Ilu ho-tsi, ho-tsi-a-nu,  Ho-tsi-a-nu mi-Mitz-ra-yim,  Ho-tsi-a-nu mi-Mitz-ra-yim,  Da-ye-nu! .. CHORUS:  .. Dai, da-ye-nu,  .. Dai, da-ye-nu,  .. Dai, da-ye-nu,  .. Da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu!  ..  .. Dai, da-ye-nu,  .. Dai, da-ye-nu,  .. Dai, da-ye-nu,  .. Da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu! Ilu na-tan, na-tan la-nu,  Na-tan la-nu et-ha-Sha-bat,  Na-tan la-nu et-ha-Sha-bat,  Da-ye-nu! .. (CHORUS) Ilu na-tan, na-tan la-nu,  Na-tan la-nu et-ha-To-rah,  Na-tan la-nu et-ha-To-rah,  Da-ye-nu! .. (CHORUS) Translation: If G-d had only brought us out of Egypt, it would have been enough! If G-d had only...

“Why on this night when we remember the oppression and resistance of Jews should we also think about the lives of people of color?” Because many Jews are people of color. Because racism is a Jewish issue. Because our liberation is connected. This clip about the experience of Jews of color is written in the first person by Leo Ferguson. As we read it, please feel free to use "we" or "they" pronouns as feels appropriate for you. White Ashkenazi Jews...

1. Once upon a time our people went into exile in the land of Egypt. During a famine our ancestor Jacob and his family fled to Egypt where food was plentiful. His son Joseph had risen to high position in Pharaoh’s court, and our people were well-respected and well-regarded, secure in the power structure of the time. 2. Generations passed and our people remained in Egypt. In time, a new Pharaoh ascended to the throne. He found our difference threatening, and...

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. We pour out a drop of wine for each of the plagues as we recite them to signify having a little less sweetness in our celebration. Dip a finger or a spoon into your wine glass for a drop for each plague. These are the ten plagues...

Z’roa–זרוע: a shankbone or beet, which represents the mighty hand and outstretched arm that liberated us from Mitzrayim. Maror-מרור: horseradish, which represents the bitterness of slavery in Mitzrayim. Charoset–חרוסת: a mixture of dried fruits and nuts which represents the mortar used to lay bricks, the work done while enslaved in Mitzrayim. Beitzah–ביצה: an egg, which represents life, wholeness, and liberation.​ Karpas–כרפס: parsley, which represents growth, change, and life. Salt Water–מי מלח: which represents our tears while enslaved, and our tenacity and...

At this point in the Seder, we fill one additional cup and set it aside for the prophet Elijah. Traditionally, Elijah - Eliyahu in Hebrew - will come to herald the coming of the Messiah. It would be much easier to think that liberation will come because of some outside force - whether it be Elijah, the Messiah, or an idea of inevitable historical progress. But, in some traditions, Elijah's visit to our Seder is to check the work  we  are...

Adir Hu - This Passover hymn lists attributes of God, with the refrain asking God to“build your House soon, speedily, in our time.” Today, we will sing “Adir Hu” both in praise and as a call for righteousness and compassion in our time. Adir hu, adir hu, (refrain) yivneh beito bekarov. Bimherah, bimherah, beyameinu bekarov. El bneh, el bneh, bneh beitcha bekarov. Bachur hu, gadol hu, dagul hu, (refrain) Hadur hu, vatik hu, zakai hu, (refrain) Chassid hu, tahor hu, yachid...

We now say grace after the meal, thanking God for the food we’ve eaten. Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha’olam, hazan et ha’olam kulo b’tuvo b’chen b’chesed v’rachamin. Hu noten lechem l’chol basar ki l’olam chasdo. Uv’tuvo hagadol tamid lo chasar lanu v’al yech’sar lanu mazon l’olam va’ed. Ba’avur sh’mo hagadol ki hu zan um’farnes lakol umetiv lakol umechin mazon l’chol b’riyotav asher bara. Baruch Atah Adonai hazan et hakol. We praise God, Spirit of Everything, whose goodness sustains the world....

During the Seder, it is traditional to hide the middle matzah that we broke earlier. We end the meal and begin the final sections of the Seder by finding and eating the middle matzah, called the Afikomen. To respect your time, instead of hiding the Afikomen anywhere in the whole building, we have hidden it under someone's plate here at the table. Lift up your plates to find out who has the Afikomen!

Break up into groups of two to discuss the following questions: Have you or your family ever had the experience of being a stranger? Each person take a minute to share a story. Can you think of any contemporary examples of oppression of the stranger? What parallels or tensions exist between these examples, the Passover story, and the story you just shared with your partner? In today's world, what can we do, concretely, to follow the commandment to love the stranger?...

"You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the Land of Egypt" (Exodus 23:9). This commandment - the negative mitzvah not to oppress the stranger, combined with the positive mitzvah to love the stranger - is repeated more times than any other in the Torah. And, again and again, the justification is clear - you were strangers in the lang of Egypt. From the ADL Hagaddah: Our ancestors were immigrants...

The following are questions a person at the beginning of the coming out process hears as they encounter a simple person, a wise person, a wicked person, and one that does not know how to ask a question. Are these questions, in fact, simple, wise, evil or undeveloped? How is otherness related to these questions? The Simple Child What is this? What does it mean to be gay? Or transgender? Or bi? Why are you gay? Can I be trans too?...

The Torah speaks of four types of children: one is wise, one is wicked, one is simple, and one does not know how to ask. At the Passover seder, we are all commanded to ask questions about the story in order to fulfill the mitzvah of retelling the Passover story as if we, ourselves, were freed from Egypt. Our tradition speaks of four children: the wise child, the wicked child, the simple child, and the child who does not know how...

Because on all other nights we are either Jewish or GLBTQA, but on this night we are both. 1) Because on all other nights we eat leavened bread – representative of the “airiness” and artificial nature of our lives – but on this night we eat matzah – representative of transparency and plain honesty. 2) Because on all other nights we enjoy a variety of tastes and vegetables, but on this night we focus on the maror – the bitterness of...

(While we go around the circle, taking turns reading paragraphs, those not reading sing quietly the tune from the beginning of the Seder.) It is traditional to end the Seder with a promise: "l'shana ha'ba'a b'yerushalayim - next year in Jerusalem." What does this promise mean? The city of Jerusalem is sacred for Jews, Muslims, and Christians - for billions of people around the world. For Jews forced into the diaspora 2,000 years ago, wandering always in countries which were sometimes...