-four-sons-as-characters-from-glee/#ixzz2OMDa03bh

 

The ‘Redemptionist Child’ – what does he say? The whole of the historical land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people and talk about ‘peace’ with the Arabs is dangerous utopianism. The world has an implacable hatred towards us and nothing we can do will change that. The international community may show sympathy when we are weak but it can’t stomach the resurgence of Jewish sovereignty and power to its ancestral homeland. Even when we endanger our own soldiers so as not to hurt Palestinian civilians we are accused of carrying out massacres and genocide. Whether we like to admit it or not, Jews will always be a ‘people that dwells alone’ and concessions in order to gain favour with the Arabs or ‘Goyim’ makes us look spineless and imperils more Jewish lives. Things may look bleak but redemption is within reach. We need to have faith, be steadfast and unify the people around true Torah values, one of which is settling and taking ownership over all the land of Eretz Yisrael.

The ‘Realist’ Child - what does he say? Peace with the Palestinians may be possible, but not in this generation. At the Palestinians’ core - their public statements, television programs, textbooks - they don’t accept the right of the Jewish people to live in a state of our own. Each withdrawal is not perceived as a sign of our peaceful intentions but as weakness and capitulation, evidence that we’re no longer willing to fight and struggle for the justice of our cause. We withdrew from Lebanon and Gaza and got rockets in response. How can we consider a similar withdrawal from the West Bank? We need to cause the Palestinians to internalise the fact that we’re here to stay, that we have roots in this land, that we’re not leaving. We can ultimately achieve peace, but it will take time, and we need to be patient. In the meantime we need to sit tight, and continue to fight. It sounds fatalistic but with the correct education, Israeli society has the capacity to survive the storm.

The ‘Pragmatic’ child – what does he say? I’m not necessarily a fan of the Palestinians, but Israel’s continued control over the West Bank is bad for our national security. ‘Occupation’ causes our friends to desert us, demography erodes the chances for the two state solution and isolated settlements actually make it harder to defend ourselves against terrorism. We think our control strengthens us. Yet ultimately it weakens us. The forces of religious extremism are on the rise. And unless we resolve our differences with those Palestinians who accept the two state solution, the window of opportunity for a secure Jewish and democratic state may close. Peace doesn’t mean we’ll eat hummus in Damascus and Ramallah or stop calling up people to Miluim. But in an unstable neighbourhood in unstable times, an agreement that ensures a Jewish majority in approximately 80% of Mandatory Palestine while guaranteeing normalization with the Arab world is worth considering, even if it entails painful concessions. It is after all, a situation that original Zionist leaders could only dream of.

The ‘Justice’ child – what does he say? The continued occupation over millions of Palestinians is poisoning and corrupting Israeli society, undermining our social fabric and is a betrayal of the core values of Judaism (and Zionism).  The Israeli – Palestinian conflict is a tragic struggle of right against right – with both sides having legitimate claims and grievances on the other. As a people, the Jews deserve the right to self determination, to express our national values and dreams…but so do the Palestinians. While we have religious, historical and cultural connections to this land, so do the Palestinians. Zionism is the national liberation movement for the Jewish people. But it loses its moral legitimacy when it denies that same thing to another people. We have a responsibility to partition the land and undo the injustice our (justified) presence in our homeland has caused to the Palestinians.

There's a fire, burning in the bush.

Moses takes off his shoes and takes a closer look.

G-d says, "Yo what's up. The Jews got to get out."

If you don't, then they all will kvetch and whine and pout.

Moses says, "Yo, I'm not the guy for this."

G-d says, Oh yes you are! You don't get to resist."

Moses wants some proof, this task sounds really tough.

G-d turns his staff into a snake, so Moses says "fair enough."

(oooo) Fast forward a little while after the bloody Nile,

And frogs and hail and darkness, what do we do now?

We leave that awful land, thanks to G-d's mighty hand,

And we start thinking ... We're gonna have it all!

Once we cross the sea of Reeds.

We'll sing and dance and party hard.

Soon we'll be in Yisrael.

Ten Ways to Bring Human Rights to Your Seder

1. Place a tomato on your seder plate in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers,

agricultural workers who are eradicating slavery from the Florida tomato fields.

See www.truah.org/slavery for related readings and resources.

2. Ask each guest to bring an object or photo that symbolizes a contemporary human rights struggle.

Place these on a second seder plate, and have each guest talk about what s/he brought.

3. Stage an improvisational skit in which Moses, Miriam, and other characters from the Exodus

story encounter a contemporary human rights issue.

4. Assign each guest one section of the seder, and have guests bring a recent newspaper article or

photo that connects this part of the seder to a contemporary issue.

