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[[This Haggadah is the product of many people’s hard work and dedication. Excerpts are taken – with tremendous gratitude – from Paul Adler’s for the People, Micah Bazant & Dara Silverman’s Love and Justice in Times of War Haggadah, and Rachel Barenblat’s The Velveteen Rabbi’s Haggadah for Pesach.]]

Let us begin…

[[Go around the table and introduce yourself. Everyone should say their name and gender pronoun preferences.]]

By stating our preferences at the beginning of our time together, we take the pressure off individuals to find space and courage to identify themselves to strangers. Even if there are no transpeople at your Seder, this is a chance for non-trans folks to think about something they take for granted – that their gender will be seen and respected.

At our Seder we will tell stories of fights for liberation from oppression in the past and in the present. As we light the candles on the table and start our evening together, we dedicate ourselves to stepping away physical distractions, like cell phones, and mental distractions, like thoughts or anxieties that may be running through our heads. As we light the candles we give ourselves the gift of being present with those around us.

The Seder The word Seder means ‘order’ – here’s ours:

Kaddesh – reciting the Kiddish Urchatz – washing the hands - blessing for the green vegetable Yachatz – breaking of the middle matzah Maggid – telling the story Rachtzah – washing the hands before the meal Motzi Matzah – prayer for the beginning of the meal and blessing for the matzah – blessing for the bitter herbs Korech – Hillel’s sandwich Shulchan Orech – the meal Tzafun – the afikomen Barech – saying grace Hallel - praise Nirtzah – conclusion

THE SHEHECHIANU The Shehechianu is said whenever we do anything for the first time, and tonight is the first time our particular group is gathered together to celebrate the Seder.

הַזֶּה לַזְּמַן וְהִגִּיעָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ הַעוֹלָם מֶלֶךְ יְיאֱלֹהֵינוּ אַתָּה בָּרוּךְ

Barukh atta Adonai Eloheinu melekh Blessed is the Eternal, for giving us life, for ha'olam she-heheyanu v'qiyy'manu sustaining us and bringing us to this time. v'higiy'anu lazz'man hazzeh.

HINEI MA TOV Hinei ma tov uma na’im How sweet it is to be with our brothers/sisters, Shevet achim/acyot gam yachad together in community.

THE FIRST CUP OF WINE According to some traditions, no one should pour their own cup of wine at a Seder. Originally, this was to emulate Roman noblemen who offered a model of freedom for early Seders. Today, this custom reminds us that we cannot be liberated by ourselves – only through cooperation and helping each other can we find our common freedom.

Tonight we drink four cups of wine. Why four? Some say the cups represent our matriarchs – Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah. Another interpretation is that the cups represent the four promises of liberation G-d makes in the : I will bring you out, I will deliver you, I will redeem you, I will take you to be my people. The four promises, in turn, have been interpreted as four stages on the path of liberation: becoming aware of oppression, opposing oppression, imagining alternatives, and accepting responsibility to act.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh "Blessed are You our G-d, Ruler of the universe, haolam, bo're p'ri hagafen. Who creates the fruit of the vine

[[Drink your first cup of wine]]

URCHATZ: WASHING THE HANDS The symbolic washing of the hands that we now perform recalls the story of Miriam's Well. Legend tells us that this well followed Miriam, sister of , through the desert, sustaining the in their wanderings. Filled with mayim chayyim, waters of life, the well was a source of strength and renewal to all who drew from it. One drink from its waters was said to alert the heart, mind and soul, and make the meaning of Torah clearer.

[[People may wash their hands]]

KARPAS: EAT A GREEN VEGETABLE

[[Pass the parsley around, dipping it into the salt water.]]

At this point in the Seder, it is traditional to eat a green vegetable dipped in salt water. The green vegetable represents rebirth, renewal and growth; the salt water represents the tears of enslavement.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh Blessed is the One, who sustains all life, and brings ha’olam borei p’ri ha’adamah. forth fruits from the earth.

YACHATZ: BREAKING THE MIDDLE MATZAH This is the bread of affliction, which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat; let all who are needy come and celebrate the Passover with us. Now we are here; next year may we be in a land of peace. Now we are slaves; next year may we be free.

Traditionally, Seders require three matzot. Why three? Three are our patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Three are the segments of the people of Israel, Kohen, Levi and Yisrael.

