3. Dayenu – We’ve Had Enough, God!
4. God Does Not Bring Plagues.
5. Eliyahu Hanavi: Opening the Door for Elijah
7. Next Year! LeShanah HaBa-ah!
“Let My People Go” – A Passover Prayer of Freedom for the Israeli Hostages
by Rabbi Naomi Levy
As we sit at our Seder table tonight to celebrate the Exodus of our ancestors from slavery in Egypt,
The words “Let My People Go” resonate in the depths of our souls.
Our hearts are with our Israeli brothers and sisters who have been kidnapped by Hamas.
The bitter taste of Marror is on our tongues, our tears are in the salt water.
On this night of freedom we cannot rejoice until every soul heartlessly held captive is
released.
Help us, God, to bring them home.
Fill Israel’s leaders with the strength, the wisdom and the power
to negotiate the release of the hostages who are waiting and praying for deliverance.
Until that day, watch over the hostages, God.
Let them know they are not alone, and not forgotten.
Fill them and their families with courage, perseverance, strength
and hope for the blessed day of freedom that is coming.
We pray the seas will part, the hostages will walk free,
and we will welcome a new time of peace for Israel!
On that day we will sing a new song to You, O God, Who frees the captives,
A song of rejoicing and gratitude.
May that day come soon.
Amen.
Let it Pass Over
by Rabbi Naomi Levy
On this sacred night
As we start our Seder
We cry out to You, God,
Hear our Passover Prayer:
Let it Pass Over, God
Let there be peace in Israel
Peace between Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians,
Let it Pass Over, God
Help us to put an end to antisemitism
To prejudice, to racism, discrimination and to hate.
Give our leaders the will to pass laws that will stem gun violence
Help us prevent mass shootings,
Show us the way to protect
Every child in school in every city
All across Your world.
Let it Pass Over!
Let us find a way to reverse climate change
Teach us how to eliminate poverty and inequality
Help us create the housing and services necessary to end homelessness
Let it Pass Over every nation, every people,
The young and the old.
Fill us with the capacity to end war
In Israel, Ukraine, and all over the world
Let it Pass Over!
Give our doctors and nurses the strength and wisdom
To heal the sick,
Help us find a way to overcome the opioid crisis that is plaguing our cities
Let it Pass Over!
Teach us to see one another, to hear one another,
To overcome the polarization that is tearing us apart.
Let this night of Liberation
Mark the birth of a new day of freedom, peace and rebirth.
Bless us, God, with new hope and new light.
On this Passover Night
We pray to you, God,
Let it Pass Over us!
Hear us God,
Help us heal this world God,
Amen.
Dayenu – We’ve Had Enough, God!
by Rabbi Naomi Levy
Let Israel live in peace, free from terror, free from war with all her neighbors – Dayenu
Let us work night and day to heal our earth – Dayenu
Let the weak and the vulnerable be protected – Dayenu
Let us put an end to gun violence and mass shootings – Dayenu
Let all healers find paths to bring healing – Dayenu
Let every soul find justice and dignity – Dayenu
Let us overcome antisemitism and all bigotry, God – Dayenu
Let there be peace in Ukraine and all over this world – Dayenu
Fill our hearts with hope
And our souls with faith,
Our bodies with health
And all homes with love.
Unite our world to bring on a time of freedom for all
Let the seeds of rebirth take root tonight
And grow in blessings
In Your light, God.
Amen.
God Does Not Bring Plagues
by Rabbi Naomi Levy
The key to Passover is a belief in rebirth, a belief that tomorrow can be better than
today; a knowing that we each have a critical part to play in the unfolding of hope.
Freedom begins with open eyes and ears and hearts.
Seas will part, answers will come, cures will emerge,
New ways of believing will sprout up and take root,
A universal love that mirrors God’s love for every living creature
And for our world.
In the book of Exodus we are told that Pharaoh’s sorcerers were able to replicate the
plague of frogs. The only difference between Moses and the sorcerers was: only Moses
could remove the plague. When the sorcerers witnessed Moses reverse the plague they
cried out: “This is the hand of God.”
The truth is, it doesn’t take any great supernatural powers to bring about a plague.
We all have the power to destroy life and to destroy the earth and our atmosphere.
But it does take great holy powers to reverse a plague, to heal the sick, to heal our
planet, to heal hatred and war.
The Healing Hand of God acting through us is what will save us and leads us
from constriction to wide open spaces,
from fear to faith,
from darkness to light,
from worry to peace of mind,
from economic hardship to abundance,
from war to peace.
Let us raise a glass and drink a Cup of Praise to the Soul of Souls who fills us with the
power to end all of the world’s plagues.
And let us say, Amen.
Eliyahu Hanavi: Opening the Door for Elijah
by Rabbi Naomi Levy
Elijah the Prophet is the one who will herald in the Messiah.
Our tradition offers us many visions of what Messianic Days will look like.
Some say it will be a time of supernatural events and miracles.
But the Haftorah we recite just before Passover describes the great gift Elijah will bring
this way: “And he will restore the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of
children to their parents.”
Restoring Love is the greatest miracle of all, it is a Messianic dream.
Elijah comes to every bris and baby naming to teach us this same lesson – that every
single soul has a sacred role to play in the healing of hearts across this world.
Let that healing begin tonight in this home:
Come Elijah, bless us our hearts with love and forgiveness.
Come Elijah, remind us how precious life is and how fragile.
Come Elijah, enter this home, enter every home and drink from your honored cup.
Redeem us Elijah, free us from resentments, heal us from anger,
Bring an end to all war and bloodshed.
Bring peace to Israel, peace to our world.
Let a new time of hope begin tonight.
Welcome Elijah, pull up a chair.
We seek your blessing tonight!
Come Now, Elijah,
Heal our world.
Amen.
The Bitter and the Sweet
by Rabbi Naomi Levy
Take a piece of matzah, place some Haroset and some Maror on it and recite this prayer as you eat.
We are always aware that there is a sweetness lying inside the bitter,
Just as there is a light forever shining for us in the darkness.
It is our mission each day to uncover the blessings that have been hiding inside every
challenge, even every curse.
Sitting here tonight, God, we are filled with Gratitude:
For the food on our table.
For those who prepared this delicious feast.
For the joy of family and friends.
For the courage to speak out against hate.
For nature’s beauty.
For inner strength and for inner peace.
For meaningful conversations, for the holiness of our questions.
For gathering at home with those we love.
For the ability to celebrate and pray as Jews freely with pride!
Amen!
(Ask everyone participating in your Seder to share a blessing that they have uncovered this year.)
Next Year! LeShanah HaBa-ah!
by Rabbi Naomi Levy
We conclude our Seder with words of prayer, hope and uplift:
Next Year in Jerusalem!
Next Year with Israel at peace!
Hext Year Israeli Hostages free and safe!
Next Year with an end to antisemitism!
Next Year peace throughout the world!
Next Year in Health!
Next Year an end to racism!
Next Year an end to gun violence!
Next Year an end to homelessness!
Next Hear healing our environment!
Next Year Feasting!
Next Year Rejoicing!
Next Year in Laughter!
Next Year in Love!
Next Year filled with Song and Celebration!
Next Year in Abundance!
Next Year in Peace!
Next Year in Blessings! Amen!