Passover
Every Passover we ask “why is this night different from all other nights?” We may as well ask "why is this year different from all other years?" as well.
We have compiled resources and ideas that can help you address various relevant topics (ie. dealing with the absence of a loved one; addressing Israel/Palestine). There are also ideas for how to enhance your seder experience for adults and kids, or to hold an informal seder and have a different sort of celebration!
Addressing our lives and current events
Here is a not-so complete collection of readings that can add to your seder experience. Whether this is a particularly difficult Passover for you or you are looking for some justice-focused readings, these might help!
Addressing Anti-semitism and Preserving Democracy
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs has a haggadah supplement to help on this topic, entitled "Breaking (Unleavened) Bread, Building Bridges: Yachatz and the Path to Collective Liberation."
Addressing Immigration and Refugees
HIAS's haggadah and supplement address fleeing persecution and journeying to freedom.
Addressing Israel/Palestine
Mah Nistanah - why is this night/year different? Rabbi Josh Weinberg of ARZA offers many ways to re-think and re-invent parts of the seder to address the current war directly.
Using the Candle Lighting as a Prayer for Hope
- This reading by American Jewish World Service is a beautiful way to recognize current events and pray for all people.
- This reading, co-created by an Israeli woman and Palestinian woman, prays for peace in Israel/Palestine while lighting the festival or Shabbat candles.
New Symbols to Put on the Seder Table
- A Lemon for the Israeli Hostages The bright yellow color has become a symbol of the fight to bring the Israeli hostages home from captivity in Gaza. The sourness of the lemon represents the sourness that they and their families experience every day. It is also a bitterness that can be turned sweet with their return. You may also opt to leave an empty chair for the hostages, placing a poster or an Israeli flag over the chair.
- Fair Trade Chocolate or Cocoa Beans for Labor Issues The fair trade movement promotes economic partnerships based on equality, justice, and sustainable environmental practices. We have a role in the process by making consumer choices that promote economic fairness for those who produce our products around the globe. Fair Trade certified chocolate and cocoa beans are grown under standards that prohibit the use of forced labor. They can be included on the seder plate to remind us that although we escaped from slavery in Egypt, forced labor is still very much an issue today.
- An Orange for LGBTQ+ Equality Many households and congregations have begun adding an orange to the seder plate as a way of acknowledging the role of people who feel marginalized within the Jewish community. Professor Susannah Heschel explains that in the 1980s, feminists at Oberlin College placed a crust of bread on the seder plate, saying, “There's as much room for a lesbian in Judaism as there is for a crust of bread on the seder plate.” Heschel adapted this practice, placing an orange on her family's seder plate and asking each attendee to take a segment of the orange, make the blessing over fruit, and eat it as a gesture of solidarity with LGBTQ Jews and others who are marginalized within the Jewish community. They spit out the orange seeds, which were said to represent homophobia.
- Olives for Peace The olive branch is famous for being the symbol of peace. As such, olives were introduced to the seder plate as a symbol of hope for a future peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
- A Potato for Ethiopian Jewry and Refugees In 1991, Israel launched Operation Solomon, a covert plan to bring Ethiopian Jews to the Holy Land. When they arrived in Israel, many were so ill that they were unable to digest substantial food. Israeli doctors fed these new immigrants simple boiled potatoes and rice until their systems could handle more substantial food. To represent the continuous exodus of refugees from oppressive regions, we include the potato.
What if I want to keep it informal or do something different?
- Consider “Seder as Salon.” Ask every participant to bring some art or poem or reading or reflection they’d like to share, and then have folks perform or do it during the seder itself. (Courtesy of heyalma.com)
- Just have a discussion about the major themes of the holiday. See: 10 Great Discussion Topics for your Passover Seder.
- Write your Own Six Word Passover Poetry
- Brainstorm and experiment with other foods that symbolize sweetness and bitterness.
How can I liven it up for the kids?
PJ Library’s Passover Resources for kids including crafts, videos and stories.
Uh oh, I don’t have a haggadah!
If you don’t have a haggadah at home, you have options:
- Create your own at haggadot.com. This database includes readings, pictures, and prayers galore. It’s easy to build a haggadah that fits you and your sensibilities.
- Jewbelong.com offers a very hip, very free, very downloadable haggadah. Access it here.
- For something simple and fun, check out this Coloring Book Haggadah