[[Break the middle piece of matzah and wrap the larger half in a cloth or napkin. This piece of matzah is now called the “,” and must be eaten before the Seder concludes. Often it is hidden away by adults, for the children to find; the children may collectively bargain for better gifts before giving it back]]

Maggid: Telling the Story Maggid, the Hebrew word for “story,” is the center of Seder; this is where we recount the history of . This Seder joins a tradition of using the Maggid to reflect not only a historical liberation story, but also tales of struggles for justice happening today.

Consider the following tale, featured in many traditional Haggadot. The story is of a particular Seder featuring five of the great of antiquity: Akiva, Yehoshua, Eliezer ben Azarya, Eliezer, and Tarfon. One year, these rabbis held a Seder, which lasted all night, only finishing when the rabbis’ students called them for morning prayers. That’s usually as much information as we’re given, with the moral of the story apparently that Jews have a fondness for talking.

It is often neglected that the Seder took place in 132 C.E., in the midst of the Bar Kokhba revolt, a guerrilla uprising by the Jews against the Roman Empire. This revolt’s immediate trigger was the Romans threatening to mess with the Temple Mount; but it was also the product of anger fueled by years of Roman colonialism. It is known that at least one of the Rabbis, Akiva, was a leader in this revolt. Because of rebel activities, the Roman authorities had forbidden gathering of Jews. The seder described in this passage was used not only as a chance to discuss the liberation from Egypt, but also to plan next steps in the revolution.

This tale may be read as a story of how one liberation begets another. Celebrating our collective freedom from servitude – as we do tonight – can be a radical act. Such continual reinterpretation and questioning of Jewish texts and customs are some of the greatest defining traits of Judaism. In that spirit, we go into the four questions.

THE FOUR QUESTIONS Mah nishtanah halaila hazeh mikol halaylot? Shebakhol halaylot anu okhleen khamaytz u’matzah, halaila hazeh kulo matzah. Shebakhol halaylot anu okhleen sh’ahr y’rakot, halaila hazeh maror. Shebakhol halaylot ayn anu matbeeleen afeelu pa’am akhat, halaila hazeh sh’tay f’ameem. Shebakhol halaylot anu okh’leen beyn yoshveen u’vayn m’subeen, halaila hazeh kulanu m’subeen.

Why is this night different from all other nights? Why is it that on all other nights we eat either bread or matzah, but on this night we only eat matzah? Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs, but on this night we eat only bitter herbs? Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip our herbs even once, but on this night we dip them twice? Why is it that on all other nights we eat either sitting or reclining, but on this night we eat in a reclining position?

On all other nights we may eat either leavened bread or matzah; tonight, only matzah, that we may recall the unleavened bread our ancestors baked in haste when they left slavery. On all other nights we need not taste bitterness; tonight, we eat bitter herbs, that we may recall the suffering of slavery. On all other nights we needn’t dip our food in condiments even once; tonight we dip twice, in saltwater to remember our tears when we were enslaved, and in haroset to remember the mortar and the bricks which we made. On all other nights we eat sitting up; tonight, we recline, to remind ourselves to savor our liberation.

THE FOUR CHILDREN At Passover each year, we read the story of our ancestors’ pursuit of liberation from oppression. When confronting this history, there are numerous questions that come up, not just for children, but also for all of us as actors in a complicated world. Here we take a moment to reflect on four questions that can arise out of the story of Passover. They are questions we ask, and are asked, by ourselves, our friends, and our families, about how to pursue justice.

One asks: “The Torah tells me, ‘Justice, justice you shall pursue,’ but how can I pursue justice?” Empower him always to seek pathways to advocate for the vulnerable. As Proverbs teaches, “Speak up for the mute, for the rights of the unfortunate. Speak up, judge righteously, champion the poor and the needy.”

Another asks: “How can I solve problems of such enormity?” Encourage her by explaining that she need not solve the problems, she must only do what she is capable of doing. As we read in Pirke Avot, “It is not your responsibility to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.”

Another says: “It’s not my responsibility.” Persuade him that responsibility cannot be shirked. As Abraham Joshua Heschel writes, “The opposite of good is not evil, the opposite of good is indifference. In a free society where terrible wrongs exist, some are guilty, but all are responsible.”

Another does not know how to ask. Prompt her to see herself as an inheritor of our people’s legacy. As it says in Deuteronomy, “You must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

THE STORY Once upon a time our people went into galut, exile, in the land of Egypt. During a famine our ancestor Jacob and his family fled to Egypt, where food was plentiful. Jacob’s son eventually became valuable to Pharaoh for his astute economic predictions and ability to administer before and during severe famine.

