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THE MATZAH OF HOPE and PEACE Neal Borovitz Avadim Hayinu:  Not only were we slaves to the Pharaoh of Egypt, we have also been enslaved and persecuted by other Pharaohs.  Among these Pharaohs of every age were the Kings of Babylonia, the Emperors of Greece and Rome, the Churchmen and Nobles of Medieval Spain, Hitler and his Nazi followers, the Pharaohs of Moscow, and the dictators, potentates and terrorists of the contemporary Arab world.  The Babylonian exile was followed by a...

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At Passover, we receive a personal directive to create an inclusive and welcoming community. Even when we intend to be welcoming, many in our community still feel like strangers. The things that divide us — race, ethnicity, gender, class, religion, among others — also have the power to unite us. During the Seder, we are each meant to remember that we ourselves were once strangers in a strange land. If the Jewish community is to be a home for all, we...

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So, first of all, the four children appear in the Jerusalem Talmud, where Rabbi Hyyia, a student of Rabbi Judah the Prince, is quoted as bringing this parable.  Hyyia’s text varies quite a bit from the text we know today: for one, the simple child is not "simple" but stupid. But it is Rabbis at the time of the collection of the Mishnah and Talmud who are creating this rubric. And so we proceed:  The "Wise" Child asks about the rules...

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According to the Kabbalah, the book that represents Jewish Mysticism, every Jew is composite of two distinct souls. The first soul is the   Nefesh HaBehamit   which animates the body. This soul is complete with an infrastructure of powers ranging from pleasure and will to intellect and emotions. The second soul is the   Nefesh Elokit. This soul is described by Job as “a part of G‑d,” and exists both before its descent into the body and after the ascent from the body. ...

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A blessing on your head...Mazel tov! Mazel tov! Our spin on the Moroccan Jewish tradition is to pass the remaining pieces of matzah around for everyone to both make and receive a blessing. Hold the matzah up over the person's head to your left and whisper a private blessing or wish for them. We will continue with our Seder while you each partake in this private moment. Wishes and blessings around themes of freedom are especially appropriate tonight but feel free...

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This article was written in 1899 when anti-Semitism was widespread in the United States. Large companies did not hire Jews, Universities either didn't admit Jews or limited their numbers with strict quotas. "Respectable" people like Ford and Edison expressed their anti-Jewish feelings openly. Mark Twain had an answer for them: Written by Mark Twain in Harper's, September 1899 If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of stardust...

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Traditionally, a Seder is held only on the first two nights of Pesach.  And on the last day of Pesach we observe a Yizkor day, a memorial day in which we light candles to remember those we have lost, and perhaps go to synagogue and participate in a Yizkor service.  How much better to also have a Seder on the last night, and to welcome in the memories of those we have lost to celebrate a Passover Seder with them? On...

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Leader: Pour the third cup of wine  GRACE  (read responsively) A full grace... a graceful toast... to us to where we each come from to where we’re going and how we’re changing to being where we are and who we are   to what we can share to what we can’t share -- yet to our joys and to our struggles which in full times we know are connected which in harder times isolate us to our efforts to our faith to...

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At the end of the biblical book of Genesis, Joseph brings his family to Egypt. Over the following centuries, the descendants of Joseph's family (the Hebrews) become so numerous that when a new king comes to power he fears what might happen if the Hebrews decide to rise against the Egyptians. He decides that the best way to avoid this situation is to enslave them (Exodus 1). According to tradition, these enslaved Hebrews are the ancestors of modern day Jews. Despite...

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Passover combines the celebration of an event from Jewish memory with a recognition of the cycles of nature. As we remember the liberation from Egypt, we also recognize the stirrings of spring and rebirth happening in the world around us. The symbols on our table bring together elements of both kinds of celebration. We now take a vegetable, in this case parsely, to represent our joy at the dawning of spring after winter. Whatever symbol of spring and sustenance we’re using,...