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We break the matzah into two pieces, and hide one half, called the Afikomen. The Afikomen represents the rupture that we seek with the current state of things. This rupture, this break, comes from within the traditions we have, and yet it is hidden from them as well. “From struggles over immediate demands to revolution, there can only be a rupture, a qualitative leap. But this rupture isn’t a miracle . . . This rupture is produced positively by the unfolding...

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We break the matzah into two pieces, and hide one half, called the Afikomen. The Afikomen represents the rupture that we seek with the current state of things. This rupture, this break, comes from within the traditions we have, and yet it is hidden from them as well. “From struggles over immediate demands to revolution, there can only be a rupture, a qualitative leap. But this rupture isn’t a miracle . . . This rupture is produced positively by the unfolding...

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This is the cup of Elijah. This is the cup of hope.  According to tradition, we open the door to permit the possible entry of the prophet Elijah, who is, according to tradition, the herald of the era of peace and freedom for all humanity. Elijah. For millennia, Jews opened the door for him, inviting him join their Seders, hoping that he would bring with him a messiah to save the world. Yet the tasks of saving the world - once...

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קַדֵּשׁ On Shabbat, begin here :בְּשַׁבָּת מַתְחִילִין וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי. וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל־צְבָאָם. וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה. וַיְבָרֵךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹתוֹ כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכָּל־מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all their host. And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had...

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עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיֽם עַתָּה - בְּנֵי חוֹרִין Avadim hayinu lepharo bemitzrayim, ata – benei chorin We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt – now we are free

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The text of the Kiddush reminds us that the choice to uphold the sacred is in our hands. we do not directly bless wine, or praise its sweetness. Rather, we thank G-d for the fruit of the vine. That fruit can also be used to make vinegar, which is sharp and bitter. Our actions determine whether this sacred moment in time inspires bitterness or sweetness, complacency or action. We lift the third cup - but do not drink as the work...

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בְּכָל־דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת־עַצְמוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרָֽיִם B’chol dor vador chayav adam lirot et-atzmo, k’ilu hu yatzav mimitzrayim. In every generation, everyone is obligated to see themselves as though they personally left Egypt. The seder reminds us that it was not only our ancestors whom God redeemed; God redeemed us too along with them. That’s why the Torah says “God brought us out from there in order to lead us to and give us the land promised to...

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Brich Rachamana/Blessing After the Meal (Batya Levine) brich rachamana malka d'alma mar'ei d'hai pita    בריך רחמנא, מלכא דעלמא, מראי דהאי פיטא thank you, thank you,  thank you for this beautiful food,  may it nourish us to build a world that's whole. *a close translation of the aramaic: blessed is the merciful one, sovereign of the world, creator of this bread.*

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Adapted from Joanna Ware and Rabbi Becky Silverstein’s 5777 Haggadah Karpas: Karpas represents the initial flourishing of the Israelites during the first years in Egypt. At the end of the biblical book of Genesis, Joseph moves his family to Egypt, where he becomes the second-in-command to Pharaoh. Protected by Joseph's exalted status, the family lives safely for several generations and proliferate greatly, becoming a great nation. The size of this growing population frightens the new Pharaoh, who enslaves the Israelites, lest...

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no one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark. you only run for the border when you see the whole city running as well. no one would leave home unless home chased you, fire under feet, hot blood in your belly. it's not something you ever thought about doing, and so when you did - you carried the anthem under your breath, waiting until the airport toilet to tear up the passport and swallow, each mouthful of paper...

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As we now transition from the formal telling of the Passover story to the celebratory meal, we once again wash our hands to prepare ourselves. In Judaism, a good meal together with friends and family is itself a sacred act, so we prepare for it just as we prepared for our holiday ritual, recalling the way ancient priests once prepared for service in the Temple. Some people distinguish between washing to prepare for prayer and washing to prepare for food by...

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1. Why do we go to work? 2. Why do we belong to states? 3. Why do we believe in genders? 4. Why do we have religions?

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Hannah Szenes was a young Nazi resistance fighter. The Nazis captured her and brought Hannah’s mother to her. They said that if Hannah didn’t reveal the names of the resistance movement, her mother would be killed. Hannah told her mother that she could not betray the resistance. Her mother replied that by not giving in to the oppressor, Hannah had proved her love. Hannah Szenes was captured, tortured, and put to death at the age of 20. She wrote this poem...

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We are invited to see ourselves as poor, afflicted, in the Seder. As in exile, in Egypt, in a moment of constraint. This is how yachatz begins. A poor person always eats a smaller piece and saves the greatest part for later, since they don't know whether there will be more food. The Afikoman - the leftover matza - is the symbol of redemption. Where do you come from? asks the Sephardi leader of the seder - From Egypt, is the...

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Is this Egypt, and do we need to leave?

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The moon is trans. From this moment forward, the moon is trans. You don’t get to write about the moon anymore unless you respect that. You don’t get to talk to the moon anymore unless you use her correct pronouns. You don’t get to send men to the moon anymore unless their job is to bow down before her and apologize for the sins of the earth. She is waiting for you, pulling at you softly, telling you to shut the...