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Passover 5783/2023:
The Season of Liberation

According to the Jewish calendar, the month of Nisan (March 23 – April 21) is the “season of liberation.” As we approach the full moon we are instructed by Talmud to once again prepare the stage for the great retelling of our journey from the narrow place of enslavement out to the frightening unknowns of liberation and, ultimately, revelation. Every Passover we celebrate the courage of our ancestors who dared to be free in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Miriam stepped out first and fiercely led her people to safety. We recite their story and make it our own.

But we also know that freedom only for some is never enough! At a time when violence against Palestinians by the Israeli state, military and settlers continues to escalate, we gather to demand and dream liberation for everyone.

The following offerings are designed to accompany you through the journey out of this narrow place of unrelenting oppression near and far, towards a realized vision of collective safety. This year, in whatever sacred space you create – alone, virtually, or in-person – raise your blessings to our collective liberation.

Prepare

In Our Hands: A ritual for protection, solidarity and healing. This updated guide features blessings, printable artwork, and ritual offerings to do before Passover.

Attend a Seder

JVP is proud to be offering a virtual seder this year with the varied voices of our Jewish Beyond Zionism community. BIJOCSM Network member Simha Toledano, MC for this Liberatory Seder, will welcome you to the table set by member leaders representing the JVP Rabbinical Council, JVP Havurah Network, Student Network, Rooted in This World, No Tech For Apartheid Campaign (#NOTA), and JVP Chapters.

Sunday, April 9th, 6-8pm ET/3-5pm PT
Register HERE

Lead Your Own

HAGGADOT

JVP Liberatory Passover Haggadah from JVP Rabbinical Council

Dancing In-Between, a haggadah by The LUNAR Collective: by and for Asian American Jews 

The Israeli Black Panthers Haggadah 50th Anniversary Edition, ‘Mizrahi Struggle and Palestinian Solidarity: Conversation with Reuven Abergel & Sapir Sluzker-Amran’ in honor of the haggadah coming out. Recording here.

Nishmat Shoom Haggadah & SoundCloud supplement,a Nishmat Shoom Havurah.

Matir Asurim Pesach 5783/2023, by Matir Asurim, a Jewish Care Network for Incarcerated People

Pile Up the Seder Plate! Social Justice Passover Haggadah 


SUPPLEMENTS AND INSERTS

Narrow Bridge Candles Next Year in Freedom Haggadah Disability Justice Supplement (all elements) Spring 2022. ‘Text only’ version of the google doc

An Acorn on the Seder Plate from Jews on Ohlone Land

Passover Resources and Events Centering Jews of Color and Racial Justice from the Jews of Color Initiative 2021

An Anti Racist Passover Supplement from Not Free to Desist 

Carolina Jews for Justice Haggadah Insert about Antisemitism 2021 from Carolina Jews for Justice

The Five Women of the Exodus: A Feminist Supplement to the Haggadah from NCJW 2021

The Liberate Your Seder Haggadadeck from Taya Ma Shere: The Liberate Your Seder Haggadeck evolves the Passover seder into a co-created, transformational game of sacred play. 

Yachatz / Matzah Dedication JVP Haggadah Supplement 5779/2019 from Rachel Kipnes, Zora Berman, Rabbi Margaret Holub, Rabbi Dev Noily, Rachel Lee, Channa Rose Rabinovitz & Ilana Lerman

Maggid: Telling the Story of How a People Gets Free 5778.2018, from Ariana Katz & Miriam Grossman of the JVP Rabbinical Council

Dayenu! Basta! Halas! We’ve had enough!, from Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb


LEAD YOUR OWN VIRTUAL SEDER

Leading towards Liberation: Virtual Seder Guide

Virtual Tips for Making & Sharing Your Haggadah

Video: How to Make a Virtual Haggadah

Video: How to Make Your Seder Interactive & Meaningful

Use the JVP Liberatory Passover Haggadah from JVP Rabbinical Council and incorporate brand new inserts and readings for this year from the list below.

Tips & Tricks for Bringing Song Into Your Seder

Video: 7 Creative Ways to Bring Singing Into Your Seder


OTHER RESOURCES

A Guide to Difficult Conversations about Israel and Palestine

Escape the Plagues: A Social Justice Passover Puzzle Game

Passover art by Rebecca Hornstein for Jewish Community Action Freedom Seder 2021


POETRY

On The Edge of Pesach by Elliott batTzedek

Wash Your Hands by Dori Midnight. The Passover Seder invites us to wash our hands twice, read a verse or two or the whole poem.

