We’d like to share this video message for Passover 2021 from Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., the president of Reconstructing Judaism.
Pesakh
On Pesakh (or Passover), Jews recount and relive the Exodus—the “going out from Egypt” of the ancient Israelites as they were liberated from Egyptian servitude. Pesakh is the most observed of all Jewish holidays in North America, primarily through the ritual meal of the Seder. The power of the Seder has multiple sources. It is at once a family event at home, an opportunity to absorb a central Jewish narrative, a link across generations, and a celebration of Jewish life and commitment.1
- 1. Adapted from A Guide to Jewish Practice, Volume 2—Shabbat and Holidays
Related Resources
Usually, on Passover, we ask "How is this night different from all other nights?". This year, many of us are asking, "How does this Passover resemble any we’ve ever experienced?" While social distancing has seemingly changed everything, Passover is still about telling the story of going from oppression to freedom.
D'VAR TORAH
Exodus 12:21-12:51
This activity packet for kids and families was prepared by Havaya Summer Programs -- newly updated for Passover 2021!
The Ten Plagues Relay Races - a Passover activity from Camp Havaya
Based on our understanding of the science and the advice of experts, we, rabbis of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, strongly come down on the side of pikuach nefesh - preserving lives. Therefore, we are issuing these guidelines in preparation for the upcoming Passover holiday and in awareness of the likelihood of continued concern over disease spread at this time.
To truly live justly, we need to move out of our comfort zones and embrace unfamiliar ideas and habits of mind.
This audio program, recorded in 1998, offers an overview of the structure, development and religious meanings of the haggadah and the Passover seder.
A recording of the Reconstructionist text of the Kiddush prayer for the Passover seder.
For Passover 2017, a seder supplement and accompanying video about refugees, welcome, and pineapples.
Melody for the penultimate prayer in the Passover Haggadah. Linked Hebrew text, transliteration, translation, and audio are provided.
Recipes for Passover haroset from several cultural traditions
The phrase "Next year in Jerusalem" occurs at the end of every Passover seder. This piece suggests ways to use that phrase as an entry point to a deep educational experience.
D'VAR TORAH
Exodus 10:1-13:16
In this short talk, Rabbi Lester Bronstein brings 18th and 19th-century Hasidic thought into dialogue with contemporary Reconstructionist theology.
D'VAR TORAH
Exodus 13:17-17:16
This selection of midrashim on the crossing of the Red Sea provides a window into the tradition's ethical concerns surrounding this well-known story.
This printable resource pairs selected quotes from Solomon Northup's autobiographical memoir, "12 Years a Slave," with quotes from the Exodus and other Jewish texts.
This is a short Passover reading that expresses appreciation for people of backgrounds and identities other than Judaism. It would work well in a community seder, as well as home seders.
D'VAR TORAH
Exodus 1:1-6:1
An easily-accessible text study about the ethnic ambiguity that the Torah presents us with regarding the midwives who refused to obey Pharaoh's orders.
D'VAR TORAH
Exodus 12:21-12:51
This study sheet provides a variety of sources on the spiritual practices surrounding Passover (Pesakh).
A resource for exploring values and commitments around Israel, seen through the lens of the phrase "Next year in Jerusalem" at the close of the Passover seder
Passover conversations with non-Jews who are part of Jewish communities and families
