Womens Seder Hagaddah

“You Shall Tell It To
Your Daughters”

Haggadah for a Women’s Seder

Temple Solel
Paradise Valley, Arizona

Copyright © 2018 byTemple Solel

INVOCATION
READER
Why is this night different from all other nights?
On this night we gather to prepare for Passover, outside of our kitchens, in a way our foremothers never
could have imagined. We retell the story of the Exodus, as commanded, and search within it for the
women like ourselves. We will speak of Shifra, Puah, Yocheved, Miriam and Pharaoh’s daughter.
The word Haggadah means “Telling.” On many other holidays we are commanded to listen. We must
hear the Megillah on Purim, we must hear the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah. But on Pesach, we are
commanded to speak. We must speak of our past, we must tell our own stories, we must seek out our
voice. This Seder is about giving voice to our experiences—tonight we embrace our rich heritage as
Jewish Women, craft new rituals, and create a joyful and supportive space for one another.

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‫ביעור חמץ‬- BIUR CHAMEITZ - BURNING OUR EMOTIONAL CHAMEITZ

READER now with our brothers
now with our sons
Removing the Hametz cleaning the inner house
In the month of nisan through the moon of nisan.
with the death of winter
and the coming of spring On the eve of the full moon
our ancient mothers we search our houses
cleaned out their houses. by the light of a candle
They gathered brooms, mops, brushes, for the last trace of winter
rags, stone, and lime for the last crumbs grown stale inside us
they washed down walls for the last darkness still in our hearts.
swept floors
beat rugs Washing our hands
scoured pots we say a blessing
changed over all the dishes in the house. over water…
We light a candle
They opened windows to the sun and search in the listening silence
hung linens for the airing out of blankets and search the high places
covers and the low places
using fire inside you
air search the attic and the basement
and water the crevices and crannies
in the cleaning. the corners of unused rooms.

In the month of nisan Look in your pockets
before the parting seas and the pockets of those around you
called them out of the old life for traces of Mitzrayim.
our ancient mothers
went down to the river Some use a feather
they went down to the river some use a knife
to prepare their garments for the spring. to enter the hard places.
Some destroy Hametz with fire
Hands pounded rock others throw it to the wind
voices drummed out song others toss it to the sea.
there is new life inside us
Shekhinah Look deep for the Hametz
prepares for Her birth. which still gives you pleasure
and cast it to the burning.
So we labor all women
cleaning and washing

LEADER—GUIDED MEDITATION
When the looking is done, we say:

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ALL

All that rises up bitter
All that rises up prideful
All that rises up in old ways no longer fruitful
All Hametz still in my possession
but unknown to me
which I have not seen
nor disposed of
may it find common grave
with the dust of the earth
amen amen
selah….

‫ הדלקת הנרות‬- HADLAKAT NEIROT - KINDLING THE LIGHTS

‫ ְו ִצ ָוּנוּ‬,‫ ֲא ֶשׁר ִק ְדּ ָשׁנוּ ְבּ ִמ ְצוֹ ָתיו‬,‫ָבּרוּ ַא ָתּה ְי ָי ֱא ֵהינוּ ֶמ ֶל ָהעוֹ ָלם‬
‫ְל ַה ְד ִליק ֵנר ֶשׁל יוֹם טוֹב‬

Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner
shel yom tov.

You are Blessed, Our God, Spirit of the World, who makes us holy with sacred obligations and
commands us to kindle the light of the festival day.

_________________________

‫ ֶשׁ ֶה ֱח ָינוּ ְו ִק ְיּ ָמנוּ ְו ִה ִגּי ָﬠנוּ ַל ְזּ ַמן‬,‫ ֱא ֵהינוּ ֶמ ֶל ָהעוֹ ָלם‬,‫ָבּרוּ ַא ָתּה ְי ָי‬
:‫ַה ֶזּה‬

Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech ha’olam shehecheyanu, v’kiy’manu v’higianu laz’man
hazeh.

You are Blessed, Our God, Spirit of the World, who keeps us in life, who sustains us, and who
enables us to reach this season.

May Your Presence dwell among us as we gather here tonight. As we light the candles and welcome
the glow of Passover into this space, we pray that all those suffering around the world find light in the
darkness. We pray that our experience tonight helps us to ignite the spark of justice within each of us.
We pray that we have the strength to carry forth this light into the world, creating a beautiful and bold
flame that inspires others to work by our sides to pursue freedom and justice for all people.

