Contributors

Cara Levine-Brenner

KINGSTON , United States

Our Queer Seder Plate

by Cara Levine-Brenner

HaCarah – The conscious recognition of those not completely seen Tapuz – The Orange Why do we have an orange on the Seder Plate? Speaker 1: In our own day as in the ancient days of our tradition, an event becomes a story, a story is woven with new legends, and the legends lead the path into new teachings. So it is with the orange on the Seder plate. Speaker 2: To begin with in the early 1980’s, while speaking at...

-- Cup #2 & Dayenu

Dye-A-new

by Cara Levine-Brenner

The plagues and our subsequent redemption from Egypt are but one example of the care God has shown for us in our history. Had God but done any one of these kindnesses, it would have been enough – dayeinu. אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָֽנוּ מִמִּצְרַֽיִם, דַּיֵּנוּ Ilu hotzi- hotzianu, Hotzianu mi-mitzrayim Hotzianu mi-mitzrayim, Dayeinu If God had only taken us out of Egypt, that would have been enough! אִלּוּ נָתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה, דַּיֵּנוּ Ilu natan natan lanu, natan lanu et ha-Torah, Natan lanu et...

-- Cup #2 & Dayenu

Martyr&#039;s Cup

by Cara Levine-Brenner

In memory and honor of those who lost their reputations, friends, family ties, and even their lives in the courageous effort to live and speak their truth. To those who were lonely pioneers in the struggle for our liberation and healing. To these, we dedicate the second cup. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen. We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruit of the vine. Drink the...

Chad Gadya

by Cara Levine-Brenner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLyh79T5aXw

Matzo Cracking

by Cara Levine-Brenner

Break the middle matzah on the matzah plate. We break the matzah and hide one part (the Aﬁkomen). We recognize that liberation is made by imperfect people, broken, fragmented — so don’t wait until you are totally pure, holy, spiritually centered, and psychologically healthy to get involved in tikkun (the healing and repair of the world). It will be imperfect people, wounded healers, who do the healing as we simultaneously work on ourselves.

Cups of the Prophets

by Cara Levine-Brenner

Elijah’s Cup In the ninth century B.C.E., a farmer arose to challenge the domination of the ruling elite. In his tireless and passionate advocacy on behalf of the common people, and his ceaseless exposure of the corruption and waste of the court, Elijah sparked a movement and created a legend which would inspire people for generations to come. Before he died, Elijah declared that he would return once each generation in the guise of any poor or oppressed person. He would...

who goes where?

by Cara Levine-Brenner

What's on the Seder table*? 3 pieces of Matzah wrapped in a cloth Candles for Kadesh Wine/Grape Juice Saltwater (In non-COVID-19 years) The Six/Seven Parts of the Seder Plate ביצה Beitzah : The Roasted Egg is symbolic of the festival sacrifice made in biblical times. It is also a symbol of spring - the season in which Passover is always celebrated. For vegan/vegetarian seder plates, the egg can be substituted with a flower (a potent symbol of renewal), a decorative egg-shaped...

10 Plagues Puppets

by Cara Levine-Brenner

10 Plagues Puppets

-- Exodus Story

Exodus in 7 Hot Takes

by Cara Levine-Brenner

Exodus in 7 Hot Takes By Cara Levine Once upon a time, the Jewish people went into exile in the land of Egypt. During a famine, our ancestors Jacob and his family fled to Egypt where food was plentiful. His son Joseph had risen to a high position in Pharaoh’s court, and they were well-respected and well-regarded, secure in the power structure of the time. Generations passed and, in time, a new Pharaoh ascended to the throne. He found the Jewish...

Where's Waldo & the Afikomen?

by Cara Levine-Brenner

Where's Waldo & the Afikomen?

Matzah

by Cara Levine-Brenner

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתַָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָּה Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat matzah. We praise the Source, Ruler of the Universe, who made us holy through our sacred imperatives, commanding us to eat matzah.

Matzah

by Cara Levine-Brenner

-- Four Children

Four Children

by Cara Levine-Brenner

The wise child asks, "Why are we gathered for a queer Seder this night?" To them we say: "The whole Jewish people left Egypt together, all of them, queer, trans, straight, cis. But our queer and trans' voices have been absent from our history, and we would find them again. As it is written: 'Then Miriam the prophetess / took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her in dance.' We know that our history and...

Maggid - Beginning

from “Passover: Festival of Binaries.”

by Cara Levine-Brenner

from “Passover: Festival of Binaries.”

Perfect in All Your Queerness

by Cara Levine-Brenner

Urchatz, the ritual washing of the hands, is traditionally performed to purify those who partake in the seder. We, as women / queer / gender non-conforming / trans people, have been told for far too long that we are impure, dirty, and inherently sinful. All who join us at our Seder tonight are perfect, pure, and created in the image of the Source. In past years I would encourage you to reconsider performing the practice of Urchatz (ritual washing of your...

Levine Family 2020 Virtual Passover

Levine Family 2020 Virtual Passover

by Cara Levine-Brenner

Levine-Hunt-Brenner-Olaya

5781 queer seder

5781 queer seder

by Cara Levine-Brenner

Motzi Matzah: Many Hands

by Truah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

Hamotzi thanks God for bringing bread from the earth. This bread results from a partnership between God and humanity: God provides the raw materials and people harvest, grind, and bake. So too must we remember that combating human trafficking requires partnerships: among survivors, allies, lawyers, social workers, law enforcement, diplomats, people of faith…the circles of involvement are ever-expanding. Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ. Blessed are You...