Clips Library
-
Answers to the Four Questions
The Children at the Seder ask us "Why is this night different from all other nights?" and thus begins the retelling of the story of Exodus. Each of us pulls our own meaning from the Passover Story, but rarely do we have a chance t ...Covercontributed by Paul Goldner -
The Four Questions
The Four QuestionsThe telling of the story of Passover is framed as a discussion with lots of questions and answers. It’s tradition that the youngest person in the family asks the questions. The rabbis who created the set format ...-- Four Questionscontributed by Stephanie Kravatz -
Candle Blessing
Usually on Pesach one first recites the blessings and then lights the candles without covering one’s eyes.May these candles, lit on the Festival of Freedom, bring light into our hearts and minds. May they renew our courage to ac ...Kadeshcontributed by Stephanie Kravatz -
The Orange
In the early 1980s, the Hillel Foundation invited me to speak on a panel at Oberlin College. While on campus, I came across a Haggada that had been written by some Oberlin students to express feminist concerns. One ritual they dev ...Maggid - Beginningcontributed by Cody Greenes -
4th Cup - Responsibility
In a free society, some are guilty. But all are responsible.~Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel How can one apply this in one's own, daily life?Is this a fair charge to humanity? Why? Why not? Optional song:Go tell it on the m ...Hallelcontributed by Cody Greenes -
Beginning the Evening
By participating in the symbolic actions built into the order of the Seder, we can share in: the experience of the rebirth of the natural world around us, the national liberation of our people ...Introductioncontributed by Cody Greenes -
Miriam's Cup
Filling Miriam's Cup follows the second cup of wine, before washing the hands. Raise the empty goblet and say:Miriam's cup is filled with water, rather than wine. I invite women of all generations at our Seder table to fill ...-- Exodus Storycontributed by Cody Greenes -
Welcoming Pesach - Life's
The time is nowto break the bonds of fearlight out into the road of Exodusto find life’s giftsmanna from heavenbabes coming into the worldto embrace all things we hol ...Introductioncontributed by David Fitzpatrick Fitzpatrick -
The Four Children - AJWS
At Passover each year, we read the story of our ancestors’ pursuit of liberation from oppression. When confronting this history, how do we answer our children when they ask us how to pursue justice in our time?WHAT DOES THE ACTI ...-- Four Childrencontributed by Daniel Gropper -
In Every Generation
The story of Passover may seem very remote to you, as it happened thousands of years ago, when the oldest people at your seder table were very, very young, and so many of the details of the story seem somewhat old-fashioned, such ...-- Closingcontributed by Daniel Gropper -
Answer to the four questions
1. Why eat plain matza which is hard to digest? Poor laborers and slaves are fed matza not only because it is cheap but because it is filling and requires a long digestion period. The diet was designed by the oppressor to exploit ...Covercontributed by Daniel Gropper -
Origin of Karpas
The word “Karpas” derives from the Greek “Karpos” meaning fruit of the soil. The historical origins of dipping Karpas at the Seder reflect the accepted cuisine of the Greco-Roman symposium.Metaphorically, Karpas, the ...Karpascontributed by Daniel Gropper -
The Stories That Bind Us
The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative.“The ones who know a lot about their families tend to do better when they face challenges,” said Sara Duk ...-- Exodus Storycontributed by Daniel Gropper -
Let All Who are Hungry, Come a
Ha lachma anya—this is the bread of affliction.At the seder we begin as slaves. We eat matzah, the bread of affliction, which leaves us hungry and longing for redemption. It remi ...Yachatzcontributed by Daniel Gropper -
Why Drink Four Cups on Passove
Just where did the rabbis themselves determine the idea of instituting four cups of wine? The rabbis wrote these instructions in Tractate Pesachim during the time of Roman rule in ...Kadeshcontributed by Daniel Gropper -
Introduction
What is a Haggadah?A Haggadah is the book we read from at the Passover Seder. The word Haggadah means ‘telling’. On Passover we tell the story of the Exodus of the Jewish people from the land of Egypt. Passover is the Eng ...Introductioncontributed by Benny Pitt