Hear the prayers we utter now in the name of our mothers Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Bilhah and
Zilpah. May Your light, reflected in these candles, surround us always. And let us say, Amen.

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‫ כוס ראשון‬- KOS RISHON - FIRST CUP

LEADER
The first cup we drink tonight is linked to the verse from Exodus that tells of God’s promise to bring
the Israelites out from under the burdens of slavery in Mitzrayim, “the narrow place.” With this cup we
honor Jewish women throughout history who worked to bring Jews out from under the burdens of
poverty, oppression and anti-Semitism in the many oppressive circumstances Jews have survived.

‫ בּוֹ ֵרא ְפּ ִרי ַה ָגּ ֶפן‬,‫ ֱא ֵהינוּ ֶמ ֶל ָהעוֹ ָלם‬,‫ָבּרוּ ַא ָתּה ְי ָי‬

Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech ha’olam, borei p’ri hagafen.

You are Blessed, Our God, Spirit of the World, who creates the fruit of the vine.

‫וּ ְר ַחץ‬ URCHATZ - HANDWASHING

The leader will symbolically wash her hands for all of us.

LEADER

A silent washing—another door to freedom
Hands open to receive the cool water
Our bodies awaken.

Listen as you begin to relax, let go of slaveries, habits, hurts—let go,
even of expectations for tonight.
Take a quiet moment.
What does the water of life feel like on your fingers, palm, on the back of your hand?

A silent washing

The blessing is in this silence.
In these hands.
In this moment.

Now we draw closer
To dip
To taste
To tell
To remember
To rejoice!

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ALL

May the waters of inspiration flow for us this evening. May we be brought closer to one another and to
the spirits of those women who came before.

‫ַכּ ְר ַפּס‬ KARPAS - DIPPING THE HERBS

LEADER

Karpas represents new growth, rebirth, and beginning of new life. We dip it in salt water to recall the
tears our ancestors shed during their slavery. We mix bitterness with sweetness, slavery with
freedom, past with future, and hope.

‫ בּוֹ ֵרא ְפּ ִרי ָה ֲא ָד ָמה‬,‫ָבּרוּ ַא ָתּה יהוה ֱא ֵהינוּ ֶמ ֶל ָהעוֹ ָלם‬

Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech ha’olam borei p’ri ha’adama.

You are Blessed, Our God, Spirit of the World, who creates the fruit of the earth.

‫ ַי ַחץ‬- YACHATZ - BREAKING THE MIDDLE MATZAH

Break the middle of the three matzot on the seder table and wrap the larger broken
piece in a napkin. Set aside this broken piece of matzah, called the afikoman.

READER
Tonight, let us bless our cracked surfaces, our brown spots, our lumps and our sharp edges,
celebrating both our fragility and our beauty.
Reaching for wholeness, let us piece together the parts of ourselves we have found and honor all that
is still hidden.

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‫ַמ ִגּיד‬ - MAGID - TELLING THE STORY

READER

We learn in a Midrash that even before Moses was born, before the midwives Shifra and Puah stood
up to Pharaoh’s decree, the Israelite women led us towards redemption. Pharaoh had ruled that there
should be no more children born to the Israelites, for he feared their power. The men of the
community, in turn, grew fearful. They turned away from their families, and slept in the fields. They
were so scared that they forgot how to love, and how to see themselves as made in the divine image.

The midrash asks: “What did the daughters of Israel do?” They went down to the river to catch fish,
they went to the markets to buy something to drink, and they went out to picnic with their husbands in
the fields. After they ate and drank, the women would take out their mirrors, and look into them with
their husbands. They would look in the mirrors and remind each other how beautiful they were—they
saw the divine spark within once more; they learned, once again, how to love, and that love is what
redeemed the People of Israel.

LEADER—GUIDED ACTIVITY

READER
This is the bread of affliction our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and
eat. Let all who are in need come and share our Passover. This year we are here. Next year in the
Land of Israel. This year we are slaves. Next year, may we all be free.

This bread, the symbol of freedom, is also the bread of affliction, cheap food to sustain slaves.

We eat this bread of poverty and hardship even as we celebrate our freedom because, as Jews, we
must remember what it is to be both oppressed and liberated from that oppression.

