Seder

Approaching This Year’s Seder

Most of us in the Chicagoland Jewish community will gather for a Passover seder in a few weeks. This annual ritual often brings together different generations of family, friends, and sometimes new faces. This diversity can add to the richness of the experience.

At a time when the Israel-Hamas War has been dominating the concerns of much of our community, it presents us with some challenging moments. It behooves us to consider in advance if and how we might address the war at the seder table. Do we avoid discussion of the war altogether? Address it directly? Guide a discussion? Introduce themes of the war into the Passover rituals?

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The Potency of Passover’s Musical Tradition

Music has a way of transcending language and creating a communal experience. It is the ideal tool for fostering generational traditions, especially during holidays like Passover. The way stories and traditions are interpreted through song can create a sort of "generational spiritual wealth". Music has always played a crucial role in the retelling of Passover, with songs and melodies that have been passed down through generations.

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A Passover Reflection

“Next year, may we be free.”  - Passover Haggadah

The holiday of Passover, “the season of our liberation,” celebrates the departure of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. This is a central theme of the Passover Seder, a festive meal replete with symbolism and song.

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An Empty Chair at the Seder

by Rabbi Joe Ozarowski, D.Min., BCC
Rabbinic Counselor and Chaplain, JCFS Chicago

The Hebrew word “Seder” means order. The Seder evening and Hagada have a framework—a time for talking, a time for ritual foods, a time for dinner, a time for praising God, a time for singing, a time for engaging children, a time for questions and a time to think about possible answers. But the order of the Seder also refers to the non-ritual aspects of the evening. We often have a routine of who comes, who we might invite, where we sit, how we arrange the table, and more. These things can change from year to year, yet they are always present in some form. But what happens when the order is upended? What challenges the sense of order when a loved one who has been a part of our sacred evening is no longer with us. Where is the “seder”—the order—when the Seder has been changed, the order ripped away from us?

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