Urchatz ורחץ – the washing of the hands Water is life and our hands are purified by the waters. Instead of washing and then rushing to dry them off, hold your wet hands open on your lap or on the edge of the table. Sit in silence or quiet whispers as you watch and feel the water evaporating. Take bets on when they will be fully dry or have a contest who can go the longest without drying them on the...

"One has to recline at the table, at least once, symbolically. This position recalls the ancient practice when it was the privilege of the free to sit on a dining couch ( kline ) and eat in a reclining position. At the Seder, everyone sits on a chair (hesebet) propped up on cushions, leaning to his left "reclining ( mesubbin )".   This is a symbolical indication that at the redemption from Egypt the slave became a free man. At the Seder,...

THE ELEPHANT AT YOUR PASSOVER TABLE There's an elephant in the room, he'd like some attention and frankly, he should get it. This elephant has been around as long as the Jewish people, but he is getting bolder and meaner. That elephant, of course, is antisemitism. There's the familiar white supremacy movement that pretty much hates everyone who doesn't look like them, the run-of-the-mill antisemites, and a relatively new form of hate directed at Israel which crosses the line to antisemitism...

Like many American Jews who want to participate in the most popular Jewish festival celebrated in the home, you may have expressed your desire to assemble the family and conduct a Seder. If you, like many others, are the victim of an over-romanticized recollection of a parent or grandparent's "traditional" Seder, you may feel inadequate to the task, unable to fulfill this noble intention. You must begin with the recognition that contemporary needs and the diverse backgrounds of those gathered at...