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‫ ארבע קשיות‬- ARBA KUSHIYOT - THE FOUR QUESTIONS

ALL

‫ִנּ ְשׁ ַתּ ָנּה ַה ַ ֽלּ ְי ָלה ַה ֶזּה ִמ ָכּל ַה ֵלּילוֹת?ַמה‬

Ma nishtana halaila hazeh mikol haleilot? mikol haleilot?

:‫ ַה ַ ֽלּ ְי ָלה ַה ֶזּה ֻכּלּוֹ ַמ ָצּה‬.‫ֶשׁ ְבּ ָכל ַה ֵלּילוֹת ָ ֽא וּ אוֹ ְכ ִלין ָח ֵמץ וּ ַמ ָצּה‬

Sheb’chol haleilot anu ochlin, chameitz umatzah, chameitz umatzah.
Halaila hazeh, halaila hazeh, kulo matzah, kulo matzah.

:‫ֶשׁ ְבּ ָכל ַה ֵלּילוֹת ָ ֽא וּ אוֹ ְכ ִלין ְשׁ ָאר ְי ָרקוֹת ַה ַ ֽלּ ְי ָלה ַה ֶזּה ָמרוֹר‬

Sheb’chol haleilot anu ochlin sh’ar y’rakot, sh’ar y’rakot.
Halaila hazeh, halaila hazeh, maror, maror.

‫ ַה ַ ֽלּ ְי ָלה ַה ֶזּה ְשׁ ֵתּי‬.‫ֶשׁ ְבּ ָכל ַה ֵלּילוֹת ֵאין ָ ֽא וּ ַמ ְט ִבּי ִלין ֲא ִפילוּ ַ ֽפּ ַעם ֶא ָחת‬
:‫ְפ ָע ִמים‬

Sheb’chol haleilot ein anu matbilin, afilu pa’am echat, afilu pa’am echat.
Halaila hazeh, halaila hazeh sh’tei f’amim, sh’tei f’amim.

.‫ֶשׁ ְבּ ָכל ַה ֵלּילוֹת ָ ֽא וּ אוֹ ְכ ִלין ֵבּין יוֹ ְשׁ ִבין וּ ֵבין ְמ ֻס ִבּין‬
:‫ַה ַ ֽלּ ְי ָלה ַה ֶזּה ֻכּ ָ ֽלּ וּ ְמ ֻס ִבּין‬

Sheb’chol haleilot anu ochlin, bein yoshvin uvein m’subin, bein yoshvin uvein m’subin.
Halaila hazeh, halaila hazeh, kulanu m’subin, kulanu m’subin.

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READER
How different is this night from all other nights! Let’s consider what new resonance we can find in
these ancient Passover symbols.

 On all other nights we eat chameitz and matzah, why on this night do we eat only matzah?

 On all other nights we eat other kinds of vegetables, why on this night do we eat only maror?

 On all other nights we do not dip even once, why on this night do we dip twice?

 On all other nights we eat either sitting up or reclining, why on this night do we all recline?

ALL
At all other seders, we hear the stories of our forefathers, but the stories of our mothers are absent.

Tonight they are recounted.

At all other seders, the heroic deeds of our sisters Miriam, Yocheved, Shifrah and Puah are hidden or
diminished.

Tonight we celebrate their courage.

At all other seders, we denounce the Pharaoh of ancient Mitzrayim.
Tonight we denounce the pharaohs of our own day.

At all other seders we rejoice only in our liberation as a people.
Tonight we also celebrate our relevancy as Jewish women.

‫ ַא ְר ָבּ ָעה ָב ִ ו ת‬- ARBA’A BANOT - THE FOUR DAUGHTERS

READER

The Song of Questions
Mother, asks the clever daughter,
who are our mothers?
who are our ancestors?
what is our history?

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Give us our name. Name our genealogy.

Mother, asks the wicked daughter,
if I learn my history, will I not be angry?
Will I not be bitter as Miriam
who was deprived of her prophecy?

Mother, asks the simple daughter,
if Miriam lies buried in sand,
why must we dig up these bones?
Why must we remove her from the sun and stone
where she belongs?

The one who knows not how to question,
she has no past, she has no present, she can have no future
without knowing her mothers,
without knowing her angers,
without knowing her questions.

Around our tables sit four daughters.

READER—THE WISE DAUGHTER
The Wise Daughter understands that not everything is as it appears.