5. Learn about how contemporary slaves may have contributed to the items on your seder table.

See www.truah.org/slavery or www.slaveryfootprint.org for more. Include in your seder at least

one fair trade item. See www.fairtradejudaica.org for ideas.

6. After reciting the Ten Plagues, ask each guest to spill a drop of wine while mentioning a

contemporary “plague”—a human rights challenge of today.

7. During Hallel, the section of praise after the meal, read selections from the Universal Declaration

of Human Rights, and ask guests to reflect on why they are grateful to have these rights in their

own lives.

8. As an afikoman prize, give a donation certificate to a human rights organization—or ask the

winner to choose where s/he would like you to donate. See www.truah.org/afikoman for

information on ordering a certificate for a donation to T’ruah.

9. Before singing “ L’shana Haba’ah BiY’rushalayim ” “Next year in Jerusalem,” ask each guest to

offer a blessing or a hope for ensuring that Israel becomes a model for human rights.

10. Close the seder by asking each guest to commit to one way in which s/he will work for

human rights this year.

This page includes a video of Eliana Lights singing her "Ba Shanah HaZeh" song (and a pdf of the lyrics) focusing on the issue of child labor in the cocoa fields.  She set it to the tune of Ba Shanah HaBa'ah "because of its hopeful message of a better, more peaceful tomorrow.”  The song was submitted and won first place in Fair Trade Judaica's Passover Seder Song Lyrics Writing contest.

In 1988, shortly after returning to her home country of Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi felt that she had to help her country rid itself of the current oppressive government. At this time the country was in control of brutal dictator U Ne Win. She spoke out against him at rallies, and also started a nonviolent movement toward democracy. In 1989 the government put her under house arrest, and for 15 of the next 21 years she was under house arrest or in jail. In 1991, for her tireless efforts to rid Burma of their dictatorship, Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize. Finally, in 2010, she was  released from house arrest.  Following her release, Suu Kyi was elected into the Lower House of the Burmese Parliament on April 1, 2012, and is now the chairperson of the National League for Democracy.   

What do basketball, Pesach, and freedom have to do with each other?

by Tamir Goodman and Judy Horwitz Goodman

As Pesach approaches and we recall our ancestors’ exodus from the slavery of Egypt, Jewish people around the world are once again faced with the challenge of trying to break free from elements in our own lives that enslave us.  While slavery can take on many different forms, I became personally familiar with one type of modern day slavery that can afflict us when we knowingly or unknowingly allow the values and trends espoused by mainstream society to define us and to limit our potential.

I first became cognizant of this type of slavery, when after retiring from playing professional basketball people began insinuating to me that if only I had taken a different path, one that left religion on the sidelines, I could have been better positioned to achieve greater success, the kind typified by fame, fortune, a glamorous NBA career…

Initially, these words pierced my soul and pained me until I realized that something about this line of reasoning just did not sit right with me.  To me basketball had always been more than just a means to a materialistic end.  On the contrary, the basketball court was where I had devoted countless hours to my training as I set out to beat the odds and became the first Jewish basketball player to play D-I and professional level basketball without playing on Shabbat or Jewish holidays.  By staying true to my identity, I succeeded in fulfilling my dream of representing the Jewish people and Israel on the court at the top levels of the game.  After retiring from playing, I needed to remind myself that a key to achieving inner-freedom is to break free from the oppression brought on when we allow others’ the power to define us.

One of the central messages in my new book, The Jewish Jordan’s Triple Threat: Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Lessons from the Court http://www.tamirgoodman.com/triple-threat-book-order/, is that when a spiritual consciousness pervades our lives, even the most physical pursuits, like basketball, can be infused with a deeper meaning and uplifted to the realm of the spiritual.  By arming ourselves with spirituality, we can confidently embark on our life journeys, ready to adeptly navigate the inevitable twists and turns, and emerge with our identities not only intact, but strengthened. This Pesach may we all be blessed with the courage and fortitude to let the holy sparks of our souls illuminate our unique paths in life. By doing so, we will be empowered to experience meaningful success and lasting freedom this Pesach and beyond.

 The following excerpt from Triple Threat touches upon the above points :

 “I have been able to embrace my post-retirement career with enthusiasm and excitement because I am at peace with my playing career. But, it did not take long for me to realize that others are baffled by my positive outlook. Strangers who still recognize me often insinuate that I could have been more successful if only I had left my religion on the sidelines. The conversation typically goes something like this: “Hey! Are you the ‘Jewish Jordan?’ I was wondering . . . do you think you could have had a shot at making it to the NBA if you would have played at Maryland and been on their national championship team in ‘02? What was the big deal about those Saturday games anyway?” The bottom line is that most people do not understand my choices, do not see my career as a success, and cannot understand how I can spin it in a positive light.

