Leslie's introduction

Short song by Julie

Passover is rich in social justice themes. It is impossible to study the story of our redemption and not feel compelled to eradicate injustice in the world today. Among the primary social justice themes found in the Exodus story and in the Passover observance are hunger and homelessness and oppression and redemption. “This is the bread of affliction which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all those who are hungry come and eat with us. Let all who are in want share the hope of Passover.”

Come, let us gather as one, bound together by love and the shared hope that all Jews, and all people, will one day live free and in peace. Together, let us recall the story of Passover, relived time and again by Jews throughout the world. As we move through the Seder, reaffirming our belief in a faith so rich in history and life, may we take into our hearts the memory of all who have and continue to enrich our lives and remember those who still suffer the pain of war, oppression, tyranny, and prejudice.

Social Justice Blessing

Baruch atah Adonai, eloheinu Melekh ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu lirdof tzedek

Brucha Yah Shechinah, eloheinu Malkat ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotayha vitzivatnu lirdof tzedek

Blessed is the Source, who shows us paths to holiness, and commands us to pursue justice. 

Pesach is a time of inclusion. On seder night, there are two moments where we metaphorically open our doors and invite others in. One is at the opening of the Magid portion of the seder, when we say, “All who are hungry come and eat.” There is a beautiful message here: we were once slaves; poor and hungry, and we remember our redemption by sharing what we have with others.

The other, comes towards the end of the seder, when we have the custom of pouring a cup of wine for Elijah the Prophet. This is a statement of faith, a statement that says that although we are a free people, our redemption is not yet complete, and we believe that it will come.

From the most downtrodden to the most celebrated, the message is clear: everyone is welcome and everyone is necessary. Why is it that we go out of our way to include all at our seder table? Perhaps it is because when we make room for others, we have the opportunity to make room for ourselves as well. In fact, the Mishnah teaches us: In every generation a person is obligated to see themselves as if they left Egypt.  The seder presents us with the obligation of identifying with the generation that left Egypt and internalizing that experience. And through that internalization, we come to feel the redemption as if it was our own as well. Further, the reliving of the story of the Exodus affords us the opportunity see one’s true self. It is only when we are able to see ourselves clearly, that we are able to be redeemed. But perhaps the only way we are able to see ourselves, is when we are truly able to see those around us.

(Breakout rooms for introductions)

Lighting the Candles

Contributed by Linda Schneider

The seder officially begins with a physical act: lighting the candles.  In Jewish tradition, lighting candles and saying a blessing over them marks a time of transition, from the day that is ending to the one that is beginning, from ordinary time to sacred time.  Lighting the candles is an important part of our Passover celebration because their flickering light reminds us of the importance of keeping the fragile flame of freedom alive in the world.

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

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with laws and commanded us to light the festival lights.

As we light the festival candles, we acknowledge that as they brighten our Passover table, good thoughts, good words, and good deeds brighten our days.

Special blessing

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.

Blessing for healing

Mi shebeirach avoteinu, m'kor habracha l'imoteinu

May the source of strength who blessed the ones before us help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing.

Bless those in need of healing with r'fua sh'leima,
The renewal of body, the renewal of spirit, and let us say, amen.

Source: templesolel.net "Prayers for Healing". Music by Debbie Friedman.

(Usually the handwashing comes here, but I'm guessing you already washed your hands!)

Blessing over the wine

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

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

Drink the first glass of wine!

What's on the Table

Contributed by Geoff Chesman

The Seder Plate

We place a Seder Plate at our table as a reminder to discuss certain aspects of the Passover story. Each item has its own significance.  We’re going to conflate some steps here, so we’ll say the blessings as we address the items, and then I’ll direct how to eat them as someone reads the next entry.

Karpas – A green vegetable, usually parsley, is a reminder of the green sprouting up all around us during spring and is used to dip into the saltwater (have a small bowl available).  We look forward to spring and the reawakening of flowers and greenery. They haven’t been lost, just buried beneath the snow, getting ready for reappearance just when we most needed them.