She is the one who steps forward, assuming her opinion counts.
She is the one who can take the tradition and ritual that is placed before her, turn it over and over, and
find personal meaning in it.
She is the one who can find secrets in the open spaces between the letters of the Torah.
She is the one who claims a place even if the men forget her.
Some call her wise and accepting. We call her creative and assertive.
We welcome assertiveness to sit with us at our tables and inspire us to act.

READER—THE WICKED DAUGHTER
The Wicked Daughter is the one who dares to challenge the simplistic answers she has been given.

She is the one who asks too many questions.
She is the one not content to remain in her prescribed place.
She is the one who breaks the mold.
She is the one who frightens the status quo.
Some call her wicked and rebellious. We call her daring and revolutionary.
We welcome rebellion to sit with us at our tables and make us uneasy.

READER—THE SIMPLE DAUGHTER
The Simple Daughter is the one who accepts what she is given without asking for more.

She is the one who trusts easily and believes what she is told.
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She is the one who prefers waiting and watching over seeking and acting.
She is the one who believes that the redemption from Egypt was the final act of freedom.
She is the one who follows in the wake of others.
Some call her simple and naïve. We call her the one whose eyes wait to be opened.
We welcome the contented one to sit with us at our tables and appreciate what may yet be.

READER—THE DAUGHTER WHO DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO ASK
Last is the Daughter Who Does Not Know How To Ask.

She is the one who obeys and does not question.
She is the one who has accepted men’s definitions of the world.
She is the one who has not yet found her own voice.
She is the one who is invisible.
Some call her subservient or oppressed. We call her sister.
We welcome the silent one to sit with us at our tables and begin by experiencing the community of
women.

‫ עבדים היינו‬- AVADIM HAYINU - WE WERE SLAVES

Avadim hayyinu, hayyinu, ,‫ ָה ִיינּו‬,‫ֲע ָב ִדים ָה ִיינּו‬
Atah vnei horin, vnei horin. .‫ ְב ֵי חוֹ ִרין‬,‫ּ ַע ָתהּ ְב ֵי חוֹ ִרין‬
Avadim hayyinu,
,‫ֲע ָב ִדים ָה ִיינּו‬
Atah, atah vnei horin, vnei horin. .‫ ְב ֵי חוֹ ִרין‬,‫ ּ ַע ָתהּ ְב ֵי חוֹ ִרין‬,‫ּ ַע ָתה‬

READER

To answer the question of why this night is different we begin by first telling of the story of slavery and
redemption.

The story begins with Pharaoh’s decree to kill all male Israelite babies. Two midwives, Shifra and Puah,
dedicated to supporting life, refused to kill the babies. They did not do as Pharaoh ordered. Their moral
courage is a model of responsible, ethical behavior.

In another case, in defiance of Pharaoh’s decrees, one woman hid her child at home. But when his cries
became too loud and she could no longer hide him, she made a wicker basket for him, put the child into
it and placed it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. In opposing Pharaoh’s decree, Yocheved
risked not only her own life, but also her family’s wellbeing.

Two other women were responsible. Miriam stationed herself at a distance from her baby brother to
learn what would befall him. She watched over the baby until an Egyptian princess pulled him from the
Nile, taking him for herself and naming him Moses. Miriam then suggested to the princess that she
engage a Hebrew nursemaid for the baby, his own mother, Yocheved. And the non-Israelite woman,

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the Egyptian princess, also played a crucial role in the Exodus story. Had she not shown compassion
for Moses, the Hebrew baby, he might not have lived. Jewish tradition applauds the courage of this
Egyptian heroine, giving her the name Bityah, “daughter of God.”

These are the righteous women of the Exodus story, because of whose strength we were delivered
from Egypt. We look forward to the day when the stories of women and men are told together, when
the two will stand side by side, just as they were created in the image of the Divine.

ALL

So even if all of us were wise, all of us understanding, all of us old, all of us learned in the Torah, it
would still be incumbent upon us to retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt.

‫ֶע ֶשׂר ַמכּוֹת‬ - ESER MAKOT - THE TEN PLAGUES

LEADER

We are about to recite the Ten Plagues. As we call out the words, we remove ten drops from our
cups, not by tilting the cup and spilling some out, but with our fingers. This dipping is not food into
food. It is tactile and intimate, a momentary immersion into a Nile suddenly flowing red with blood.