My response is to explain that it depends on how you define success. My goal was never to become a celebrity basketball player for the sake of having the fame and fortune—I had deeper spiritual reasons for playing the game that shaped my priorities on the court. My goal on the court was always to be the most complete player I could be while staying true to my spiritual side, which manifested itself through my practice of Judaism. My spirituality imposed boundaries on my career that precluded me from attaining mainstream society’s definition of success, but it did not limit me from reaching my goal. On the contrary, my spirituality gave me a purpose for playing the game, increased motivation to play with every ounce of effort I had, and the confidence to do it in my own way.”

 The book is available for purchase at: http://www.tamirgoodman.com/triple-threat-book-order/ or contact Tamir at: [email protected]

A Passover musical parody by The Ein Prat Fountainheads, http://foheads.com, graduates and students of Midreshet Ein Prat, Israel.

Chorus:

Just a tad of haroset helps the bitter herbs go down,

The bitter herbs go down, the bitter herbs go down.

Just a tad of haroset helps the bitter herbs go down,

In the most disguising way.

Oh, back in Egypt long ago,

The Jews were slaves under Pharaoh

They sweat and toiled and labored

through the day.

So when we gather Pesach night,

We do what we think right.

Maror, we chew,

To feel what they went through. Chorus

So after years of slavery

They saw no chance of being free.

Their suffering was the only life they knew.

But baby Moses grew up tall,

And said he’d save them all.

He did, and yet,

We swear we won’t forget.

That . . . Chorus

While the Maror is being passed,

We all refill our water glass,

Preparing for the taste that turns us red.

Although Maror seems full of minuses,

It sure does clear our sinuses.

But what’s to do?

It’s hard to be a Jew!!! Chorus

Elijah!

I just saw the prophet Elijah.

And suddenly that name

Will never sound the same to me.

Elijah!

He came to our seder

Elijah!

He had his cup of wine,

But could not stay to dine

This year —

Elijah!

For your message all Jews are waiting:

That the time’s come for peace

and not hating —

Elijah —

Next year we’ll be waiting.

Elijah!

By Rabbi Daniel Brenner, Chief of Education and Program at Moving Traditions

A boy is tricked into being part of a game with other boys only to find out that he is the target of mockery and abuse.  A girl is happy to be included as a “friend” at a lunch table until she finds it was only a ploy to get back at another girl. A boy is “hit on” as part of a practical joke. A girl is lured into an unwelcomed physical encounter.

Being fooled is one of the many challenges that teens face on a daily basis. The challenge is new – and old:

Rabbi Shalom Dov Bear, a 19^th century Chassidic sage, told his son:

There are three things you need to know to be a man: don’t fool yourself, don’t fool others, and don’t allow yourself to be fooled by others. And do it all without trying to impress anyone.

In preparation for Passover, we’ve been thinking about the “don’t allow yourself to be fooled by others.”

Today, teens see a world where it is normal to fool people. It seems as if each week, a celebrity, athlete, or politician who has lied to the public admits their shame. TV shows and videos based on pranks form the core of the comedy diet. And every 79 seconds a thief will try to open a bank account with a stolen identity.

What are the roots of fraud? According to Midrash, the slavery of the Hebrews in Egypt began with being fooled.

In the Book of Exodus we read:
“And the Egyptians made the children of Israel work vigorously.”
What is the Hebrew word for vigorously? Parech.
In Hebrew, Parech can also mean “peh rach” a “soft mouth” meaning “gentle speech”
How did the Egyptians make the Hebrews work with “gentle speech?”
Slavery began with Pharaoh saying: “I beg of you, as a special favor, work alongside me today.”
Pharaoh picked up a basket and shovel and everyone followed him.
But when it grew dark, he said to his men, “count up the bricks.”
When they finished he said to the Hebrews:
“This is the number of bricks that you must make for me everyday.”
– Sotah 11b; Tanchuma B’haalotecha, 23.

According to this Midrash, the Hebrews got taken in by soft words. They were conned, lured, and scammed.

How might this Midrash help teens to become discerning adults?

It would be pat to say to teens simply, “don’t get fooled.” But we, as parents, educators, and others who are concerned about teens and their interactions online and off, should look more deeply with them at the challenge that this Midrash poses:

How do we protect ourselves from being fooled without ending up distrusting the entire world?