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

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruits of the earth.

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

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

Zeroah – The shank bone represents the “pesach,” the special lamb sacrifice made in the days of the Temple for the Passover holiday. During the final plague, the Israelites were instructed to smear lamb’s blood on the lintel of their homes so the angel of death would pass over their homes. The sacrifice and now the shank bone are called pesach, from the Hebrew word meaning “to pass over,” because God passed over the houses of the Israelites when inflicting plagues upon their Egyptian oppressors.

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

Optional modern additions

• Orange – more on this later
• Tomato for solidarity with those suffering from slavery, underpaid labor and oppressive working conditions in American agriculture, including meat production. 350 employees at a meat processing plant in Sioux Falls, SD have tested positive for the virus, but the governor refuses to issue a stay at home order, even for that county.
• Olive for peace in the Middle East and other regions, which continue through the pandemic.  However, some news released 4/8/20 in consortiumnews.com: At least 150 members of the Saudi royal family have been infected and as a result Riyadh is seeking to end its five-year disastrous assault on Yemen.
• Roll of toilet paper to commemorate the special circumstances of this year's seder and symbolize all that is wrong with the federal response to the pandemic.

Matzah

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

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

We praise you, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

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

We praise you, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, who made us holy by commanding us to eat matzah.

Elijah’s Cup

Toward the end of the seder, it’s traditional to open the door to welcome in the prophet Elijah. If he does, in fact, come through your door, it’s probably a good idea to have some wine waiting for him in an extra glass.

Miriam’s Cup

Even though Miriam, the sister of Moses, plays an essential role in the Passover story, the traditional Haggadah text minimizes her by heavily focusing on the male figures. In the modern era and in progressive Judaism, there is great emphasis on egalitarianism and recognizing both our forefathers and foremothers. To celebrate Miriam’s contributions in the Exodus story, many have added a second cup. Miriam’s Cup is filled with water to symbolize Miriam’s well, which often provided much-needed water for the Israelites wandering in the desert after their exodus from Egypt.

In the early 1980s, the Hillel Foundation invited me to speak on a panel at Oberlin College. While on campus, I came across a Haggadah that had been written by some Oberlin students to express feminist concerns. One ritual they devised was placing a crust of bread on the Seder plate, as a sign of solidarity with Jewish lesbians, a statement of defiance against a rebbetzin’s pronouncement that, “There’s as much room for a lesbian in Judaism as there is for a crust of bread on the seder plate.”

At the next Passover, I placed an orange on our family's Seder plate. During the first part of the Seder, I asked everyone to take a segment of the orange, make the blessing over fruit, and eat it as a gesture of solidarity with Jewish lesbians and gay men, and others who are marginalized within the Jewish community.

Bread on the Seder plate brings an end to Pesach-- it renders everything chametz. And it suggests that being lesbian is being transgressive, violating Judaism. I felt that an orange was suggestive of something else: the fruitfulness for all Jews when lesbians and gay men are contributing and active members of Jewish life. In addition, each orange segment had a few seeds that had to be spit out--a gesture of spitting out, repudiating the homophobia of Judaism.

When lecturing, I often mentioned my custom as one of many new feminist rituals that have been developed in the last twenty years. Somehow, though, the typical patriarchal maneuver occurred:

My idea of an orange and my intention of affirming lesbians and gay men were transformed. Now the story circulates that a man said to me that a woman belongs on the bimah as an orange on the Seder plate. A woman's words are attributed to a man, and the affirmation of lesbians and gay men is simply erased.

Isn't that precisely what's happened over the centuries to women's ideas? And isn’t this precisely the erasure of their existence that gay and lesbian Jews continue to endure, to this day?

- Excerpted from an Email from Professor Susannah Heschel

Why is this night different from all other nights?

On all other nights we eat both leavened bread and matzah. Tonight we only eat matzah.

