Clips Library
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JWW: Chazeret
This second bitter herb represents the bitterness of abandonment. The Jews enslaved in Egypt were not only oppressed, they endured the added pain of feeling alone. Many who have survived genocide say that the idea that no one is c ...Marorcontributed by Michelle Westmiller -
JWW: Beitzah
The egg symbolizes the continuity of life. It can also represent the rebirth that comes after mourning. It reminds us that even amid devastation, we can overcome tragedy, turn our lives around, and start anew —stronger than befo ...Introductioncontributed by Michelle Westmiller -
JWW: Six Elements. Six Questio
We pose six questions to stir thought and discussion. Asking questions is such a vital part of the Seder, perhaps because people who are enslaved are not allowed to ask questions. ...-- Four Questionscontributed by Michelle Westmiller -
In Search of Freedom: A Passov
As we light these candles, we pray that all those suffering in Darfur and elsewhere in the world find light amid the darkness. We pray that our experience today helps us to ignite ...Introductioncontributed by American Jewish World Service -
In Search of Freedom: A Passov
Among the traditional practices at the seder is the recounting of the Ten Plagues that God visited upon Egypt. It is customary to remove a drop of wine from our cups as we mention ...-- Ten Plaguescontributed by American Jewish World Service -
Afikomen Hunt: Now and Later
This Passover reading, for children ages 7-11, is part of a series of three Passover readings for children and adults created by American Jewish World Service (AJWS) to connect the holiday of Passover to the theme “from disaster ...Commentary / Readingscontributed by American Jewish World Service -
Chag v'Chesed: Holiday Dv
Written by Dr. Judith Plaskow One of the central ethical injunctions of the Torah is not to wrong or oppress the stranger, for we were strangers in the land of Egypt (Exodus 22:20) ...Commentary / Readingscontributed by American Jewish World Service -
Chag v'Chesed: Holiday Dv
Sustained by Justice Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson Each year, we gather around our seder tables, surrounded by friends and family, to recount the tale of our ancestors' miraculous de ...Commentary / Readingscontributed by American Jewish World Service -
Chag v'Chesed: Holiday Dv
Changing the World, with God By Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen The Torah takes great pains, long before the Exodus narrative, to make clear to its readers that it wants far more than m ...Commentary / Readingscontributed by American Jewish World Service -
In Search of Freedom: A Passov
As we pour our fourth cup of wine, we focus on the need to raise awareness about the ongoing crisis in Darfur. Please take a moment to think of five people you can speak to about t ...Nirtzahcontributed by American Jewish World Service -
In Search of Freedom: A Passov
A Prayer for the People of Darfur By Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks O God of peace, who commands us to seek peace, send peace to the people of Darfur. O God of compassion, who hear ...Commentary / Readingscontributed by American Jewish World Service -
In Search of Freedom: A Passov
The Passover seder traditionally concludes with the words “Next Year in Jerusalem,” representing the age-old hope for the coming of the Messiah, the ingathering of the Je ...Nirtzahcontributed by American Jewish World Service -
In Search of Freedom: A Passov
It is customary at the seder for children to recite “the four questions.” These questions are designed to stimulate an intergenerational conversation about the history an ...-- Four Questionscontributed by American Jewish World Service -
AJWS: 5th Question
Mah nishtanah ha-lailah ha-zeh mi-kol ha-lailot? Why is this night different from all other nights? We know the traditional answers to this question: On this night, we eat matzah and bitter herbs, we dip and we recline. But this i ...-- Four Questionscontributed by American Jewish World Service -
In Search of Freedom: A Passov
Witness to Destruction What I found most powerful on that trip was a story that I heard from several people in hiding about their struggle to find drinkable water. When men would g ...Motzi-Matzahcontributed by American Jewish World Service -
In Search of Freedom: A Passov
One of the hallmarks of the seder is the welcoming of Elijah the prophet into our homes for the latter part of the evening. Why Elijah? Because according to biblical an ...Commentary / Readingscontributed by American Jewish World Service
