Passover

Some More Questions for Your Passover Table

Will you be in Israel this Passover? Join the WZO Passover festivities on Mount Herzl this year.

An important part of the Passover tradition is the discussion and debate of the haggadah. It is also part of the tradition to add new elements into the haggadah. To provide some additional Zionist context to this year’s seder, the World Zionist Organization and AZM offer some songs and texts to be read and considered, as well as some questions to help families put the materials into the Zionist context.

The texts are part of David Ben-Gurion‘s speech at the Peel Commission, the song Out of Egypt (hear it and see it on YouTube) by Alma Zohar connecting the Jews departure from Egypt to the Promised Land to today’s African refugees in Israel, and a reflection by Ze’ev Jabotinsky on the “Four Sons” from the Haggadah. The themes and questions raised in the materials include: the collective memory of the Jews, whether Israel helps or impedes the concept of peoplehood, are the Jews living in Israel and those living outside of Israel one people, do Jews throughout the world share a “common denominator,” among others. All the questions will help your family and friends reflect on their Zionist identity and connections to Israel and the Jewish People.

The supplement is 2 pages long. Please download it here! Use it at your seder; share it with you friends and neighbors.

By the way, we offer an English version, Hebrew version and a Spanish version!

Passover 2012-English

Passover 2012-Hebrew

Passover 2012-Spanish

In addition, we also invite you to use the Zionist Dayenu available here.

See the Alma Zohar video Out of Egypt here:

This Year Add a New Dayenu to Your Seder

It is part of the Passover tradition to add new songs and stories to the seder. This year add a contemporary version of Dayenu, one which calls upon the Jewish People to give thanks for the return to Israel and for all of the accomplishments of the Jewish People since the establishment of the State. This Dayenu ends with a question to encourage discussion around the seder table. You might even want to add your own verses.

Click on the image below to see a larger version. You can also download copies by following the link below.

Download a PDF of Dayenu (This is a big file; please allow time for the download.)

Donate to AZM

Four More Sons, Four More Questions

Download as a Word Doc

Freedom is the central theme of the Passover seder. It echoes and re-echoes throughout the Haggadah. On this Passover, Ron Arad, Zachary Baumel, Zvi Feldman, Yehuda Katz, Guy Hever, Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser are not free. They remain captive, their fates unknown. Our hearts ache for them and for their families, and on their behalf we add four additional questions to our Seder tonight.

Why are these sons different from all other sons?
These four sons were taken prisoner while bravely fighting for the safety and security of Israel and her People.
Why are these prisoners different from other prisoners?
These prisoners have been wantonly denied all human rights which are guaranteed under international law. They have been treated not as prisoners of war, but rather as hostages. They have been allowed no access whatsoever to their families, their country, nor any human rights groups.
Why are these hostages different from other hostages?
These hostages continue to be held even though all other Western hostages being held in Lebanon were freed years ago. We have no knowledge of the conditions under which they are held. In truth, we do not know whether they are still alive.
Why do we raise the issue of these Israeli soldiers who are “missing-in-action” on Passover?
Of all the Jewish holidays, Passover is the one that truly represents freedom. If there is even one Jew who is being denied freedom, we must all raise our voices on her behalf.

Just as we have done throughout our history, so too, today we must come to the aid of fellow Jews. We dedicate this Seder to Ron Arad, Zachary Baumel, Zvi Feldman, Yehuda Katz, Guy Hever, Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. We will continue to work toward their release from captivity, and, if our voices are strong enough, perhaps next year we will not have to repeat these extra four questions.