The Traditional Seder Plate

Haggadah Section: Yachatz

When the hardships imposed by the Pharaoh did not slow down the population growth of the Israelites, Pharaoh then decreed that all Israelite males born should be killed. However, the Israelite midwives – Shifra and Puah – who were ordered by Pharaoh to be in charge of this task, feared the wrath of God and made sure that this did not happen.  The Pharaoh then ordered his people to throw every male child born to an Israelite in the Nile River. Pharaoh was afraid that the Israelite males would grow up to become fighters against his regime. Pharaoh spared Israelite girls because he doubted they would become fighters against his regime, and he thought they would marry Egyptian men and adopt Egyptian values. But they did not!

As human beings today, we reflect with great distance on the hardship of our ancient ancestors but with great commitment we spend a significant amount of energy retelling and remembering their suffering and story of perseverance annually. As we make great efforts to celebrate and commemorate, we also turn and look at our recent history and the stories that surround our collective struggle to bring equality and respect to all people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and any other divisible way we segment ourselves in our modern lives.

The GLBT community has made great strides in the last half century to receive recognition, acceptance and respect as human beings and within the Jewish community on spiritual and cultural fronts. We sit here today to celebrate, commemorate and further commit ourselves to making all people welcome and respected here at this table and everywhere we can in our everyday lives.

As GLBT community members, allies, friends and family of the GLBT community, our second Seder Plate symbolically represents our lives, our struggles and our progress here and now. 

Source:  
JQ International GLBT Haggadah
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JQ International GLBT Haggadah
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JQ International
Table of contents
    Introduction
  • Introduction
  • The History of our Haggadah
  • JQ Haggadah Table of Contents
  • The GLBT Seder Plate
  • GLBT Timeline
    • -- Exodus Story
  • The Story of Exodus
  • The Story of Exodus
    • Kadesh
  • Kadesh
  • Kadesh - Sanctification - קַדֵשׁ
  • The First Cup - Welcome The Festival
    • Urchatz
  • Urchatz - Washing of the Hands
    • Karpas
  • Karpas - Appetizer
  • Karpas - Eating the Green Vegetables
    • Yachatz
  • The Traditional Seder Plate
  • Yachatz – Breaking of the middle of the three Matzot – יַחַץ
  • How Did the Israelites Wind Up in Egypt in the First Place?
    • -- Four Questions
  • The Five Questions
    • -- Four Children
  • The Four Children - GLBT
    • -- Ten Plagues
  • GLBT Ten Plagues
  • The Second Cup - The Ten Plagues
    • -- Cup #2 & Dayenu
  • dayenu! it would have been enough
    • Rachtzah
  • Rachatz -- Washing of the hands before the meal.
  • Traditional Seder Plate Symbols
    • Motzi-Matzah
  • Motzi u'Matzah - Blessing Before The Meal And Over The Matzah
    • Maror
  • Maror - Eating of the Bitter Herbs
    • Koreich
  • Hillel Sandwich
    • Commentary / Readings
  • GLBT Seder Plate In Depth - The Orange, The Coconut, Sour Foods, Fruit Salad, Flowers, Sticks & Stones
    • Shulchan Oreich
  • Shulhan Orech - The Meal
    • Tzafun
  • Find & Eat the Afikomen!
    • Bareich
  • The Third Cup - Redemption
  • Cup of Wine For Elijah, A Cup of Water for Miriam
  • Miriam's Song
    • Hallel
  • The Fourth Cup - Cup of Praise
    • Nirtzah
  • Shortened Translation of Echad Mi Yode'a (Who Knows One)
  • Closing
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