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We now say grace after the meal, thanking God for the food we’ve eaten. Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha’olam, hazan et ha’olam kulo b’tuvo b’chen b’chesed v’rachamin. Hu noten lechem l’chol basar ki l’olam chasdo. Uv’tuvo hagadol tamid lo chasar lanu v’al yech’sar lanu mazon 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....

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Lo yisa goy el goy cherev V’lo yil’medu od milchamah. (Nation shall not lift up sword against nation Nor shall they learn war anymore. From Isaiah 2:4)

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We dedicate the first cup of this Seder to ending the occupation. (We fill our neighbors' cups.) In Israel/Palestine, the occupation continues to deny freedom and dignity to Palestinians. It has been over 50 years of home demolitions, endless checkpoints, and the imprisonment of children and teenagers like Ahed Tamimi. The occupation is a daily nightmare for Palestinians and a moral disaster for the Israelis who are mandated to enforce it as well as all those around the world who uphold...

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It is traditional to drink four cups of wine or grape juice over the course of the Seder. At this Liberation Seder, we dedicate each cup to one part of the work of liberation: Ending the Occupation LGBTQ Liberation Racial Justice Justice for Immigrants and Refugees

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Because on all other nights we are either Jewish or GLBTQA, but on this night we are both. 1) Because on all other nights we eat leavened bread – representative of the “airiness” and artificial nature of our lives – but on this night we eat matzah – representative of transparency and plain honesty. 2) Because on all other nights we enjoy a variety of tastes and vegetables, but on this night we focus on the maror – the bitterness of...

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As we rejoice at our deliverance from slavery, we acknowledge that our freedom was hard-earned. We regret that our freedom came at the cost of the Egyptians’ suffering, for we are all human beings. We pour out a drop of wine for each of the plagues as we recite them to signify having a little less sweetness in our celebration. Dip a finger or a spoon into your wine glass for a drop for each plague. These are the ten plagues...

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At this point in the Seder, we fill one additional cup and set it aside for the prophet Elijah. Traditionally, Elijah - Eliyahu in Hebrew - will come to herald the coming of the Messiah. It would be much easier to think that liberation will come because of some outside force - whether it be Elijah, the Messiah, or an idea of inevitable historical progress. But, in some traditions, Elijah's visit to our Seder is to check the work  we  are...

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"You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the Land of Egypt" (Exodus 23:9). This commandment - the negative mitzvah not to oppress the stranger, combined with the positive mitzvah to love the stranger - is repeated more times than any other in the Torah. And, again and again, the justification is clear - you were strangers in the lang of Egypt. From the ADL Hagaddah: Our ancestors were immigrants...

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(Hold up matzah.) This is the bread of affliction Which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry, let them enter and eat. All who are in need, let them come celebrate Passover with us. (Break back up into groups of 3-4. Take 10 minutes to read the following and respond to the discussion questions.) Eloheinu v'Elohei Avoteinu v'Imoteinu, our God and God of our ancestors, we are gathered around this seder table as b'nei khorin, free...

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Adir Hu - This Passover hymn lists attributes of God, with the refrain asking God to“build your House soon, speedily, in our time.” Today, we will sing “Adir Hu” both in praise and as a call for righteousness and compassion in our time. Adir hu, adir hu, (refrain) yivneh beito bekarov. Bimherah, bimherah, beyameinu bekarov. El bneh, el bneh, bneh beitcha bekarov. Bachur hu, gadol hu, dagul hu, (refrain) Hadur hu, vatik hu, zakai hu, (refrain) Chassid hu, tahor hu, yachid...

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by Miriam Grossman May it be your will Our God and God of our ancestors that you lead us in peace and direct our steps (our marching, Rebellious, organized, queer dance-partying, prayerful steps) in peace and guide us in peace and support us in just peace (and in the tearing down of walls, and in the rising up of peoples), and cause us to reach our destination in life and joy and peace (all of us together, no one left behind)....

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CHAD GADYA  Aramaic Transliteration 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. Va'ata chalba,  venashach leshunra de'achla legadya dizabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya. Va'ata chutra, vehikah lechalba, denashach leshunra de'achla legadya dizabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya. Va'ata nura, vesaraf lechutra, dehikah lechalba, denashach leshunra de'achla legadya dizabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya. Va'ata maya, vekavah lenura, desaraf...

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Breaking the middle matzah | yachatz | יַחַץ There are three pieces of matzah stacked on the table. We now break the middle matzah into two pieces. The host should wrap up the larger of the pieces and, at some point between now and the end of dinner, hide it. This piece is called the afikomen. After dinner, the guests must hunt for the afikomen in order to wrap up the meal. We eat matzah in memory of the quick flight...

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We are gathered around this seder table as b'nei khorin, free people who still remember the long years of oppression. We have vowed never to become oppressors ourselves. Yet, we know how easy it is to harden our hearts to those who have paid an excessive price for our people's prosperity and security. Tonight we leave a place at our table for those who remain victims of oppression. Take a moment now to think about a cause you care about and...

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Break up into groups of two to discuss the following questions: Have you or your family ever had the experience of being a stranger? Each person take a minute to share a story. Can you think of any contemporary examples of oppression of the stranger? What parallels or tensions exist between these examples, the Passover story, and the story you just shared with your partner? In today's world, what can we do, concretely, to follow the commandment to love the stranger?...

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It is traditional to drink four cups of wine or grape juice over the course of the Seder. At this Liberation Seder, we dedicate each cup to one part of the work of liberation: Ending the Occupation LGBTQ Liberation Racial Justice Justice for Immigrants and Refugees

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During the Seder, it is traditional to hide the middle matzah that we broke earlier. We end the meal and begin the final sections of the Seder by finding and eating the middle matzah, called the Afikomen. To respect your time, instead of hiding the Afikomen anywhere in the whole building, we have hidden it under someone's plate here at the table. Lift up your plates to find out who has the Afikomen!