Parts of the Seder

A finger points to Hebrew text in a book, focusing on large green letters.

The Passover seder is traditionally divided into 15 steps, sometimes viewed as the steps from slavery toward freedom. In addition to the traditional 15 steps, our listing provides the constituent parts of maggid, the telling of the Passover story, as well as several other rituals commonly found at the sederOne of the crucial elements of slavery was that the Jews were not able to form themselves as a viable community. Egyptian taskmasters rigidly regulated their lives, preventing any sense of communion and solidarity. And so, on Pesakh night, the essence of the seder is to constitute ourselves as a Jewish community. Three quintessential acts define Jewish community, and all three of those are at the core of our seder experience: we break bread, demonstrating our covenantal relationship to each other and to God; we learn Torah; and we invite the poor and hungry to share our meal with us, demonstrating that our community is one which extends itself to those in need. 

Latest Rituals

The questions as posed by Miriam (wise of heart), Tamar (rebellious), Ruth (simple and pure), and the “beautiful captive” (the one who cannot ask)
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Four thought-provoking questions about women’s liberation from the Baltimore Federation’s Women’s Seder

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Four thought-provoking questions about women

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A reading about the passage of tradition from generation to generation
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A dialogue using the traditional four questions and answers relating to women’s experience
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A woman’s answer to the fourth question, “Why do we recline?”

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A rewriting of the traditional text for women who have suffered abuse
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A poem highlighting connections between generations
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A reading to begin the Passover seder about the journey toward freedom
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A dialogue with an imaginary Israelite woman on the eve of the Exodus from Egypt
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