Generations passed and our people remained in Egypt. As rulers came and went, a new Pharaoh ascended to the throne. He felt threatened by the strangers in his people’s midst, and ordered our people enslaved. Despite the hardships of slavery, the Hebrew people survived and grew in numbers. The new Pharaoh became concerned that they would unite with the Egyptians’ enemies.

In fear of rebellion, Pharaoh decreed that all Hebrew boy-children be killed. Two midwives named Shifrah and Puah defied his orders, claiming that “the Hebrew women are so hardy, they give birth before we arrive!” Through their courage, a boy survived.

Our ancestor Miriam was five years old when a Hebrew woman named Yochevet became pregnant. Miriam was a prophet and she predicted that Yochevet would give birth to a son who would survive and help our people.

Yochevet did give birth to a little boy. Fearing for his safety, his family placed him in a basket and floated him down the Nile past the very place the Pharaoh’s daughter went swimming every morning. He was found, and adopted, by Pharaoh’s daughter, who named him Moshe because min ha-mayim m’shitihu, from the water she drew him forth. She hired his mother Yochevet as his wet-nurse.

Moses grew up in the palace and with no awareness of himself being a Jew. Then, one day, while walking amongst the pyramid construction, he saw an Egyptian overseer beating a Hebrew slave. Moses killed the Egyptian and fled into exile in the desert wilderness, where he stayed for many years.

After some time G-d came to him in the form of a burning bush – a bush that burned and burned without burning up. Moses was given a mission: the liberation of the Hebrews. Moses soon met with Aaron to begin the greatest organizing drive of the era.

When Moses and Aaron first returned to Egypt to begin organizing the Hebrew slaves, the Pharaoh rallied his pro-slavery friends and launched an anti-emancipation intimidation campaign. Pharaoh started by ordering a speed-up in the slaves’ workload and began requiring that the Hebrews provide the building materials themselves.

Pharaoh’s attitudes are instructive; when talking to his foremen he declared that the Hebrews “are shirkers” and ordered that “heavier work be laid upon the men; let them keep at it and not pay attention to deceitful promises.” [Exodus 5.8-5.9]

In our own day, the modern Pharaohs similarly insist that challenges to their power must come from “outside agitators” and accuse people of being immoral, lazy or greedy, whether they be women desiring basic health care, new immigrants etching out a life, or public sector workers trying to preserve a decent living.

While it would seem logical that the Hebrews would welcome Moses’ efforts, this was not always the case. As explained in Exodus [5:21-5:23]: “As they [the slaves] left Pharaoh’s presence, they came upon Moses and Aaron standing in their path and they said to them: ‘May the LORD look upon you and punish you for making us loathsome to Pharaoh and his courtiers – putting a sword in their hands to slay us.’”

Can we easily declare these slaves to be wrong? Who was this Moses character, a son of privilege turned radical by his engagement in acts of violence against the Pharaoh? How could these two men overcome the power of all Egypt? Fortunately, Moses and Aaron did the hard work of organizing to build power in their community.

Committees were formed and discussions were long and heated. They debated questions of violence and non-violence: is property damage acceptable? Causing enemies to suffer? What about the innocent bystanders? How about revenge? They also debated questions of leadership: Should Moses really be the leader? Weren’t they all fighting for liberation?

But Moses had an “in” with Pharaoh, and the time for negotiations had arrived. Armed with the best speech their propaganda committee could prepare and several support people, Moses proposed that Pharaoh free the Jews. Pharaoh, of course, said “no,” and the peaceful negotiation was ended.

Miriam then spoke, prophesizing that great suffering will come to the land if Pharaoh did not free them. She explained that one by one, the Egyptians would face plagues, and that after each one the Hebrew people would again demand to be given their freedom. It took ten plagues before the Jews were told to leave.

On their way quickly out of Egypt, however, the Pharoah had a change of heart and mobilized his forces to recapture the fleeing slaves. The Egyptians reached the Jews when they were nearing the shores of the Red Sea. The Jews turned around to see the army of the Egyptians bearing down on them, and were filled with fear.

Despite their fear, the Jews stepped forward, into the Red Sea, which parted and allowed them to pass. When the Egyptians attempted to follow, the Red Sea crashed down upon them.

