Dear Friends,

On Monday night we will sit around seder tables, and many will say, “How can we go through the seder like normal when we are lo b’seder (not ok).” *

First, we hope you can harness the joy that is possible on Passover. It is possible! As we say in our Derech (Mount Zion “Path”): “We will focus on gratitude and seek joy even in a time of great upheaval.”

Second, we want to share some encouragement and resources to acknowledge the challenges of our time and to use new/old symbols and texts of the Haggadah to open up an evening of deep meaning and connection.

There is no shortage of resources. There are so many ways to talk about October 7th, or not; to change liturgy, or not. Most important is to try to honor the people in the room who are showing up at your seder and figure out the best way to listen and discuss.

• How to talk about the elephant in the room?
• Some suggestions for rituals to acknowledge the crisis in Israel and Gaza:
• Fill wine cups only ½ way as one might fly a flag at half-mast when one is in mourning; leave an empty chair with a picture of a hostage or someone who was killed to bring their presence to be with us; adorn our seder tables with a yellow ribbon as a sign of solidarity with the movement to free the hostages; focus on the suffering in Gaza as we recount the plagues.
• Scale back the Matzah 
• Supplement of poems and readings from Reform Rabbis
• Hartman Institute Guide with Many Suggestions Post Oct 7
• American Jewish Community - One page - Why is this Night Different?
• Kveller Guide for Families: 7 Ways to Address October 7 at Your Family Seder
• Resources for Seders with Young Children from the URJ (Reform Movement)
• Mount Zion's Resources (videos, handouts, music)

Passover is a holiday of paradox. We recline like royalty while we eat the bread of affliction. We rejoice in liberation and diminish our joy when reciting the plagues. This year, especially, we need to open our hearts to hold multiple truths in this paradoxical time.

Whether you are hosting a seder, attending one, or just reflecting on the meaning of Pesach, we hope these resources will help you find ways to find meaning and even joy in a time such as this.

Chag sameach, happy Passover!

And first, Shabbat shalom,

Adam Stock Spilker, Rabbi

Esther Adler, Rabbi

Jennifer Strauss-Klein, Cantor

Rachel Stock Spilker, Cantor

*Seder is the Hebrew word meaning “order.” The Passover Seder, as told in the Haggadah, is how rabbinic tradition put our story of redemption from Egypt in an “order” with fifteen steps so each of us would feel successful retelling the story.