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Reader 1: Long before the struggle upward begins, there is tremor in the seed. Self-protection cracks, roots reach down and grab hold. The seed swells, and tender shoots push up toward light. This is karpas: spring awakening growth. A force so tough it can break stone. Reader 2: Why do we dip karpas into salt water? Reader 1: At the beginning of this season of rebirth and growth, we recall the tears of our ancestors in bondage. Reader 2: And why...

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One at a time, pour water over each others’ hands. As water is poured over your hands, share with us what you would like to let go of right now, what you would like to have “washed away”. And after each person speaks, give them support by all saying “Kayn Yihee Ratzon”, or “So Be It.” 

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The entire story of the Haggadah is contained in the Seder plate (קערה ke'ara); everything on it symbolizes an aspect of Exodus: Zeroa (זרוֹע)a roasted bone, evokes the offering made at the Temple in ancient times. Beitza (ביצה‎), a boiled egg, symbolizes the circle of life and death. Maror (מָרוֹר), a bitter herb, reminds us of the bitterness of enslavement. Charoset (חֲרֽוֹסֶת), a mixture of fruit, nuts, wine and spices, represents the mortar our ancestors used to build the structures of...