Tonight we remember the many prices that were paid for freedom by spilling out a drop of wine from our cups as we recite the plagues one by one. In this way we diminish our pleasure, as the suffering of others diminished our joy.

THE TEN PLAGUES We are about to recite the ten plagues. As we recite each plague, we spill a drop of wine—symbol of joy—from our cups. We will not partake of our seder feast until we undergo this symbolic purification, because our freedom was bought with the suffering of others.

[[Reach each plague individually in Hebrew, then in English. For each one, dip your finger in the wine and put a drop on your plate]]

Dam, blood ,םדָ .1 Tzfardeyah, frogs ,צְּפַרְדֵּעַ .2 Kinim, lice ,כִּנִּים .3 Arov, wild beasts ,בעָרוֹ .4 Dever, pestilence ,רבֶדֶּ .5 Sh’hin, boils ,שְׁחִין .6 Barad, hail mixed with fire ,בָּרָד .7 Arbeh, locusts ,אַרְבֶּה .8 Hosheh, darkness ,חוֹשֶך .9 Makat B’horot, death of the firstborn ,בְּכוֹרוֹת מַכַּת .10

DAYENU What does this mean, ‘it would have been enough’? Surely no one of these would indeed have been enough for us. A Jewish philosopher was once asked, “what is the opposite of hopelessness?” And he said, “,” the ability to be thankful for what we have received, for what we are. Dayenu means to celebrate each step toward freedom as if that were enough, then to start on the next step. It means that if we reject each step because it is not the whole liberation, we will never be able to achieve the whole liberation.

Ilu hotzi hotzianu hotzianu mi’mitzrayim Had G-d: Hotzianu mi’mitzrayim dayenu Brought us out of Egypt and not divided the sea for us— Dayenu Dai-dai-yenu, Dai-dai-yenu, Dai-dai-yenu Divided the sea and not permitted us to cross on dry Dai-yenu, Dai-yenu! land—Dayenu Permitted us to cross on dry land and not sustained us Ilu natan natan lanu natan lanu et for forty years in the desert—Dayenu ha' Sustained us for forty years in the desert and not fed us Natan lanu et ha'shabbat dayenu with —Dayenu Fed us with manna and not given us the Sabbath— Dayenu Dai-dai-yenu, Dai-dai-yenu, Dai-dai-yenu Given us the Sabbath and not brought us to Mount Dai-yenu, Dai-yenu! Sinai—Dayenu

Brought us to Mount Sinai and not given us the Ilu natan natan lanu natan lanu et ha'torah Torah—Dayenu Natan lanu et ha'torah dayenu Given us the Torah and not led us into the —Dayenu Dai-dai-yenu, Dai-dai-yenu, Dai-dai-yenu Led us into the land of Israel and not built for us the Dai-yenu, Dai-yenu! Temple—Dayenu Built for us the Temple and not sent us prophets of truth—Dayenu Sent us prophets of truth and not made us a holy people—Dayenu For all these, alone and together, we say—Dayenu!

KADESH - THE SECOND CUP OF WINE

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh haolam, bo're p'ri hagafen. "Blessed are You our G-d, Ruler of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.”

SIGNS & SYMBOLS It is written: one who has not explained the following symbols has not fulfilled their duty. • The Maror, bitter herb or horseradish, represents the bitterness of slavery. • The Haroset, a mixture of apples and nuts and wine, represents the bricks and mortar we made in ancient times, and the new structures we are beginning to build in our lives today. • The Beet represents the sacrifices we have made to survive. Before the tenth plague, our people slaughtered lambs and marked our doors with blood: because of this marking, the Angel of Death passed over our homes and our first-born were spared. • The Egg symbolizes creative power, our rebirth. • The Parsley represents the new growth of spring, for we are earthy, rooted beings, connected to the Earth and nourished by our connection. • Salt water of our tears, both then and now. • Matzot of our unleavened hearts: may this Seder enable our spirits to rise. • The Orange is a bit more complex: In the early 1980s, Susannah Heschel attended a feminist seder where bread was placed on the seder plate, a reaction to a rebbetzin who had claimed lesbians had no more place in Judaism than bread crusts have at a seder. “Bread on the seder plate...renders everything , and its symbolism suggests that being lesbian is transgressive, violating Judaism,” Heschel writes. “I felt that an orange was suggestive of something else: the fruitfulness for all Jews when lesbians and gay men are contributing and active members of Jewish life. To speak of slavery and long for liberation, she says, “demands that we acknowledge our own complicity in enslaving others.” Therefore we include an orange on our seder plate to represent the radical feminist notion that there is—there must be—a place at the table for all of us, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. May our lives be inclusive, welcoming, and fruitful.

