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GARLIC ON THE SEDER PLATE  Dori Midnight I began placing garlic on our seder plate a few years ago, as it has been central to my work of reconnecting to and re-enlivening Jewish folk healing traditions and a lifelong love. After the birth of Nishmat Shoom (the queer, radical, non-zionist minyan project I am part of, whose name, inspired by this work, means Breath or Soul of Garlic), many of the Garlic Eaters in our community began adopting this practice and...

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CUP OF REDEMPTION At a traditional seder we fill a cup of wine for the prophet Elijah who is a symbol of redemption. At this seder we are raising a cup of water as a symbol of the redemption that women have brought through the generations. All: Water is the symbol of life. Reader: The biblical prophet Miriam saved her brother from the waters of the Nile, she led the song of victory aber the waters of the red sea parted...

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THE MATZAH OF HOPE and PEACE Neal Borovitz Avadim Hayinu:  Not only were we slaves to the Pharaoh of Egypt, we have also been enslaved and persecuted by other Pharaohs.  Among these Pharaohs of every age were the Kings of Babylonia, the Emperors of Greece and Rome, the Churchmen and Nobles of Medieval Spain, Hitler and his Nazi followers, the Pharaohs of Moscow, and the dictators, potentates and terrorists of the contemporary Arab world.  The Babylonian exile was followed by a...

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At Passover, we receive a personal directive to create an inclusive and welcoming community. Even when we intend to be welcoming, many in our community still feel like strangers. The things that divide us — race, ethnicity, gender, class, religion, among others — also have the power to unite us. During the Seder, we are each meant to remember that we ourselves were once strangers in a strange land. If the Jewish community is to be a home for all, we...

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So, first of all, the four children appear in the Jerusalem Talmud, where Rabbi Hyyia, a student of Rabbi Judah the Prince, is quoted as bringing this parable.  Hyyia’s text varies quite a bit from the text we know today: for one, the simple child is not "simple" but stupid. But it is Rabbis at the time of the collection of the Mishnah and Talmud who are creating this rubric. And so we proceed:  The "Wise" Child asks about the rules...

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A blessing on your head...Mazel tov! Mazel tov! Our spin on the Moroccan Jewish tradition is to pass the remaining pieces of matzah around for everyone to both make and receive a blessing. Hold the matzah up over the person's head to your left and whisper a private blessing or wish for them. We will continue with our Seder while you each partake in this private moment. Wishes and blessings around themes of freedom are especially appropriate tonight but feel free...

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The Schwartzenfeld (Adele's parents) family tradition is that participants' hands are washed by the hands of another with care. Tonight, let us add kavanah (intentionality)—and without words. This communial act can elevate communal consciousnes. How will we utilize this state of purity? V'ahavtah l're'echa kamochah - to love the other as ourself. How will this ancient wisdom propel us forward to empower the silent? How will we elevate the hands of all those still in Mitzrayim?

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Hallel on the Seder Night Adina Passy and Tiferet Nickerson   Why is this hallel different than all other hallels? Firstly, we must determine from where do we get the חיוב to say Hallel. In פסחים קטז. The Mishna quotes from the Hagaddah and it says, “לפיכך אנחנו חייבים להודות להלל” therefore implying that we must praise hashem for taking us out of Egypt.  Then two amudim later, the gemara explains that the hallel that we say is to be said when...

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The Second Cup Corresponds to Rivkah The Second Cup corresponds to the second of the four languages of redemption: I will deliver you out of their bondage. This promise includes delivery from both physical and spiritual enslavement. We may not be aware, but many of our actions derive from various unconscious scripts imprinted in our psyche from childhood wounds and traumas, which cause fears, jealousy, and anger. Although Rivkah came from a severely dysfunctional family, she was able to heal her...