On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but tonight we eat bitter herbs.

On all other nights we aren’t expected to dip our vegetables one time. Tonight we do it twice.

On all other nights we eat either sitting normally or reclining. Tonight we recline.

Sing

Mah nishtanah halailah hazeh, Mikol haleilot? Mikol haleilot?

Sheb'chol haleilot, anu ochlin, Chameits umatsah, chameits umatsah,
Halaylah hazeh, halaylah hazeh kulo matsa. (2x)

Sheb'chol haleilot, anu ochlin, Sh'ar y'rakot, Sh'ar y'rakot,
Halaylah hazeh, halaylah hazeh kulo maror. (2x)

Sheb'chol haleilot, anu matbilin, Afilu pa'am achat, Afilu pa'am achat.
Halaylah hazeh, halaylah hazeh sh'tei p'amim. (2x)

Sh'b'chol haleilot, anu ochlin, Bein yoshvin uvein m'subin, Bein yoshvin uvein m'subin,
Halaylah hazeh, halaylah hazeh, kulanu m'subin. (2x)

How is this Passover different from all other Passovers?

On all other Passovers, some of us were content and some of us were afraid. But on this Passover, we are all afraid.

On all other Passovers, we ate together. But on this Passover, we eat apart.

On all other Passovers, some of us were well and some of us were sick. But on this Passover, many of us are sick.

On all other Passovers, we were distracted. But on this Passover, we are vigilant and hopeful.

Jewish tradition tells of four children with unique ways of understanding Passover: the wise child, the wicked child, the simple child and the silent child. Yet we know that no child is all wise, all wicked, all simple or incapable of asking anything. At different points in our lives, we have been each of these children.

What does the wise child say?

The wise child asks diligently, “What are the testimonies and laws which God commanded you?”

What does it mean to be the wise child?

It means to be fully engaged in the community, to know the limits of your understanding, to be able to search for the answers to that which you do not know.

At different points in our lives, we have been this child—inquisitive, caring, eager to learn and to understand, wiling to ask for information we do not have, hopeful that an answer can be found.

What does the wicked child say?

The wicked child asks, “What does this service mean to you?”

To you and not to himself or herself.

What does it mean to be the wicked child?

It means to stand apart from the community, to feel alienated and alone, depending only on yourself, to have little trust in the people around you to help or answer your questions.

At different points in our lives, we have been this child—detached, suspicious, challenging.

What does the simple child say?

The simple child asks, “What is this?”

What does it mean to be a simple child?

It means to see only one layer of meaning, to ask the most basic of questions, to be too innocent or impatient to grasp complicated questions.

At different points in our lives, we have all been this child—simply curious and innocently unaware of the complexities around us.

What about the child who doesn’t know how to ask a question?

Help this child ask. Start telling the story: “It is because of what God did for me in taking me out of Egypt.”

What does it mean to be the silent child?

This can be the indifferent child, no longer willing to engage. It can be the passive child, who just shows up. Or it can be the child whose spiritual life is based on faith, not rational arguments, the child who hears something deeper than words, who knows how to be silent and to listen to the surrounding silence.

At different points in our lives, we have all been this child—unable to articulate, quiet, searching for the right words, listening in silence.

We have asked the cleverest of questions; we have challenged provocatively; we have simply wanted to know the answer; and we have been so confused that we could not speak. We have been all of these children. Which one are you tonight?

Here’s another fun interpretation for this year from Love in the Time of Coronavirus.

The Torah speaks of four children: The Wise, The Wicked, The One So Simple He Gets Health Updates From Fox News and The One So Clueless She Still Can’t Use Zoom.

What does the wise child say?

“What are these statutes, judgments and states of emergency that our government has commanded?”

To this child you will say: “It is because of COVID-19; that’s also why this year’s afikoman prize is a roll of toilet paper.”

What does the wicked child say?

“Why do you sheepishly follow shelter-in-place orders?”