ALL

‫ ְשׁ ִחין‬6. .‫ ָדּם‬.1

Boils Sh’chin Blood Dam

‫ ָבּ ָרד‬7. ‫ ְצ ַפ ְר ֵ ֽדּ ַע‬.2

Hail Barad Frogs Tz’fardei’a
Lice
‫ ַא ְר ֶבּה‬8. ‫ ִכּ ִנּים‬.3
Beasts
Locusts Arbeh Cattle Disease Kinim

‫ ֽ ֹח ֶשׁ‬9. ‫ ָערוֹב‬.4

Darkness Choshech Arov

‫ ַמ ַכּת ְבּכוֹרוֹת‬10. ‫ ֶדּבר‬.5

Dever

Slaying of the First-born Makat B’chorot
LEADER

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The traditional haggadah includes the 10 plagues that were visited upon Pharaoh and the Egyptian
people when Pharaoh refused the Hebrews their freedom. The plagues destroyed the quality of the
Egyptians’ lives, polluting the skies, water, animals and crops, and then destroying Egyptian life itself,
with the killing of the first born sons.
Today we are besieged by different plagues, yet we still struggle against the destruction of our
environment, our quality of life, our dignity, and our very lives. Therefore, let us continue the tradition
that tells us that, even in the midst of celebration, we must pause to reflect on the diminished joy that
comes from an imperfect world.
ALL
Ignorance: which causes us to hate that which we do not understand.
Indifference: which had led us to neglect and abuse our environment to the detriment of the
generations who follow us.
Insensitivity: to the desires and needs of other people when they differ from our own.
Deafness: to the sounds of our loved ones and others in need when we hear only our own voices.
Blindness: to the processes of creation constantly unfolding around us and within us.
Lying: which causes us to deceive those who would place their trust and their futures in our hands.
Discrimination: which denies any human being equal respect, opportunity, and a sense of self-worth
on the basis of superficial and meaningless differences.
Dogmatism: which compels us to follow blindly into darkness and oppression without exercising our
own judgment.
Prejudice: which leads us to define people by what they are, and not by who they are.
Domination: which causes us to impose our desires on the world around us, oblivious to the
destruction we cause to those who share this precious, earthly home with us.

May we have the strength of mind and body to put an end to these plagues that threaten our lives and
endanger our souls.

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MIRIAM’S SONG

Chorus
And the women dancing with their timbrels
Followed Miriam as she sang her song.
Sing a song to the One whom we’ve exalted.
Miriam and the women danced, and danced the whole night long.

And Miriam was a weaver of unique variety.
The tapestry she wove was one which sang our history.
With every thread and every strand, she crafted her delight.
A woman touched with spirit, she dances toward the light.

(chorus)

As Miriam stood upon the shore and gazed across the sea,
The wonder of this miracle she soon came to believe.
Whoever thought the sea would part, with an outstretched hand,
And we would pass to freedom, and march to the promised land.

(chorus)

And Miriam the Prophet took her timbrel in her hand,
And all the women followed her, just as she had planned.
And Miriam raised her voice with song, she sang with praise and might,
We’ve just lived through a miracle, we’re going to dance tonight.

(chorus)

© Debbie Friedman

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‫ַדּ ֵיּ וּ‬ - DAYEINU -- ENOUGH

LEADER

The traditional Dayeinu lists God’s gifts to the Israelites, beginning with the Exodus and culminating
with the Temple in Jerusalem. The refrain of Dayeinu is a way of thanking God for each specific step,
but also emphasizes how much we have received. Every step listed is critically important and therefore
enough, but also only one part of an ultimate vision of a repaired world, and therefore insufficient on its
own.

ALL

If we had been honored for our roles in our families, carried out with self-sacrificing love, and not
denigrated for our emotions, Dayenu!

If we had been allowed to participate in the richness of our own culture instead of being denied
freedom and education, Dayenu!

If our stories and prayers had been written down and passed on, and not lost to invisibility, Dayenu!

If we speak truthfully about the pains, joys, and contradictions of our lives, Dayenu!

If we fight economic injustice, sexism, racism, and homophobia where we live, Dayenu!

If we teach our students and children to pursue justice with all of their strength, Dayenu!

If we view caring for the earth as responsibly as we care for those we love, Dayenu!

If we create art, music, dance, and literature, Dayenu!

If we realize our power to effect change,

If we bring holiness into our lives, homes, and communities,

If we honor our visions more than our fears, Dayenu!

