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As we tell the story, we think about it from all angles. Our tradition speaks of four different types of children who react individually to the Passover Seder. It is our job to make our story accessible to all the members of our community: WHAT DOES THE WISE CHILD SAY? The wise child asks, What are the testimonies and laws which God commanded you? You must teach this child the rules of observing the holiday of Passover. WHAT DOES THE WICKED...

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They marched us down the length of Pozohony Street, toward the Margaret Bridge and that was when we understood they were bringing us to the edge of the Danube, where they would shoot us and leave us to die under the ice. When we arrived at the foot of the bridge, a Soviet reconnaissance aircraft appeared out of nowhere over our heads. The death march stopped, and there was a moment of chaos while the Nazi guards sought refuge in the...

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RITUAL HAND-WASHING IN PREPARATION FOR THE SEDER Water is refreshing, cleansing, and clear, so it’s easy to understand why so many cultures and religions use water for symbolic purification. Washing hands can take place twice during our Seder: now, with no blessing, to get us ready for the rituals to come; and then later, with a blessing, preparing us for the meal.

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The day ends. The earth turns from sunshine to dusk and then to darkness. We assume for ourselves the task of kindling candles in the night, to enlighten the dark corners of our world. We still live in perilous times. Behind us, though receding into the memories of even the oldest among us, we can still sense the fires of Auschwitz and Hiroshima. Before us, the threat of acts of terrorism and gun violence. We gather tonight to create from fire,...

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CHAD GADYA, CHAD GADYA dizabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya. Va'ata shunra, ve'achla legadya dizabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya. An only kid! An only kid My father bought for two zuzim Chad gadya, Chad gadya Then came the cat and ate the kid My father bought For two zuzim Chad gadya, Chad gadya Then came the dog And bit the cat That ate the kid My father bought For two zuzim Chad gadya, Chad gadya Then...

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EATING THE MATZO Raise the matzo and recite two blessings: the regular bread blessing and then one specifically mentioning the mitzvah of eating matzo at Passover. Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha-aretz. We praise God, Spirit of everything who brings bread from the land. Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat matzah. Blessed are You, Spirit of everything who commands us to eat matzo.

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The meal is served!

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May you grant my family and all Israel a good and long life. Remember us with blessings and kindness. Give me the opportunity to raise my children and grandchildren to be truly wise and people of truth. Please hear my prayer at this time. Regard me as a worthy descendant of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, and let my candles never be extinguished. Let the light of Your face shine upon us. Amen.

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(to the tune of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”) Take us out of Egypt, free us from slavery Bake us some matzo, 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

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What do these words mean? We are slaves because yesterday our people were in slavery and memory makes yesterday real for us. We are slaves because today there are still people in chains around the world and no one can be truly free while others are in chains. We are slaves because freedom means more than broken chains. Where there is poverty and hunger and homelessness, there is no freedom; where there is prejudice and bigotry and discrimination, there is no...

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The telling of the story of Passover is framed as a discussion with questions and answers. The tradition that the youngest person asks the questions reflects the idea of involving everyone at the Seder. מַה נִּשְּׁתַּנָה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת Ma nishtana halaila hazeh mikol haleilot? Why is this night different from all other nights? שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה - כּוּלוֹ מַצָּה 1) Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin chameitz u-matzah. Halaila hazeh kulo matzah. Why is it that...

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Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha’olam, hazan et ha’olam kulo b’tuvo b’chen b’chesed w’rachamin. Hu noten lechem l’chol basar ki l’olam chasdo. Uv’tuvo hagadol tamid lo chasar lanu v’al yech’sar lanu mason l’olam va’ed. Ba’avur sh’mo hagadol ki hu zan um’farnes lakol umetiv lakol umechin mazon l’chol b’riyotav asher bara. Baruch Atah Adonai hazan et hakol. We praise God, Spirit of Everything, whose goodness sustains the world. You are the origin of love and compassion, the source of bread for all,...

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DIPPING A GREEN VEGETABLE IN SALT WATER Passover, like many of our holidays, combines the celebration of an event from our Jewish memory with recognition of the cycles of nature. As we remember the liberation from Egypt, we also recognize the stirrings of spring and rebirth happening in the world around us. We now take a vegetable, representing spring, and dip it into salt water, a symbol of the tears our ancestors shed as slaves. Before we eat it, we recite...

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WHO KNOWS ONE? Who Knows One? I know one! One is our God in the heaven and earth. Two are the tablets of the covenant. Three are the patriarchs. Four are the matriarchs. Five are the books of the Torah. Six are the sections of the Mishnah. Seven are the days of the week. Eight are the days to circumcision. Nine are the months to childbirth. Ten are the commandments at Sinai. Eleven are the stars in Joseph’s dream. Twelve are...

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(to the tune of “Louie, Louie”) Pharaoh, Pharaoh Oh baby! Let my people go! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Singin' Pharaoh, Pharaoh Oh baby! Let my people go! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! A burnin' bush told me just the other day that I should come over here and stay Gotta get my people outta Pharaoh's hands Gotta lead my people to the Promised Land The Nile turned to blood! There were darkened black skies! Gnats and frogs! There were locusts and flies!...

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Cleaning and cooking and so many dishes Out with the chametz, no pasta, no knishes Fish that's gefillted, horseradish that stings These are a few of our Passover things. Matzo and karpas and chopped up charoset Shankbones and kiddish and Yiddish neurosis Tante who kvetches and uncle who sings These are a few of our Passover things. Motzi and maror and trouble with Pharaohs Famines and locusts and slaves with wheelbarrows Matzah balls floating and eggshell that cling These are a...

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MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. AND ABRAHAM J. HESCHEL LEADER Prejudice is like a monster which has many heads, an evil which requires many efforts to overcome. One head sends forth poison against the people of a different race, another against the people of a different religion or culture. Thus the evil of prejudice is indivisible. GROUP Human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and the persistent work of dedicated individuals who are...

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(to the tune of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”) Take us out of Egypt, free us from slavery Bake us some matzo, 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

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BREAKING THE MIDDLE MATZO There are three pieces of matzo stacked on the table. We now break the middle matzo into two pieces. One piece is called the Afikomen, literally “dessert” in Greek. The Afikomen is hidden and must be found before the Seder can be finished. We eat matzah in memory of the quick flight of our ancestors from Egypt. As slaves, they had faced many false starts before finally being let go. So when the word of their freedom...