Inspired by Susannah Heschel and the many others who have celebrated Passover by bringing contemporary issues to the table, we now look to our alternative seder plate.

[[All take turns sharing an experience, story, or anecdote about the item they have put (or would put) on the seder plate]]

RACHTZA: WASHING THE HANDS Baruch atah Adonai, eloheinu Melech ha- Blessed are you, O G-d, Ruler of the Universe, who olam, asher kid’shanu has sanctified us with your commandments, and b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu al n’tilat yadayim. has commanded us to wash our hands.

[[Everyone washes their hands]]

MOTZI MATZAH Why do we eat matzah? Because during the Exodus, our ancestors had no time to wait for their dough to rise. So they improvised flat cakes without yeast, which could be baked and consumed in haste. The matzah reminds us that when the chance for liberation comes, we must seize it even if we do not feel ready—indeed, if we wait until we feel fully ready, we may never act at all.

Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu ruach Blessed are you, Adonai, Breath of Life, who brings ha’olam, hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz. forth bread from the earth. Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu ruach Blessed are you, Adonai, Breath of Life, who ha’olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav, sanctifies us with the commandment to eat v’tzivanu al achilat matzah. matzah.

[[Everyone eats a piece of matzah.]]

MAROR: THE BITTER HERBS

Why do we eat maror? Maror represents the bitterness of bondage. We taste the bitter herbs and recognize the bitter consequences of exploitation: the loss of lives and the waste of the powerful potential of all people.

Baruch atah Adanai eloheinu melech ha- Blessed are you, Adonai, Breath of Life, who olam, asher kid-shanu sanctifies us with the commandment to eat the b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu al achilat maror. bitter herb.

KORECH: THE HILLEL SANDWICH The sage Hillel originated the tradition of eating matzah and maror together, combining the bread of liberation with a remembrance of the bitterness of slavery. In following his example, we create a physical representation of the holiday’s central dialectical tension. Or as Rabbi Hillel said: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am for myself only, what am I? And if not now, when?”

[[Take some of the maror and and put them between two pieces of matzah and give the sandwich to the person on your left]]

SHULKHAN OREKH: LET’S EAT! At many Ashkenazi seders it is customary to begin the meal with a hard-boiled egg, usually dipped in salt water. The egg is rich with symbolic meaning, representing the renewal of spring and the cycle that brings us back, year after year, to the seder table. It is also a reminder of the sacrifice that took place in the Temple. Also, the hard-boiled egg reminds us that the longer things are in hot water, the longer they are cooked, the stronger they become. This is true for us in our struggle against oppression: we gain strength through adversity.

TZAFUN: AFIKOMAN

[[Find the afikoman and distribute it to all who are seated at the table.]]

When the Temple still stood in Jerusalem, it was customary to make an offering of a paschal lamb at this season. Now we eat the afikoman in memory of the offering. Tzafun means “hidden,” and the afikoman is usually hidden for children to find. Why end the meal thus? Because we want the dinner to end with the taste of freedom in our mouths—thus the taste of matzah, rather than some unrelated sweet.

BARECH Bareich rachamana You are the Source of life for all that is Malka d’alma and your blessing flows through me Marei d’hai pita

KADESH – THE THIRD CUP OF WINE

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh haolam, bo're p'ri hagafen. "Blessed are You our G-d, Ruler of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.”

[[Drink the third cup of wine]]

CUPS OF THE PROPHETS: ELIJAH It is now time to greet Elijah. The tradition liturgy reads as follows: Pour out Your wrath upon those who do not know You and upon the governments which do not call upon Your Name. For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his dwelling place (Psalms 79:6-7). Pour out Your fury upon them; let the fierceness of Your Anger overtake them (Psalms 69:25). Pursue them in indignation and destroy them from under Your heavens (Lamentations 3:66)

Rage, unexpressed, will fester. Let us therefore acknowledge our communal pain. Let us recognize the intersecting systems of oppression, which ensnare our world, from anti-Semitism to xenophobia, and feel appropriate anger in response. And let us recommit ourselves to honing that anger so that it might fuel us to create change, so that our wrath may lead us to redemption.

