Ten More Plagues 

When Pharaoh refused to free the ancient Israelites from their bondage, ten plagues were levied against the Egyptians. Blood, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, frogs, pestilence, wild animals, lice, and the death of firstborn sons threated to swallow Egypt whole. 

When each plague is recited, it is customary to take a drop of wine from our cup and drop it onto our plate, to remind ourselves that the freedom Israelites gained did not come without a price. 

For this Seder, we will focus on three plagues most relevant to the lens we are using to examine the Exodus. 

Blood – In Egypt, the River Nile ran with blood, and all the water in the jars in Egyptians’ homes turned to blood. The plague of blood is symbolic of the thirst of migrants as they cross the desert, and of the migrant blood that runs in the Rios Grande y Bravo. 

Darkness– In Egypt, the days turned into constant night. The darkness represents the months-long journey by night of many migrants. It represents the confusion of being lost in an unknown land and the times where it seems hope is impossible to find. 

Death of the firstborn– In Egypt, all first-born Egyptian sons were slaughtered. The death of the firstborn symbolizes the frequently forced recruitment of young boys into the violent gangs of México and Centroamérica and the perpetuation of violence, rape, and murder that these gangs and local law enforcement foster. 

Let us dip and recite: 

War

Torture

Poverty

 Racism

Sexism

Homophobia

Genocide

Religious Discrimination

Greed

Pollution 

Written by Julian Cranberg and Justine Orlovsky-Schnitzler