In thousands of years of Passover seders, there’s one thing hasn’t changed: The Passover seder. After all, the word seder translates to “order,” so how it starts and ends never changes. However, one thing that has changed is how we tell the story of Passover.
While the Maxwell House Haggadah has been a staple in many households since the 1930s, the haggadah has evolved greatly. If you want to be ambitious, you can make your own. If you are looking for help with your existing haggadah, there are some other tools you can use. Whether your interest is a seder with a social-justice focus, a more inclusive seder, or even a marijuana-themed seder, here are some options for you to look into.
The American Jewish World Service has created a haggadah called “Next Year in a More Just World.”
“As Jewish global citizens, we believe the Passover story, moving from slavery to freedom, is as relevant today as it has ever been,” AJWS president Ruth Messinger wrote in the haggadah’s introduction. “To make this powerful connection, AJWS publishes original readings and social justice commentaries to be shared around the Seder table. This year, in celebration of our 30th anniversary, we have compiled a selection of these writings from the past decade into a brief Haggadah that connects the traditional Passover stories and verses to a spectrum of issues that matter today: Refugees and genocide, global hunger, violence against women and the oppression of minorities.”
If you are looking for a message of increased inclusion in your seder, the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies has you covered. Pardes created a companion for your regular haggadah that features essays from Pardes staff on being more inclusive and bringing people together
AIPAC’s haggadah supplement is designed to invite discussion around your Seder table about the way each generation participates in ensuring that Israel remains secure and America strong. The supplement features essays from congressmen from both sides of the aisles and activists.
The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Passover section offers suggestions of how you can help bring redemption to refugees around the world.
Finally, if marijuana legalization is your thing, Le’Or offers the 2016 edition of its Cannibis Seder Haggadah. Le’Or is an organization that helps bring a Jewish perspective to drug-policy reform, and the seder is the brainchild of Oregon couple Roy and Claire Kaufmann.
“The seder was such a fun, powerful and uplifting experience for all of us that we wanted to share it with our community worldwide,” Claire Kaufmann said.
The haggadah can be downloaded for the low price of $4.20. Obviously.
