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In the words of the Ramban (Rabbi Moshe Ben Nachman, 1194-1270), “Since God will not perform this sign or miracle in every generation to refute the evil sinner or rebel, we are commanded to make a continuous remembrance and sign to that which our eyes have seen, and to impart it to our children and children's children... to the last generation."xx From the order of the service, to the symbolic Seder plate, to the ritual retelling of the flight from Egypt,...

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We take a piece of the bitter herb from the Seder plate and prepare to eat it. This is a reminder of the bitterness of slavery. As we eat the maror, let us remember the bitterness that many immigrants still encounter. We say together: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל אֲכִילַ ת מָרוֹר. Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’Olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotavv’tzivanu al achilat maror. Blessed are you, Sovereign of the Universe, who has sanctified us...

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At this point in the Seder, “we give thanks,” offering songs and words of joy at our liberation. Even as we remember how much work there is to do, we celebrate the accomplishments of the past year.פִּ תְחוּ לִי שַׁעֲרֵי צֶדֶק, אָבאֹ בָם Open for me the gates of righteousness, and I will enter therein. (Psalms 118:19, included in the traditional Hallel liturgy)

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In Jewish practice, it is customary to perform a ritual washing of one’s hands before consuming a meal that includes bread or matzah. We wash away the dirt of prejudices and negative stereotypes of "other people" which cause so much hurt and pain in our world.xix After we wash our hands, we recite the blessing: בָּ רוּךְ 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...

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RESOURCES & FOOTNOTES: i Adapted from the Camp Kinderland 2003 Hagaddah. ii “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., April 16, 1963. iii From Velveteen Rabbi’s “Hagaddah for Pesach,” Rabbi Rachel Barenblat, 2001. iv Exodus 6:6-7 v Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting Group, 2006. vi Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting Group, 2011. vii Farm to Food Desert- Chicago Reader, Topher Gray, August 19, 2010. viii U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, 2012. ix The Velveteen Rabbi’s Haggadah for Passover x...

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The Seder story tells of four types of young people or four ways that young people respond to the story of our struggle for freedom and unity. One response reflects wisdom, expressing a real concern and interest. This interest inspires us to tell our stories, fully and openly. Another response is to be rejecting and disrespectful, to say, "What does this have to do with me?" This disrespect provokes us to confront the person with the destructiveness of his/her response, how...

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The charoset reminds us of the mortar and of the pain of slavery. However, as we eat it we taste it’s sweetness. This sweetness gives us hope that the future will bring redemption and justice to all people.We make sandwiches out of maror and charoset, to remind us of the mortar our ancestors used to construct huge monuments for Pharaoh in Egypt. As you we eat this sandwich, we consider the signs of hope for a more just future that can...

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We offer thanks for the communal meal

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Source: The Freedom Haggadah (Jewish Council on Urban Affairs & Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Congregation) Passover celebrates the redemption of the Jews from enslavement in Egypt. This traditional story of defiance against brutality and slavery has inspired countless men and women to achieve freedom in our own times. As the haggadah says, “B'khol dor v’dor chayav adam lirot et atzmo k’ilu hu yatza mi’Mitzrayim,” – “from generation to generation, each of us is obligated to see ourselves as though we personally...

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Source: The Freedom Haggadah (Jewish Council on Urban Affairs & Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Congregation) Passover celebrates the redemption of the Jews from enslavement in Egypt. This traditional story of defiance against brutality and slavery has inspired countless men and women to achieve freedom in our own times. As the haggadah says, “B'khol dor v’dor chayav adam lirot et atzmo k’ilu hu yatza mi’Mitzrayim,” – “from generation to generation, each of us is obligated to see ourselves as though we personally...

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RESOURCES & FOOTNOTES: i Adapted from the Camp Kinderland 2003 Hagaddah. ii “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., April 16, 1963. iii From Velveteen Rabbi’s “Hagaddah for Pesach,” Rabbi Rachel Barenblat, 2001. iv Exodus 6:6-7 v Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting Group, 2006. vi Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting Group, 2011. vii Farm to Food Desert- Chicago Reader, Topher Gray, August 19, 2010. viii U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, 2012. ix The Velveteen Rabbi’s Haggadah for Passover x...