Challenge your guests this seder

CYNTHIA RAMSAY

Who is truly wise? Should we feel happy at the demise of our enemies? Would it really have been enough if God had only brought us out of Egypt? These are just a few of the questions with which the leader of the Passover seder can engage his/her guests. And then there are the many ways in which to answer them (or to elicit more): role-playing, quizzes, pantomime, discussion and artwork.

These and a host of other ideas come from the Shalom Hartman Institute's series of Haggadot, A Different Night: The Family Participation Haggadah (1997), which includes a leader's guide (1997) and a compact edition (2002). Authors Noam Zion and David Dishon, originally from the United States, made aliyah in 1973 and are still on the Judaica faculty of the Jerusalem-based institute.

It may be too late to buy A Different Night for this year's seder, but it's not too late to benefit from its imaginative and informative approach to the traditional seder. There are copies at the Isaac Waldman Jewish Public Library, located on the third floor of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. As well, you can take the Haggadah tour at haggadahsrus.com/PC01intro.htm for inspiration about what to add to your seder.

While the virtual tour does not include the basic Haggadah texts and instructions, it does include most of what makes A Different Night unique. It's very user-friendly and is ideal for both the seasoned seder leader and anyone thinking of holding a seder for the first time. It comes with a "friendly warning": "Do not try to do it all in one night. This Haggadah offers resources for many years of Pesach seders. Pick and choose the readings and activities that are most appropriate for the seder at hand."

It also advises that seder leaders lead, not dominate, the proceedings: "Participation should not be limited to letting everyone read a different paragraph in turn. We suggest that the leader delegate responsibilities in advance. Ask several guests to take charge of different sections of the seder for three to five minutes each. For example, ask someone with good Hebrew to do the Kiddush, another with a psychology background to present the Four Children, a drama person to act out the 10 plagues and, finally, one with a good voice to lead the songs.... From our experience, those most resistant to a lengthy seder can be turned into allies, if they have a creative part to play that taps their special interests and talents. Time goes by very quickly and painlessly when there is lots of participation."

Nonetheless, for those leaders wanting to have a shorter seder – but who don't want it to end up being just rote speed-reading – A Different Night offers a "Bare Bones Basic Seder," identifying the minimal readings, songs and rituals. The leader's guide, in book version, provides a listing of the aspects that comprise the legal minimum for the seder, however, those who want to make sure they meet the formal halachic (traditional Jewish law) requirements should consult a rabbi or another reliable source. Zion and Dishon point out, "The halachic minimum ... is an invitation to add more, not to shorten the seder. As the Haggadah recommends, 'The more one expands on the story, the more commendable.'"

To help achieve a comprehensive and entertaining seder, Zion and Dishon note that it is much easier to do so if the participants are well rested – perhaps an afternoon nap is in order – and not hungry:

"Extensive dipping is our solution," they write. "To prevent hunger from undermining your best efforts to create 'a different night,' you may offer extensive hors d'oeuvres. Along with the karpas – the traditional dipping of parsley, celery or potato in salt water – serve more substantive appetizers. This was the original rabbinic custom. The stomach that gets its due early in the seder liberates the mind to engage in the main course of the seder: telling the story and discussing freedom and slavery. (A light meal – with no matzah! – in the late afternoon before seder night is also helpful.)"

While many of the ideas in A Different Night are targeted toward younger seder participants, they could appeal to adults as well. Having the leader dress up in a white robe, to imitate the high priest, or allowing participants to dress up as refugees – carrying matzah wrapped in cloth on their shoulders to imitate the Jewish refugees as they left Egypt – could be fun for everyone.

In anticipation that some children may just not last through the seder no matter what you do, a playroom could be set up ahead of time. There, or even near the main table, could be costumes for "impromptu dramatics," an assortment of Exodus-related books or prepared card games that test kids' memories (for example, matching a picture of a seder object or activity with an identical picture or the name of the object in English/Hebrew) or cards that ask open-ended questions like "When you were a slave in Egypt, what was the most unpleasant part of your life?" Word scrambles, charades of the 10 plagues or Pesach trivia could be welcome activities for all your guests, regardless of age.

The basic idea is to make the night different than all others, including last year's Passover seder:

"'How does one make a change? By distributing parched corn or nuts [ancient candy!] or by removing the table before them before they eat, or by snatching things from one another's hands, and similar things.' (Mishnei-Torah, Laws of Matzah 7:3)

"Why the need to initiate new surprises beyond the unique practices of the seder itself? It would seem that dipping celery in salt water and reclining on pillows might intrigue the children the first time they see it. Thereafter, it would be recognized as part of the routine of Pesach. The rabbis introduced further novelties.... This reflects an educational strategy in which surprise and questioning are actively pursued by upsetting the expected 'seder' (which means 'order') with anarchic, irreverent play."

Not only is questioning helpful for learning, it is also related to freedom. If one has a "slave mentality," write Zion and Dishon, "[t]here is no point in asking if no one answers, no place for questions in a world where the master's arbitrary orders are the ultimate justification for the way things are."

The seder should also encourage the telling of personal stories or the sharing of personal struggles, as Egypt is a metaphor for the things that constrain us in life and the Exodus is a metaphor for self-growth. "Try to avoid 'heavy' psychological sessions," advise Zion and Dishon, "but let the analogy of psychological and historical slavery and liberation percolate through the discussion."

There are many other interesting topics suggested in A Different Night. The symposium on slavery and freedom includes such questions as, "Did the Jews succeed in resisting assimilation to Egyptian culture? How does a minority preserve its identity?" "How do anti-Semitic stereotypes function both in the minds of the oppressors and on the self-image of the Jews?" "What is the turning point at which slaves wake up to their fate and begin to hope?" "How is sexual oppression related to the struggle for political liberation?" "Does suffering make us more empathetic to others? When does it make us vengeful or insensitive or apathetic?"

Apparently, there is no shortage of ways by which to enhance the seder experience. There are a number of Haggadot available – traditional, feminist, secular/humanist, political, environmentalist, etc. In addition to the Shalom Hartman series of Haggadot, the Isaac Waldman Jewish Public Library also has A Night to Remember: The Haggadah of Contemporary Voices (Zion Holiday Publications, 2007). Written by Zion and his son, Mishael Zion, A Night to Remember offers a Haggadah with many stories, quotes, illustrations and commentary, mainly from late-20th century scholars and rabbis, but also from novelists, poets, political leaders and others.

So, if you haven't started your seder planning, it's not too late. Head down to the library or get online. There's still time.

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