Passover

Passover is the most widely celebrated Jewish holiday in North America. What makes Passover appealing to so many of us? Is it the fact that Passover is a home-based holiday, which offers an opportunity for family and friends to gather around the seder table, recalling past memories and creating new ones? Or is it that the core themes of slavery and liberation still resonate so deeply within us that we want to retell the story of Passover again and again each year? From our elaborate holiday preparations through the seder rituals and beyond, the timeless Jewish traditions of Passover have been transformed and enhanced by feminist contributions to Jewish ritual. Seder tables around the world feature new interpretations and practices that give life to the ancient, resonant themes of this powerful holiday. A rich palate of creative readings enlivens the ancient text of the haggadah. The orange on the seder plate, once solely a symbol of gay and lesbian liberation, is now often used to highlight the role of women in Jewish life as well. Miriam’s cup joins Elijah’s on our seder tables, reminding us of the importance of women’s leadership and initiative, of the power of song and dance, and of the living waters that—in Miriam’s honor—sustained us in our desert wanderings.

Latest Rituals

“She taught me to walk headlong … into impossible waters”
woman with long brown hair shown from behind in a white tunic sitting in desert sand, her arms raised to the sky with arcs of sand falling on both sides, looking at setting sun in grayish brown cloudy sky
“The entire seder takes place between the two halves of a broken matzah.”
close up of pile of matzot shown from the side
“I am walking / because there was no sense in staying”
woman walking barefoot in desert wearing loose striped dress with hair blowing in the wind
“Not that we didn’t feel responsible, but really it was God”
closeup of wine glass and person's hand holding a haggadah
“Grief and memory hold hands / as, broken-hearted, we find our way through the Jewish year”
sign in hebrew that reads "yizkor" memorial - black letters on white stone
“Raise one voice, the truth that is your own”
Ritualwell Tradition & Innovation logo placeholder
“Miriam’s timbrel still echoes among the rocks”
Miriam’s Well
“This year we have someone new joining our Seder table”
My Newborn Grandson’s First Seder
“The last three years have not been easy, even for the children who are acting like they have been”
The Four Children of the (Continued) Pandemic
Statements of gratitude paired with each of the 15 steps of the Passover seder
15 Steps of Gratitude, 15 Steps to Freedom: For the Passover Seder

The Reconstructionist Network

From Brokenness to Healing: Making Meaning through Memoir

We will focus on the definition of trauma, how returning to it can help heal, how writing structure and pacing can help contain it, and how we can revision ourselves before and after. 

Six sessions, starting April 18th

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