This child says “You” and not “We” or even “Us or “Our.” Since she excludes herself from the Jewish people, respond: “Yes, I do this because of what the Lord did for ME in Egypt. If you had been there, you would not have been tested!”

What does the simple child say?

“But Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity said….”

Interrupt this child, blunt his teeth and remind him: “Tonight we celebrate that the Lord took us from Egypt with a washed hand and an outstretched arm, except when catching a sneeze per CDC sneeze guidelines. Blessed be the Holy Ones, who gave us cough guidelines, too.”

What do you say to the child who is clueless?

To this child say: “Tonight we celebrate our release from captivity. But in accordance with Scripture, we will keep social distance and wear face masks.”

We are commanded to tell the story of Passover, the Maggid, each year, but there are many ways to do so.  This year it will be in song.

(To the tune of Take Me Out to the Ballgame)

Take us ou-out of Egypt,

Free us from slavery,

Bake us some ma-atzah in a haste,

Don't worry 'bout flavor,

Give no thought to taste.

Oh it's rush, rush, rush, to the Red Sea,

If we don't cross it's a shame,

For it's ten plagues,

Down and you're out

At the Pesach game.

(To the tune of Gilligan's Island)

Just recline right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of dreadful trip.

That started with ten awful plagues brought unto Egypt,

brought unto Egypt.

The boss, he was a Jewish man raised as a Pharaoh’s son.

Then God he did come ca-alling, soon was the fun begun,

soon was the fun begun.

Such blood! such frogs! and all those bugs,

Egyptians could not flee.

The Jews were really scoring points and soon they would be free.

and soon they would be free.

They crossed the Red Sea in all haste, which parted just for them,

The enemy was drowned at sea, no mercy for goyim.

No mercy for goyim.

They shlepped and shlepped for forty years across a desert land.

With Moses, and Miriam, too, with Aaron and his wife.

The Jews end up in Palestine,

But that’s another story!

(To the tune of I've Been Working on the Railroad)

 We've been working on these buildings;

 Pharaoh doesn't pay.

 We've been doing what he tells us --

 Mixing straw with clay.

 Can't you hear the master calling,

 "Hurry up, make that brick!"

 Can't you feel the master whip us

 'Til we're feeling sick.

  Oy vay, it's a mess,

  A terrible distress,

  Oy vay, it's a mess for Jews, us Jews.

 Moshe's in the palace with Pharaoh,

 Warning of all God's clou-ou-ou-out.

 Moshe's in the palace with Pharaoh,

 God is gonna get us out!

 We're singing...

 Fee, fi, fiddely eye oh,

 Make our matzahs "to go" oh oh oh.

 Fee, fi, fiddely eye oh,

 Stick it to that ol' Pharaoh!

Let us now recite the plagues together.  Traditionally, after saying each plague, dip your finger into the wine and dab it on the plate. This year, do not do this.

• blood
• frogs
• lice
• beasts
• cattle
• boils
• hail
• locusts
• darkness
• death of the firstborn

Here are some more plagues I’ve come up with. 

• Complacency
• Lack of access to quality, unbiased, science-based education which teaches critical thinking
• Anti-intellectualism and distrust of expertise
• Decline of fair, independent and trustworthy media
• Militarism, war and occupations
• Greed, corruption, power-grabbing and
• Authoritarianism and rising fascism
• Decline of first amendment rights – freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, separation of church and state
• The isms – sexism, racism, homo & trans phobia, xenophobia, ableism, etc.
• Modern slavery and child labor, including human trafficking and sex slavery
• Criminal injustice and decline of the rule of law
• Agricultural and animal farming monocultures
• Poverty and food insecurity
• Torture, rejection of refugees, inhumane detention policies and other violations of the Geneva conventions
• Climate chaos
• Voter suppression, gerrymandering, election process insecurity
• Devaluation of labor and decline of unions
• Domestic violence and child abuse
• Air & water pollution, soil degradation

Let’s also use this time to thank the unsung heroes of this pandemic, who are often working not by choice, with poor health and safety protections and low wages.

