On Passover, we are commanded to retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Yet, all too often, in a rush to get to the meal, people plow through the Haggadah – simply reciting the text, rather than taking time to discuss its meaning and relevance.
Chavruta is a traditional approach to Jewish learning in which people discuss and debate a shared text, typically in pairs. It is an integral part of the program at Limmud, the annual festivals of Jewish learning held around the globe – from the US to the UK and Israel to Australia. Rather than just studying in pairs, at Limmud we always kick-off our chavruta sessions with a discussion that involves all the participants at the table – much like at a Passover seder.
This year, we encourage you to bring chavruta to your seder table. We hope these additional questions and readings from the 2009 Limmud International Chavruta Project (‘One’), will enhance your seder experience. Who knows? You might end up in an all-night discussion and debate, like the five Rabbis of Bnei Brak in the Haggadah! And to learn more about Limmud, go to www.limmud.org.