Ilu hotzi, hotzianu, hotzianu miMitzrayim (2x) Dayeinu.
Refrain: Da-dayeinu, da-dayeinu, da-dayeinu, Dayeinu, dayeinu, dayeinu (2x)

Ilu natan natan lanu, Natan lanu et haShabbat (2x) Dayeinu.
Refrain

Ilu natan natan lanu, Natan lanu et haTorah (2x) Dayeinu.

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PESACH, MATZAH, MAROR, the ORANGE

READER
According to the great sage, Rabban Gamliel, those who do not mention three things
on Passover do not fulfill their obligation to tell the story: pesach, matzah and maror.

The pesach sacrifice which our ancestors ate while the Temple still stood. Why did they eat it?
Because God passed over (pasach) the houses of the Israelites in Egypt while smiting the
first-born of every Egyptian family.

The matzah, why do we eat this unleavened bread?
Because there was not enough time for our ancestors’ dough to rise so they had to bake their
unleavened dough into matzah in the desert.

The maror, why do we eat these bitter herbs?
Because the Egyptians embittered the Israelites’ lives.

Each of these three things, pesach, matzah and maror, symbolize central aspects of the Passover
story. Yet Rabban Gamliel, bless his heart, left out a few more symbols necessary to complete a
seder shalem, a whole seder that remembers the Exodus.

ALL
We therefore add to Rabban Gamliel’s list that no seder can be complete without the questions of
daughters as well as sons, and the memory of our mothers as well as our fathers. Thus we sing, “In
every generation all of us are obligated to see ourselves as though we personally left Egypt.”
To take everyone out of Egypt, we add an orange to our seder plate.

READER
The orange is added by way of Jewish feminist scholar Susannah Heschel. Having seen college
students place a chameitz bread crust on the seder plate as a symbol of the inclusion of LGBTQ
individuals and others who are marginalized within the Jewish community, she substituted a kosher-for-
Pesach orange.
The orange carries within itself the seeds of its own rebirth. When we went forth from the Narrow Place,
the Jewish people passed through a narrow birth canal and broke the waters of the Red Sea. As we
women step forward to claim our full role in Judaism, we too can be full participants in a Jewish rebirth.
Our place in Judaism will be as visible as the orange on our seder plate.

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‫כוס ש י‬ - KOS SHENI - SECOND CUP

LEADER

The second cup recalls God’s promise to deliver the slaves from their bondage. With this cup, we
honor women who used their own experiences of the “narrow places” to empower others to deliver
themselves from bondage.

‫ בּוֹ ֵרא ְפּ ִרי ַה ָ ֽגּ ֶפן‬,‫ ֱא ֵ ֽהי וּ ֶ ֽמ ֶל ָהעוֹ ָלם‬,‫ָבּרוּ ַא ָתּה ְי ָי‬

Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech ha’olam borei p’ri hagafen.

You are Blessed, Our God, Spirit of the World, who creates the fruit of the vine.

‫מוֹ ִציא ַמ ָצּה‬ - MOTZI MATZAH - MATZAH BLESSINGS

LEADER

Each of the two blessings over matzah serves a different purpose. The first blessing is recited over
the matzah, as bread and a product from the land. The second is said specifically for the mitzvah of
eating matzah on Passover.

‫ ַהמּוֹ ִציא ֶ ֽל ֶחם ִמן ָה ָ ֽא ֶרץ‬,‫ ֱא ֵ ֽהי וּ ֶ ֽמ ֶל ָהעוֹ ָלם‬,‫ָ ְבּרוּ ַא ָתּה ְי ָי‬

Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech ha’olam hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz.
You are Blessed, Our God, Spirit of the World, who brings forth bread from the earth.

‫ ֲא ֶשׁר ִק ְדּ ָ ֽשׁ וּ ְבּ ִמ ְצוֹ ָתַיו ְו ִצ ָ ֽוּ וּ ַעל‬,‫ ֱא ֵ ֽהי וּ ֶ ֽמ ֶל ָהעוֹ ָלם‬,‫ָבּרוּ ַא ָתּה ְי ָי‬
:‫ֲא ִכי ַלת ַמ ָצּה‬

Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat
matzah.

You are Blessed, Our God, Spirit of the World, who makes us holy with mitzvot and
commands us to eat matzah.

We bless this unfinished bread with the promise to cherish our own lives as “works in progress”, still to
be completed, still to become whole.

