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Reader 40: In recent history, we have added an additional piece of matza in our Seder. This matza is set aside as a symbol of hope for the Jews of the World. It reminds us of the links that exist amongst us. While we observe this festival of freedom, we know that there are some areas in the world where discrimination towards Jews still exist. ALL: We hope that all Jews and all people can enjoy freedom.

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Maror (bitter herbs, such as horseradish)--the symbol of bitterness and slavery of the Israelites in Egypt. Today, in a Jewish community that is free, this bitterness takes on another layer of meaning. We acknowledge that there are many among us who are embittered by their feelings of resentment, discomfort, and fear. We know that there is just cause for some of these feelings of fear, for Jews were "other" for so many centuries and mistreated just because they were different. This...

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CHORUS: And the women dancing with their timbrels  Followed Miriam as she sang her song  Sing a song to the One whom we've exalted.  Miriam and the women danced and danced  the whole night long. And Miriam was a weaver of unique variety. The tapestry she wove was one which sang our history. With every thread and every strand she crafted her delight. A woman touched with spirit, she dances toward the light. CHORUS As Miriam stood upon the shores and...

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I'm in hour three of cleaning my kitchen and there's still no end in sight.Crouching on my kitchen floor, refrigerator door open, food stuffs spoiling around me, I wonderIs this what the Israelites did? Did they throw out their moldy jars of pasta sauce and shriveled vegetables, so rotten I'm not sure what some of the things once were?I have taken my kitchen apart in a rather manic fashion.  Pots to scour sit on the countertops, cabinet doors are open, their...

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Imagine you are standing on the bank of the sea of reeds and you look forward and all you see is water. Suddenly, you look behind you and you see the Egyptian army quickly approaching you. The Israelites pled to Moses and Moses spoke to God. God told Moses, raise your staff over the water and I will split the seas. So Moses did, and nothing happened. Suddenly a man named Nachshon started walking into the water.  The water was up...

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After performing most of the central mitzvot of the evening (telling the story of the Exodus eating matza and maror, etc.) and just before we are about to enjoy the festive holiday meal, the haggadah structures a moment in which we symbolically repeat the practice of Hillel the Elder who would “wrap” his portion of the paschal offering with matza and maror and eat it as a type of sandwich, in literal fulfillment of the verse “it shall be eaten on...

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The whole point of the seder is to ask questions. This is your time to ask about things that confuse you, things you don’t understand, or even things you don’t agree with. There really is no is no such thing as a stupid question, especially tonight.  - Joy Levitt (age 16) Questions are not only welcome during the course of the evening but are vital to tonight’s journey. Our obligation at this seder involves traveling from slavery to freedom, prodding ourselves...

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The Partisan Song (or Partizaner Lid) is the name of a Yiddish song considered one of the chief anthems of Shoah survivors. The lyrics of the song were written in 1943 by Hirsh Glick, a young Jewish inmate of the Vilna Ghetto. The title means "Never Say", and derives from the first line of the song, "Never say that you have reached the final road." During World War II, "Zog Nit Keynmol" was adopted by a number of Jewish partisan groups...

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Rumi, the Persian poet of the soul, understands the meaning of love in this way:             Your task is not to seek love             But merely to seek and find all the barriers             That you have built against it.             The same can be said of freedom; we build barriers against it, barriers born of fear-fear of death, fear of not having enough, fear of not being enough, fear of being happy. An antidote to these fears is gratefulness; when we cultivate our awareness...

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Rabbi Gamliel taught that when we tell the story of the Exodus, we must also explain the meaning of the most important symbols: zeroah, matzah, and maror. (Leader holds up each symbol as the designated portion is read.) Zeroah is a roasted shank bone, which reminds us that God told the Israelites to put lamb’s blood on our doors to escape the tenth plague, the slaying of the first born. We eat matzah because there was not enough time for the...

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In Talmud Pesachim, Rava teaches, "A person who swallows matzah without chewing fills the mitzvah, the commandment, to eat matzah. However, a person who swallows maror without chewing doesn't fulfill the mitzvah to eat maror." Matzah is Biblical fast food. Matzah is flat because the Hebrews were in such a hurry to get out of Egypt, they didn't wait for their bread to rise. They rushed out, eating crackers, because they had to eat something. Matzah is optimistic, portable, light and...

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On all other nights, we get biscuits and rolls, Fluffy and puffy and full of air holes. Why on this night, why, tell me why, Only this flat stuff that’s always so dry. On all other nights, we eat all kinds of greens, And I’m starting to like them – except lima beans. Why on this night, I ask on my knees, Do we eat stuff so bitter it makes grownups wheeze? On all other nights, we dip vegies just once...

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 10. Waiter assures you the rolls on the table are "hand-made shmurah"9.  You ask for Marror, they bring an old Tabasco bottle8.  They confuse the Hillel Sandwich with a Reuben on rye7.  After The 2nd cup, waiter asks if you'd like to enjoy another beer with your dinner6.  Hagadah starts with kolnidre5.  Maitre-D keeps greeting everyone with "Who's ready for Latkas!??" 4.  Menu describes Karpas as a fresh fish-cake set in a light citrus tartar sauce 3.  Hotel owner interrupts seder ...

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10. US ARMY -  "THE ARMY OF 'who knows ONE?“9. Animal Awareness Passover Campaign - "Frogs are our friends, not a plague." 8. American Red Cross - "This Passover, lets make rivers of blood“7. Lenox Hill OBGYN - "We wont throw your newborn into the Nile“6. Adoption Promotion Week - "Drop your unwanted children in a basket in the NYC Reservoir, for less fortunate parents to find!“5. D'Angelo's Barber Shop: "Free lice check with every haircut“4.  Republic of China's Population Control...

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10. “This isn’t the tune OUR family sings “ 9. Upon looking at the bottles of wine: “Couldn’t afford to get the good stuff this year, huh?” 8. No matter what you are wearing: “So, THIS is what you wear to a seder?” 7. “This charoset is too_________” (insert: liquidy, sweet, nutty) 6. “Do you mind if I make my own kiddush?” 5. “You don’t have any wholewheatshmura spelt matzah?? None?” 4. "Just one more thought about this I once heard...