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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...

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HaCarah – The conscious recognition of those not completely seen Tapuz v’Ko’kos – The Orange and Coconut Why do we have an orange and a coconut on the Seder Plate? Speaker 1: In our own day as in the ancient days of our tradition, an event becomes a story, a story is woven with new legends, and the legends lead the path into new teachings. So it is with the orange on the Seder plate. Speaker 2: To begin with in...

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בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדַיִם Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheynu Melech Ha’Olam Asher Kidshanu Bemitzvotav Ve-Tzivanu Al Netilat Yadayim. Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who sanctifies us with commandments, and commands us to wash our hands “Mitzrayim,” Hebrew for Egypt, literally means narrow straits. Judaic commentary has always viewed Mitzrayim as more than the literal escape from slavery, more than an escape from a place of narrow straights, an...

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Fill the cups with wine; open door; all rise... Elijah the Prophet Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. -Malachi 4:5 Elijah the prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah from Gilead, May he come quickly, In our days, with the Messiah son of David. Eh-lee-ya-hu ha-na-vee, Eh-lee-ya-hu ha-tish-bee, Eh-lee-ya-hu ha-gi-la-dee, Bim-hey-ra Ya-vo e-ley-nu Im-ma-shi-ach ben Da-vid. Elijah the prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah from Gilead, May he come quickly,...

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We sing “Miriam’s Song,” by Debbie Friedman in honor of Miriam and the Israelite women at the crossing at the Sea. Chorus: And the women dancing with their timbrels Followed Miriam as she sang her song. Sing a song to the One whom we’ve exalted. Miriam and the women danced and danced the whole night long. And Miriam was a weaver of unique variety. The tapestry she wove was one, which sang our history. With every thread and every strand she...

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“I will take you as my own people.” Exodus 6:6  - בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheynu Melech Ha’Olam Borey P’ree Hagafen. Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine. - For the Children of Israel went out with a high hand." Exodus 14:8

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To the Sage Hillel, eating Matzah and Maror together was not a trivial matter. To him, slavery and freedom were merged in one historical event. The bread of poverty became bread of freedom and was tasted together with Maror, so that one should know both the bitterness of slavery and the joy of freedom. In the time of freedom, we remember the bitterness of slavery; in time of oppression, we keep alive the hope of freedom. This is why Hillel’s practice...

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We sanctify the name of God and proclaim the holiness of this festival of Passover. With a blessing over wine, we lift our wine, our symbol of joy; let us welcome the festival of Passover. In unison, we say… Our God and God of our ancestors, we thank You for enabling us to gather in friendship, to observe the Festival of Freedom. Just as for many centuries the Passover Seder has brought together families and friends to retell the events that...

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We are about to take the middle matzah and divide it in half. This matzah which we break and set aside is a symbol of our unity with Jews throughout the world. We will not conclude our Seder until the missing piece (the Afikomen) is found and spiritually reunited. This is a reminder of the indestructible link which infuses us as a world family.  In unison we say… We cannot forget those who remain behind in any land of persecution, fearful...

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The traditional Haggadah preserves some customs from when the Temple was still in existence in Jerusalem. All formal dinners began with an appetizer. Karpas is the appetizer of the Passover meal. It may consist of any green vegetable: parsley, lettuce, endive, cress, even scallion.  The green vegetable is a symbol of springtime and the miracle of natures renewal. At this season, when Mother Earth arrays herself anew, the human spirit rises, and we renew our faith in a world where freedom...

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The Candle lighting celebration begins by honoring light We light the candles and say… בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדלִיק נֵר שֶׁל יוֹם טוֹב Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheynu Melech Ha’Olam Asher Kidishanu B’Mitzvotav V’Tzivanu L’Hadlik Ner Shel Yom Tov. Blessed are You, Lord, our God, Ruler of the universe, Who sanctifies us with commandments, and commands us to light the candles on this holiday. - בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶה...

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The Paschal Lamb reminds us that the Holy One, praised be God, passed over the houses of our ancestors in Egypt. The Matzah is to remind us that before the dough our ancestors prepared for bread had time to rise, God revealed the might, power and presence of God unto them and redeemed them. The Bitter Herbs are to remind us that the Egyptians embittered the lives of our ancestors in Egypt. In gratitude for the miracles which God has performed...

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What’s the story behind the Haggadah? According to Rabbi Moshe Lazarus, the word Haggadah comes from the Torah command – “And you shall tell (v’Higadeta) your children on that day…” Although the minimal fulfillment of this mitzvah is a simple recounting of the going out of Egypt and explaining a few of the Passover symbols, proper fulfillment requires much more. Over the centuries, additions have been made to the Haggadah to enhance this mitzvah. Many of these additions gained such wide...

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The Supportive/Open Minded Child How do we make our GLBT Seder more inclusive? We seek to ensure that everyone is included and that all of their needs are being met. For example, there is a movement to encourage the use of gender-neutral pronouns like ze for he/she and hir for him/her at inclusive Seders. We have incorporated many new traditions into our own Seder for example, the orange on our Seder plate, or the creation of a whole second Seder plate. ...

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According to the Book of Exodus, there was a famine in the land of Canaan (later known as Israel). Because of this famine, the Hebrew patriarch Jacob traveled with his extended family of 70 to Egypt to both live inbetter conditions and be with his son Joseph. Joseph’s wisdom had impressed the Pharaoh of Egypt to the point that he was appointed Viceroy of Egypt, which was second in power only to the Pharaoh. The next 430 years in Egypt saw...

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  Traditionally on Passover, all liquids which contain ingredients or flavors made from grain alcohol or vinegar (other than cider vinegar) are prohibited. Consequently, pickled foods are uncommon and undesirable for those observing the dietary guidelines of Passover. Equally undesirable in our world is the sour flavor of hatred, bigotry and homophobia. We take our sliced cucumber piece soaked in cider vinegar and lemon juice and recite:   בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַאֲדָמָה.   Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheynu Melech Ha’Olam,...

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Fill the cups with wine; open door; all rise... Elijah the Prophet Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. -Malachi 4:5 Elijah the prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah from Gilead, May he come quickly, In our days, with the Messiah son of David. Eh-lee-ya-hu ha-na-vee, Eh-lee-ya-hu ha-tish-bee, Eh-lee-ya-hu ha-gi-la-dee, Bim-hey-ra Ya-vo e-ley-nu Im-ma-shi-ach ben Da-vid. Elijah the prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah from Gilead, May he come quickly,...