In the words of the poet Audre Lorde: Focused with precision, [anger] can become a powerful source of energy serving progress and change. And when I speak of change, I do not mean a simple switch of positions or a temporary lessening of tensions, nor the ability to smile or feel good. I am speaking of a basic and radical alteration in those assumptions underlining our lives.

Before he died, Elijah declared that he would return once each generation in the guise of any poor or oppressed person, coming to people’s doors to see how he would be treated. By the treatment offered this poor person, who would be Elijah himself, he would know whether the population had reached a level of humanity making them capable of participating in the dawn of the Messianic age.

CUPS OF THE PROPHETS: MIRIAM Tonight we welcome two prophets: not only Elijah, but also Miriam, sister of Moses. Elijah is a symbol of messianic redemption at the end of time; Miriam, of redemption in our present lives. After the crossing of the Red Sea, Miriam sang to the a song. The words in the Torah are only the beginning: Sing to God, for God has triumphed gloriously; Horse and driver, God has hurled into the sea.

So the Rabbis asked: Why is the Song of Miriam only partially stated in the Torah? And in midrash is found the answer: the song is incomplete so that future generations will finish it. That is our task.

We open the door to Elijah and open ourselves to continuing the Song of Miriam. All sing:

Eliyahu ha-navi Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah the Eliyahu ha-tishbi Giladite, Eliyahu, Eliyahu May he soon come to us, with Mashiach the son of Eliyahu ha-giladi David.

Bimheyra b'yameynu Yahvoh eleynu Im mashiakh ben David Im mashiakh bat Sarah

Miriam ha-Neviya, oz v’zimra Miriam the prophet, strength and song in her hand v’yada. Miriam dance with us in order to increase the song of Miriam tirkod itanu l’hagdil the world. zimrat olam. Miriam dance with us in order to repair the world. Miriam tirkod itanu l’taken et Soon she will bring us to the waters of redemption. ha’olam. Bimheyra b'yameynu Hi t’vi’einu elmei ha-yishua

Hallel

OSEH SHALOM

Oseh shalom bimromav May the One who makes peace in the supernal, hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu grant peace to us, and to all the world. Amen v’al kol ha’olam, v’imru, v’imru, Amein. ya’aseh shalom ya’aseh shalom shalom aleinu v’al kol ha’olam (2x)

LO YISA GOY

Lo yisa goy el goy kherev Nation shall not lift up sword against nation. Lo yilmedu od milkhama Neither shall they learn war any more. And each ‘neath their vine and fig tree, Shall live in peace and unafraid.

ECHAD MI YODEA

Echad mi yode'a 1 who knows 1 Echad ani yode'a 1 I know 1 Echad Elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz. 1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth … … Shlosha-asar mi yode'a 13 who knows 13 Shlosha-asar ani yode'a 13 I know 13 Shlosha-asar midaya 13 are the attributes of God shneim-asar shivtaya 12 are the Tribes of Israel achad asar kochvaya 11 are the stars in Joseph's dream asara dibraya 10 are the commandments 9 are the months before birth, tish'ah chodshei leidah 8 are the days to the shmonah yemei milah 7 are the days in a week till Shabbat shiv'ah yemei shabatah 6 are the orders of the Shisha, sidre mishna 5 are the books of the torah, Chamisha chumshei torah 4 are our matriarchs, arba imahot 3 are our forefathers Shlosha avot, 2 are the tablets of the commandments shnei luchot habrit 1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz.

KADESH - THE FOURTH CUP OF WINE

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh haolam, bo're p'ri hagafen. "Blessed are You our G-d, Ruler of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.”

[[Drink the fourth cup of wine]]

NIRTZAH – THE CLOSING It is traditional to end a seder with L’shanah ha-ba’ah b’Yerushalayim—“Next Year in Jerusalem!” The meaning of the word Yerushalayim shows the phrase has a double meaning. The word’s root can be read as Ir Shalem (“City of Wholeness”) or Ir Shalom (“City of Peace”). Even if we don’t perceive ourselves as being in galut (exile) from the literal Land of Israel, we are still in exile from the state of wholeness and unity. Next year, wherever we are, may we be whole and at peace

L’shanah ha-ba’ah b’Yerushalayim! Next year may we all live in a world of peace! L'shanah ha-ba'ah b'olam b'shalom!