Haggadot Contributors

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As we rejoice at our deliverance from slavery, we acknowledge that our freedom was hard-earned. We regret that our freedom came at the cost of the Egyptians’ suffering, for we are all human beings made in the image of God. We pour out a drop of wine for each of the plagues as we recite them. Dip a finger or a spoon into your wine glass for a drop for each plague. These are the ten plagues which God brought down...

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What a blessing to live in a world in which fruit on the vine can turn into wine. What a blessing to come from a culture that tells stories and celebrates the seasons. What a blessing to exist in a universe that, after billions of years, has arrived at this moment, here and now, with us gathered around this table.

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Baruch atah Adonai, eloheynu melech haolam, shecheyanu, v'keymanu, v'higeeyanu, lazman hazeh. Blessed are You, oh Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has kept us alive and well so that we can celebrate this special time.  In the light in which we see each other, all of us are different. It is our task to kindle the sacred fire within the human spirit that illuminates every life with love. 

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Water is life.  For those who travel on foot through the borderlands, water is an essential component of the journey. No More Deaths hikes water into active migration corridors because we believe that everyone deserves access to water. It is a privilege to be able to use water for a ritual like urchatz, and as we purify our hands, we think of those who thirst in the desert.  We wash our hands now, with no blessing, to help us prepare for...

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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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For us (Ken and Gisela), the story of Pesach is a story of constant struggle at many levels: At the most basic level, struggle between security and certainty of remaining a slave in Egypt and uncertainty and potential freedom of following the path of faith. It is also a struggle between faith and doubt. Am I willing to leave everything I’ve known for the total unknown? Abandoning a known way of life for something unknown? Many Jews in Egypt remained, and...