Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Memorable Seder
Discover comprehensive tips on hosting a successful Seder, including shopping lists, online Haggadot options, participant roles, and engaging discussion topics for intellectuals. Prepare for a meaningful Passover celebration with insights on traditions, storytelling, and group interests. Explore ways to make your Seder unforgettable through meaningful conversations and thoughtful considerations.
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How to Host a Bang-Up Seder A Guide for both First-Time and Experienced Hosts Prepared by Rabbi Rachel Safman
Shopping List Matzah Sippable (kosher) wine Parsley or other greens Apples Nuts (optional) Romaine lettuce (or other bitter green) Horseradish (fresh or prepared) Eggs to boil Lamb shank/chicken neck or suitable substitute
Haggadot (Online Options) The Thirty Minute Seder - A great quick service for those wanting to touch on all the highlights of the traditional ritual before launching into dinner. Good for families with young children or adults with short attention spans https://store.30minuteseder.com/ Kveller - A fun, colorful haggadah that is easy to follow: http://www.kveller.com/haggadah Jewish Boston (The Wandering is Over) A thought-provoking text that nevertheless allows you to complete the ritual in about 45 mins. It includes many useful tips for first-time seder hosts: https://www.jewishboston.com/the-wandering-is-over- haggadah/?fbclid=IwAR17dnI9r-Lzre5YaBiGGeXiWuOEnJBSx4wDzEy_kmIJM6kTC-oushDnw9w JewBelong A hip choice targeting millennials, but fun for their parents (or grandparents) too. This is the Haggadah for those seeking a meaningful experience but allergic to traditional ritual : https://www.flipsnack.com/jewbelong/jewbelonghaggadah/full- view.html Tru'ah A Haggadah celebrating human-rights and Pesach's enduring message of freedom: https://www.truah.org/wp- content/uploads/2020/03/Print-at-Home-PDF.pdf
Participant Roles Lead kiddush Ask Four Questions Explain Passover symbols (matzah, maror, roasted shankbone) Tell story of Exodus Four Children (Sons) Ten Plagues Blessing after the meal Opening the door for Elijah
What defines or interests you as a group? Social issues? Judaic texts, traditions? Story-telling? Acting, Games? Genealogy/Family History? Music? Art/Crafts? Travel/Foreign cultures?
For Intellectuals - Some Possible Discussion Topics What does freedom mean in an era when we are not free to venture out as we are accustomed? The rabbis decreed that all individuals should be enabled to celebrate with a certain level of dignity. How do we fulfil this obligation today? During Pesach we are encouraged to get back to basics . What are your essentials and why? Passover is a time when we typically gather with those we are closest to. Who would you like to bring to your Pesach table this year (living or dead) and what would their presence bring to your seder? If we were to write the story of our own day as a Haggadah for future generations, who would be featured? What would be the main themes? What symbols would help others recreate our experiences?
Lights, Camera, Action (Pesach for the theatrically inclined) Break the Passover story into units and assign each group of participants a different section to act out Recall the Ten Plagues using charades add your own modern plagues (may not need quotes this year!) Rewrite the Exodus narrative set in a different historical era with a different group of protagonists* Create a video telling the story of Passover through animation, live action, computer-generated graphics or some other medium* * These approaches require advanced preparation
For the Family Historian Collect pictures of past family seders see if you can identify all the people pictured, find some stories related to that year s celebration, place the seder relative to what was going in culturally, politically, etc. Assemble some recipes of favorite family recipes for Pesach and assign different attendees to prepare them along with stories of the recipe s author or occasions on which it was served. Find family heirlooms (kiddush cups, candle sticks, matzah covers, afikomen bags, seder plates) used in past family seders see what you can uncover about their provenance, their original owner, at which seders they previously appeared.
Catch the Passover Beat Creating a Musical Seder Experience Hold a pre-Pesach sing-along to refresh your recollection of Passover favorites Discover new settings (or refresh your knowledge of old ones) via YouTube, HebrewSongs.com or the Zemirot Database (Note: Look in particular for some of the contemporary parodies that are released each year at this time) Conduct the Maggid portion of the seder as a drum circle Make Hallel a musical experience by researching different settings to the psalms on JewishMusic.com
Travel the World with Eliyahu Hanavi Investigate some Pesach customs from around the world and incorporate these into your family s seder. Explore some Pesach recipes from different corners of the Jewish world (beware of different rules where Passover kashrut is concerned). Search the internet for recordings of favorite Passover songs in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, Amharic, etc.