• medical personnel, including hospital sanitation and personal care aides
• public transportation workers, grocery store clerks, truck and delivery drivers
• postal workers, sanitation workers
• reporters and writers for independent media; business and government watchdogs
• government employees in prisons, detention centers, senior homes and mental health facilities
• agricultural workers/meat farms & processing
• mechanical and systems workers, including IT, communications, city services
• teachers (including parents), childcare workers for children of essential workers
• cops, firefighters and EMTs
• food service workers providing meals for children, seniors, disabled
• restaurant & fast food employees
• domestic and laundry service workers

Let's enjoy the second cup of wine while we watch this video, forwarded by Joni.  Please feel free to sing and dance along!

to the tune of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles

Oh yeah, I’ll tell you something It’s one of God’s commands

When you start the Seder You need to wash your hands

You need to wash your hands

You need to wash your hands

Oh my what a feeling

Before the paschal lamb

And yes it’s appealing I want to wash my hands

I want to wash my hands

I want to wash my hands

And we wash them when we say the Barchu 

I pass the bowl around and say

On to you, on to you, on to you

Yeah, You got us praying To reach the Promised Land

Hear this we’re conveying

We want to wash our hands

We want to wash our hands

We want to wash our hands

©2013 David Vanca and Lizzy Pike 

Eating the meal! | shulchan oreich | שֻׁלְחָן עוֹרֵךְ

Enjoy! But don’t forget when you’re done we’ve got a little more seder to go, including the final two cups of wine!

Bareich

Contributed by JewishBoston

Refill everyone’s wine glass.

We now say grace after the meal, thanking God for the food we’ve eaten. On Passover, this becomes something like an extended toast to God, culminating with drinking our third glass of wine for the evening:

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, whose goodness sustains the world. You are the origin of love and compassion, the source of bread for all. We praise God for the earth and for its sustenance.  Renew our spiritual center in our time. We praise God, who centers us.

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

Drink the third glass of wine!

This is the time set aside for singing. First we’ll hear Marcie’s new song, and then view the attached video.

The Cup of Elijah

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, such as a baby’s bris and the Passover seder.

Eliyahu hanavi
Eliyahu hatishbi
Eliyahu, Eliyahu, Eliyahu hagiladi
Bimheirah b’yameinu, yavo eileinu
Im mashiach ben-David,
Im mashiach ben-David

Miriam’s cup is filled with water to symbolize Miriam’s Well, a magical source of water that lasted during the 40 years the Jews spent wandering in the desert. We also honor Miriam’s role in liberating the Jewish people, first by saving Moses from death on the Nile and then helping to raise him. Miriam’s cup also celebrates the critical role of all Jewish women, past and present.

TOGETHER: This is the Cup of Miriam, to symbolize the water which gave new life to Israel as we struggled with ourselves in the wilderness. Blessed are You, Spirit of the Universe, who sustains us with endless possibilities, and enables us to reach a new place.

Ending the Seder and Thinking About the Future

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.

Drink the 4^th cup of wine!

Traditionally, we conclude a seder with the aspiration to return to the city of Jerusalem next year. However, tonight we must consider the dire situation in Palestine. The year 5780 began with ever-bolder land grabs by Israel and plans to outright annex the West Bank. Now, COVID-19 sweeps through Gaza practically unchecked. Making aliyah now and celebrated Passover in Jerusalem would only contribute to the ongoing land seizure, and perhaps help spread the virus as well.  As Jews, we are obligated to help deliver Palestine from servitude and plague just as our ancestors were once delivered from the land of Egypt. 

Let us not wish to live in peace in Jerusalem next year. Let us instead wish for peace everywhere, and for everyone. We pray this coming year brings health and healing, joy and liberation, gratitude and wonder to all the people of the world.