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Hillel, the rabbi who lived in Jerusalem during the time of King Herod, invented the “Hillel sandwich” a combination of the three elements given in the biblical commandment to eat matzah, bitter herbs and the Pascal lamb. Instead of eating the lamb, however, today we substitute charoset. We take some matzah and smear some maror on end and some charoset on the other. We then top off the sandwich with another piece of matzah. When we eat, we begin with the...

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We drink the fourth cup to our children, to all children. (All adults rise for a toast and promise to the children. Children remain seated.) Adults: May you live and be well. May your days be happy and productive. May you be part of the never-ending cycle of life, love and the search for a better tomorrow. Drink the fourth cup of wine or juice.

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Tonight we will all eat foods from the Seder plate--the most important plate at our table. Tasting and talking about these Passover foods will help us make our journey out of Egypt tonight. Zeroa is the roasted shank bone. It reminds us of the sacrifice of the Passover lamb and of God's instructions to mark our doorposts with its blood. It also reminds us that when all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians were slain, God passed over the homes of...

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This beautiful wine cup is placed in the center of our table waiting for an honored guest, waiting for Elijah the prophet. Long ago, Elijah protected the Jews from an evil king and queen. He healed the sick and helped the weak. When his days on earth were over, legend says Elijah rode up into the sky on a chariot. Legends also tell us that this mysterious man returns to earth to help the helpless, to answer the unanswerable, and to...

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We can pause here after our song and celebration to observe a new tradition with many old meanings. Think back to the story we are telling tonight and remember: There would have been no Exodus, no Passover, no Seder, no freedom without the many brave women who played crucial roles in the Passover drama. There would have been no Exodus without Yocheved, who hid her baby Moses, then wove him a little basket so he could float safely down the Nile;...

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After washing our hands for the second time, and calling to mind the importance of water, we say: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְווֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al nitilat yadayim. We praise You, Eternal God, Creator of the universe, who makes us holy by Your commandents and commands us to wash our hands.

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Now we drink the second cup of wine. Be sure to lean back and show that you are no longer a slave, for in ancient times slaves served others and only free people could recline while they ate. We raise our cups and say together: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam borei p'ri hagafen. Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who brings forth fruit of the vine. Drink...

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Leader: Let us sing and dance and celebrate with them, the freed Israelites. Let's sing a song of victory, and praise our mighty God. Let's sing "Dayenu." The word Dayenu means "it would have been enough for us." We would be grateful for even one of God's miracles, but there were so many. Had God taken us out of Egypt...Dayenu! Had God carried us across the Sea... Dayenu! Had God cared for us for forty years...Dayenu! Had God given us the...

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When Israel was in Egypt's land Let my people go. Oppressed so hard, they could not stand Let my people go. CHORUS: Go down Moses, way down in Egypt's land Tell old Pharaoh, let my people go. Old Pharaoh said he'd go across Let my people go. But Pharaoh and his host were lost Let my people go. CHORUS No more shall they in bondage toil Let my people go. They shall go forth with Egypt's spoil. Let my people go....

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Jacob’s family came to Egypt to escape a famine in Canaan. Joseph, an advisor to Pharoah, settled his family in the land of Goshen, apart from the Egyptians. Joseph’s contribution to Egyptian society was forgotten after his death, and the new Pharaoh, feeling threatened by the success of the Israelites, enslaved them with cruel and bitter labor. Alerted to a prophecy that the Israelites would be led to freedom by a boy yet to be born, Pharaoh ordered all newborn Jewish...

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Now is the time for a special game of hide-and-seek. We must hide the Afikomen --a piece of matzah that will be the very last thing we eat at the end of our Seder meal. On our table we have three pieces of matzah. We will take the middle piece and break it in half. One half will stay with the other two pieces. The other half will become our Afikomen which we will hide during the Seder. This matzah is...

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These fresh new greens or karpas are signs of spring. They remind us of all the little green stems quietly and secretly pushing up out of the earth now that the long, cold winter is over. The karpas reminds us that each year in spring, the earth is reborn. Dipping karpas in salt water reminds us of all the tears cried by our people when we were slaves In Egypt. The salt water also reminds us of the many children, women,...

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Now we say the Kiddush, the blessing over the wine or grape juice. The cup of wine reminds us that Passover is a time of joy. The wine also reminds us of the sweetness of freedom. We raise our cups and say together: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam borei p'ri hagafen. Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who brings forth fruit of the vine. Drink the wine...

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The first words in the creation of the universe out of the unformed, void and dark earth were God’s “Let there be light." Therein lies the hope and faith of Judaism and the obligation of our people: to make the light of justice, compassion, and knowledge penetrate the darkness of our time. One person lights the candles and says: ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להדליק נר של יום טוב Baruch atah Adonai Elohaynu melech ha-olam, asher...