Happy Pesach! This year, Hinenu offers up these rituals, readings, and songs to supplement your PassoverPassover is a major Jewish holiday that commemorates the Jewish people's liberation from slavery and Exodus from Egypt. Its Hebrew name is Pesakh. Its name derives from the tenth plague, in which God "passed over" the homes of the Jewish firstborn, slaying only the Egyptian firstborn. Passover is celebrated for a week, and many diaspora Jews celebrate for eight days. The holiday begins at home at a seder meal and ritual the first (and sometimes second) night. Jews tell the story of the Exodus using a text called the haggadah, and eat specific food (matzah, maror, haroset, etc). sederLit. Order. The festive meal conducted on Passover night, in a specific order with specific rituals to symbolize aspects of the Exodus from Egypt. It is conducted following the haggadah, a book for this purpose. Additionally, there an ancient tradition to have a seder on Rosh Hashanah, which has been practiced in particular by Sephardi communities. This seder involves the blessing and eating of simanim, or symbolic foods. The mystics of Sefat also created a seder for Tu B'shvat, the new year of the trees.. The supplement features three takes on handwashing, visual artwork, and Pesach music sung by our members. It was created by Hinenu’s Mobilization and Justice, Arts and Culture, and Ritual committees.
It’s available in several different formats available for download here,
Below, words of welcome from Hinenu member Mark Gunnery:
Why is this Pesach different from all other Pesachs?
We all know why.
This Pesach, we aren’t having seders in the ways we have before, or the ways our ancestors have for generations.
This Pesach, we are turning inwards, as the daffodils are blooming and we want so much to be outside
This Pesach, we are lonely. We are scared. We long for touch, for safety, for calm.
This Pesach, we couldn’t find matzahThe unleavened bread eaten on Passover that recalls the Israelite's hasty escape from Egypt when there was no time for the dough to rise. Matzah is also considered the "bread of our affliction," eaten while we were slaves. at the store, let alone toilet paper.
This Pesach, we aren’t sure if we’re doing it right.
But this Pesach we’re also reshaping old traditions to fit new realities.
This Pesach, we’re finding ways to draw each other closer even if we are physically apart. We’re laughing and flailing our way through learning new technologies to help us connect from a distance. We’re making holy space in cyber space.
This Pesach, we’re checking on our loved ones. We’re forming new networks and minyanim to build mutual aid in our communities and beyond. We’re acting in solidarity with people in our world who are affected by this disease, and sharpening our resolve to fight human-made modern-day plagues of oppression.
And this Pesach, we feel a visceral connection to our ancestors who gathered for seders, holidays, and life cycle ceremonies in previous moments of crisis and uncertainty.
This Pesach, Hinenu offers you this haggadahLit. "Telling.” The haggadah is the book used at the seder table on Passover to tell the story of the Exodus, the central commandment of the holiday. It is rich in song, prayer, and legend. There are many different version of the Haggadah produced throughout Jewish history. supplement. It features three takes on handwashing (a blessing, a ritual, and a poem), art, and Pesach music sung by our members. Thank you to all who contributed to it, both from within Hinenu and from our wider communities.
Next year in freedom. Next year together. This year together.
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About us:
Hinenu: The Baltimore Justice Shtiebel is a community rooted in joy, pursuit of justice, and radical kinship. We offer a home for people of all backgrounds seeking Jewish life to land, feel safe, and be welcomed. We are a spiritual community that celebrates Diaspora Judaism through ritual, learning, song, and prayer. We are a Baltimore community committed to pursuing justice and to acting in fierce solidarity with our neighbors. We share and mark life cycle events, celebrating joyous occasions and supporting each other through healing and hard times. We hold space for diverse practices and navigate them together, reveling in the multitude of voices that comprise us. We strive to become for one another a mishpacha, one that rejoices in queer and trans identities, welcomes converts, celebrates interfaith families, and honors Jews of color. We assert that our political and Jewish selves need not be in conflict with one another, and fearlessly declare our intention to live our Jewish values in the public sphere for the benefit our city. Hinenu: Here we are!