‫ָמרוֹר‬ - MAROR - BITTER HERBS
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READER

Some people live their lives in the pain of bitterness. In Judaism, we ritualize and isolate our
bitterness by eating maror, by recalling bitterness in the past, perhaps in our own lives or in the lives
of those we love, and by setting ourselves free of it the rest of the year. This is not to diminish the
realness of pain, but rather so we do not live in a place of bitterness that becomes another Egypt, a
kind of personal slavery.

This is the way to experience bitterness: dig back to a time of raw wounds, remember how it felt
before the healing began, years or months or days ago.

This is the way to experience bitterness: recall the pain of exclusion that is part of the legacy of
Jewish women.

This is the way to experience bitterness and to turn it towards good: hold the hand of a friend in pain,
listen to her story.

‫ ֲא ֶשׁר ִק ְדּ ָ ֽשׁ וּ ְבּ ִמ ְצוֹ ָתיו ְו ִצ ָ ֽוּ וּ ַעל‬,‫ָבּרוּ ַא ָתּה ְי ָי ֱא ֵ ֽהי וּ ֶ ֽמ ֶל ָהעוֹ ָלם‬
:‫ֲא ִכי ַלת ָמרוֹר‬

Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech ha’olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat
maror.

You are Blessed, Our God, Spirit of the World, who makes us holy with mitzvot and
commands us to eat bitter herbs.

‫ כּוֹ ֵר‬- KORECH - HILLEL SANDWICH

Break matzah into smaller pieces. Put charoset, the symbol of mortar, on one piece, add maror, and

top with a second piece of matzah.

LEADER

The second century sage Hillel interpreted the biblical commandment to eat the pesach, matzah, and
maror as a commandment to eat all three mixed together instead of one at a time. Thus he ate a
sandwich of roasted lamb, matzah and maror.

Our own sandwich, lacking the meat of a pesach sacrifice, combines the symbols of slavery with the
symbols of freedom by mixing maror and charoset. This transforms bitterness to something that
flavors our lives rather than overwhelming it.

‫כוס שלישי‬ - KOS SHLISHI - THIRD CUP

LEADER

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The third cup we drink tonight is linked to the verse from Exodus which tells of God’s promise to
redeem Israel with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. As the “outstretched arm” is a
manifestation of God’s power, we recall now Jewish women who used their power and strength to
make real this divine promise of redemption. We think of our pioneer mothers as we praise God in
their memories.

:‫ בּוֹ ֵרא ְפּ ִרי ַה ָ ֽגּ ֶפן‬,‫ ֱא ֵ ֽהי וּ ֶ ֽמ ֶל ָהעוֹ ָלם‬,‫ָבּרוּ ַא ָתּה ְי ָי‬

Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech ha’olam borei p’ri hagafen.

You are Blessed, Our God, Spirit of the World, who creates the fruit of the vine.

‫ כוס לאליהו ה ביא‬- KOS ELIYAHU -- ELIJAH’S CUP

LEADER

At this point in our seder, we fill a cup for the future. Traditionally we call upon Elijah the prophet, for
our texts tell us that he will herald the Redemptive age. Like those who have come before us, we set
aside a cup for Elijah.

Eliyahu hanavi, eliyahu hatishbi,

Eliyahu, eliyahu, eliyahu hagiladi.

Bimheira v’yameinu, yavo eileinu

Im mashiach ben david, im mashiach ben david.

Elijah the Prophet, come to us soon, for you herald the days of our Redemption.

ALL

According to the Midrash, when the Israelites made their way through the desert, it was Miriam’s wells
that acted as way-stations. Our people stopped and were refreshed by the clear, cold waters. They
resumed their journey with renewed dedication to becoming a people of God.

We sing of Elijah, but we also remember Miriam, and ask ourselves:

Who on our journey has been a way-station for us?

Who has quenched our thirst for knowledge?

To whom do we look for our female role models?

Who sang with joy at our accomplishments?

Miriam ha-n'vi'ah oz v'zimrah b'yadah.
Miriam tirkod itanu l'hagdil zimrat olam.

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Miriam tirkod itanu l'taken et ha-olam.
Bimheyrah v'yameynu hi t'vi'einu el mey ha-y'shuah.

Miriam the prophet, strength and song in her hand
Miriam dance with us in order to increase the song of the world.
Miriam dance with us in order to repair the world.
Soon she will bring us to the waters of redemption.

