Amidst the retelling of the exodus from Egypt, additional
stories can be shared surrounding the oppression or redemption of other peoples, such as the rescue of Ethiopian Jews10 during the 1980’s, the emigration of Soviet Jewry during the 1970’s and 1980’s, and current groups still found in slavery, such as those in Sudan.
Those who hold Black/Jewish Seders often focus on this portion of the Haggadah to tell the common story of slavery and freedom. A Common Road to Freedom: A Passover Haggadah, prepared by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in 1996, provides one example of the type of Black/Jewish Seder that a community could organize.
The Maggid is also an excellent opportunity to study current immigration and refugee concerns. Consult a website such as www.rac.org//issues/issueir.html, the Religious Action Center's (RAC) focus page on Immigration and Refugees, or www.refugeesinternational.org for current statistics and areas of concern. Prepare one page summary of current refugee hotspots for use during the Seder. During the Seder, focus on the theme of flight to freedom as a parallel experience of the Jews leaving Egypt, and today’s refugees leaving their homelands. Prepare sample letters regarding a current immigration concern, with reference to the special motivation that Passover provides, to congressional leaders for all guests to sign throughout the night, and then mail them the following day. (A sample summary and letter can be found in Appendix I.)