On Passover, Rabbi Shalom Dov Bear taught, we as a community return to a state of authenticity and humility. Refraining from chametz (leavened bread) and eating matzah is a spiritual practice that helps us notice and distance ourselves from anything that is “puffed up.”

As teens come of age, they need adult guidance in discerning who they can trust. Teaching them to detect the “puffed up” – those who manipulate others in an effort to assert control, requires helping teens understand the dynamics of power, the attraction to Pharaoh’s methods, and the many ways that people can resist, disrupt, and break free.

This year, may we all taste the matzah – the bread of humility – and help the world to embrace an ethic of authenticity, honesty, and freedom.

A long, long time ago ...Israelites had to kowtowTo Pharaoh who they knew was vile

And they knew if they had a chance , That they would have to take a stance

And maybe they'd live happy by the Nile, But Moses was put in the river

To Pharaoh's palace was delivered, Bad news on the doorstep

The Hebrews toiled 'til they wept, They prayed to G-d to hear their cry

And to save them from this monstrous guy, Something touched Him deep inside

The day our people cried

So ...Why, why must we slave 'til we die

Need a miracle to free us from this life gone awry

We can't fight back 'cause we'll be killed if we try

Pharaoh scares us so that we must comply

Scares us so that we must comply

Did you read the book of Shmot, And do you have faith in what they wrote

If the Bible tells you so, Moses went to Pharaoh to cajole

And maybe save his mortal soul, And asked him just to let our people go

Well the chances they were pretty slim, That Pharaoh would give in to him

But Pharaoh wouldn't lose, His slaves, so he refused

Our people suffered so when they were struck, 

'Cause they were the slaves of Pharaoh and were stuck

And they thought they were out of luck, The day our people cried

They started saying ...Why, why must we slave 'til we die

Need a miracle to free us from this life gone awry

We can't fight back 'cause we'll be killed if we try

Pharaoh scares us so that we must comply

Scares us so that we must comply

Moses threatened Pharaoh on the throne

Said he knows that G-d'll send plagues down

And that's the way it had to be

First the waters in the Nile pristine

Were turned to blood and made unclean

And then frogs hopped around for all to see

Oh, and while Pharaoh was looking down

The lice made the Egyptians frownThe people were concerned

That plagues were sent in turn

And while Pharaoh was no easy mark

The wild beasts trampled in the park

The cattle died, the land was stark

The day our people cried, They were saying ...Why, why must we slave 'til we die

Need a miracle to free us from this life gone awry

We can't fight back 'cause we'll be killed if we try

Pharaoh scares us so that we must comply, Scares us so that we must comply

Helter skelter in the desert swelter

Now boils, then hail, there was no shelter

Plagues on high and coming fast

Then locusts in the air en masse

Egyptians were in a deep morass

With the Pharaoh on the sidelines standing fast

Total darkness hit the land with gloom

There was no sun, no stars, or moon

G-d showed omnipotence Oh, Pharaoh never had a chance

The plague of slaying first-borns was revealed

Pharaoh was beat and had to yield

Now all the slaves could leave the field

The day G-d turned the tide

And they were singing ...Bye, bye, we'll no longer comply

Drove our people to the Red Sea but the Red Sea was high

Then G-d split the water and the passage was dry

Bringing Jews across to the other side

Safe across to the other side

Oh, and now we are all in one place

For generations to relate The story that's retold again

So come one and come all, please make it quick

It's time to light the candle's wick

'Cause Seders are the means to comprehend

Oh, and as we read and turn the page

Our Seder guests we do engage

The story we do tell, So come and sit a spell

And as we tell of our ancestors' plight

The Ma Nishtanah we reciteIn the ceremony we delight

The day G-d turned the tide

And He was singing ...Bye, bye, we'll no longer comply

Drove our people to the Red Sea but the Red Sea was high

Then G-d split the water and the passage was dry

Bringing Jews across to the other side

Safe across to the other sideI met a gal who sang the blues

Because she had fewer foods to choose

So she just smiled and turned away

I went down to the groc'ry store

Where I'd bought a challah days before

And I filled my basket for the holiday

And back at home the house was clean

No speck of chametz could be seen

The middle matza broken

Go find the afikomen

And the three foods we will miss the most

Are popcorn, pizza and French toast

But this is true from coast to coast

The day the Jews defied

And so we're singing ...Bye, bye, miss my warm pecan pie

Drink some heavy Manischewitz and eat matza so dry

No bagels, pancakes or some nice Jewish rye

Eating macaroons and fried matza brei

Thankful that the Jews did not die

They were singing ...Bye, bye, we'll no longer comply

Drove our people to the Red Sea but the Red Sea was high

Then G-d split the water and the passage was dry

And our people crossed to the other side