‫כוס מרים‬ - KOS MIRYAM - MIRIAM’S CUP

Everyone pours water from Miriam’s Cup into her own glass.

READER

Miriam’s Well was said to hold Divine power to heal and renew. Its fresh waters sustained us as we
were transformed from slaves into a free people. Throughout our subsequent journeys, we have
sought to rediscover these living waters.

The waters of this well were said to be healing and sustaining waters. Thus Miriam’s Cup can be a
symbol of all that sustains us through our journeys, just as Elijah’s Cup is seen as a symbol of a future
Messianic time.

We pour the water from Miriam’s Cup into our own glasses as a symbol of the ways we are nourished
by the women of our past, present, and future.

The cup of Elijah holds wine;
the cup of Miriam holds water.
Wine is more precious
until you have no water.

ALL

Blessed are You God, Who brings us from the narrows into the wilderness, sustains us with endless
possibilities, and enables us to reach a new place.

‫כוס רביעי‬ - KOS R’VI’I - FOURTH CUP

LEADER

The fourth cup we drink tonight is linked to the verse from Exodus which tells of God’s promise to
create a special relationship with Israel. We therefore honor women who, by teaching Jewish texts

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and promoting Jewish education, have brought individual Jews into a relationship with God and the
Jewish people.
ALL
We drink this fourth cup, the last of our seder evening, to honor the women who light our way, hold
our hands, help us change direction for the good.
We honor the courageous heroines of our history.
We honor the women whose work and lives make our work and lives possible.
We honor the women in our future, daughters, granddaughters, and all who follow after.
We honor the women who show us what we can become, how we can free ourselves, how we can
create what we want in our lives, how what seems impossible is not.
We honor those who make our lives sweeter by their loving encouragement, lead us to see our own
beauty, and forgive ourselves for our imperfections.
We reach back to those dear ones whose names we carry.
We embrace the love of those we’ve lost, whose memories guide our daily lives.
We honor the nameless – our grandmothers, mother, aunts, sisters – forgotten by historians,
overlooked by scholars, ignored in the telling and retelling of the story of our people.
We drink this fourth cup to honor all the women who have been as a loving light for us, may we in turn
become that light for others.

‫ בּוֹ ֵרא ְפּ ִרי ַה ָ ֽגּ ֶפן‬,‫ ֱא ֵ ֽהי וּ ֶ ֽמ ֶל ָהעוֹ ָלם‬,‫ָבּרוּ ַא ָתּה ְי ָי‬

Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech ha’olam borei p’ri hagafen.
You are Blessed, Our God, Spirit of the World, who creates the fruit of the vine.

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‫ ִ ְר ָצה‬- NIRTZAH - CONCLUDING THE SEDER

READER
We have now fulfilled our obligation as Jewish women to recount our story of redemption. May we
come together again as friends and as sisters. May we celebrate Passover next year in a world of
goodness, compassion, and justice for all people.
Freedom. It isn’t once, to walk out under the Milky Way, feeling the rivers of light, the fields of dark—
freedom is daily, prose-bound, routine remembering. Putting together, inch by inch the starry worlds.
From all the lost collections.
May this year be a year of freedom, of naming and remembering all the stars in our lost collections.
ALL
A year of equality and inclusiveness.
A year of wholeness for our people.
A year of peace for all the peoples who sing to you, Jerusalem.

‫ְל ָשׁ ָה ַה ָבּ ָאה ִבּירוּ ָשׁ ָ ֽל ִים‬

L’shanah haba’a bi’y’rushalayim
Next year in Jerusalem.

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This haggadah was compiled with original material, as well as material from the following sources:
Anisfeld, Sharon Cohen, Mohr, Tara, and Spector, Catherine, ed. The Women’s Seder Sourcebook:

Rituals and Readings for Use at the Passover Seder. Jewish Lights Publishing, Vermont,
2007.

Cohen, Tamara, ed. The Journey Continues: the Ma’yan Passover Haggadah
Second edition Copyright © 2002 by Ma’yan: the Jewish Women’s Project, a program of the
Jewish Community Center in Manhattan

Temple Chai Women’s Passover Seder, Scottsdale Arizona

Freedom’s Journey, A Haggadah for a Women’s Seder, Temple Beth-El Sisterhood,
Munster Indiana, 2009

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