Mimainei by Avra Shapiro and Yael Schonzeit

Dayenu / More Than Enough by Taya Mâ Shere 

Be With Me by Koach Baruch Frazier (If you do not want to sing “Yah” you can sing “All”) 

Red Sea by Aurora Levins Morales (support her poetry & work here.)


PLAYLISTS

This playlist, curated by Sol Yael Weiss, includes some English songs that feel more political and others that are beautiful melodies for seder liturgy. It  includes prayers for Hallel, Kiddush and other services during Pesach in addition to the seder.

Another playlist, from Margot Seigle,  “is one about birth/new life.”

Counting of the Omer

The Counting of the Omer is an ancient portal practice that takes us from Pesach to Shavuot, from Liberation to Revelation*. The 50 days marked the span between the barley harvest and the wheat harvest, (“Omer” refers to a measurement of grain) and first fruits offerings at the temple.  Kabbalist tradition maps the seven week liberatory journey. 

* 5783 Indwelling Dreams of Olam Haba, Rebekah Erev, Nomy Lamm & 12 Contributors 

Watch @JewishVoiceforPeace and @JVPHavurah  Instagram accounts for connections and reflections for Counting the Omer and for special teachings and events during this time!

Annie-Rose London has co-created a Daily Omer Counting Guide, a complete guide with non-binary, feminine and masculine Hebrew and a beautiful slide deck with more explanations and invitation to be amazing!

Sol Weiss, Ollie Schwartz, and Liel Green have co-created a gorgeous new Omer Counter and Ritual Guide A Pushcart Judaica production, complete with guide and reflection questions.

Nomy Lamm teaches an Omer Oracle Class working with the Omer Oracle Deck created by Nomy and Taya Mâ Shere. A 7-week journey – a card for each day.

1. Chesed ~ Heart Expansion  4/6-12
2. Gevurah ~ Strong Holding  4/13-19
3. Tiferet ~ Sublime Healing  4/20-26
  • 4/20, Rosh Chodesh Iyar – Rebecca Goldschmidt, Leader
4. Netzach ~ Collective Liberation  4/27-5/3
  •  4/26, Havurah on the Hill, Lobby Day info session with Emily Kaplan, JVPAction
  • 4/27, Rabbis go to the Hill, Lobby day info session w Emily Kaplan, JVPAction
5. Hod ~ Gathering Power  5/4-10
  • 5/4, Teach-in Torah of Divestment/Divestment 101 (registration link to come)
6. Yesod ~ Aligned Activation  5/11-17
  • 5/15, Nakba Day (event tbd)
7. Malchut ~ Rooting Deep  5/18-24
  • 5/18, Rosh Chodesh Silvan – Ilana Lerman, Leader

contact  for zoom links

Mimouna

Join us for the fifth installment of Mimouna, a traditional North African Jewish feast marking the end of Passover, celebrated by Muslim and Jewish neighbors alike. This event is organized by the Egal Sephardi/Mizrahi Community of New York, and supported by the Brooklyn Arts Council, Jewish Voice for Peace-BIJOCSM, IfNotNow BIJOCSM, and JFREJ’s Mizrahi Sephardi caucus.

Get your tickets and support us here!

  • Falling on the evening of Thursday, April 13,  at 9 Bob Note in Brooklyn, with doors opening at 7 PM! This party brings together radical, justice-minded Southwest Asia/North African (SWANA) Jews, Muslims, and allies to celebrate freedom, justice, and good food (traditional SWANA). Breaking bread and Iftar will be served. Subway DJ on MENA tunes. Live North African music performed by Laura Elkeslassy, Samir Langus, and accompanying bands. We will gather to build coalitions, solidarity, and our peoples’ joy over the sweetest things in life.
  • We also want to take this opportunity to encourage you to support our Palestinian siblings at this time. We will be making a special pitch to send money to Palestinian movement leaders soon.
  • COVID protocol: 9 Bob Note has a small outdoor area for your convenience. You must be vaccinated to attend, and you must get tested for COVID on the day of the event. We suggest you wear a mask when possible.
  • Accessibility: The venue is wheelchair accessible and has a lift. 
  • See you there! 
  • Terb7u wtsa’du ~ success and happiness!

Shavuot

Chag Sameach! Happy Holiday!

Shavuot celebrates the mythic moment of the Jewish people receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai. Torah means teaching, law, to instruct, pointing to what is truth. It is a time to reflect and, traditionally, the night of Shavuot is spent studying, drawing oneself closer to truth. What is the teaching we need to hear at this moment? What is our capacity to receive truth?  

Here are some ways – a Holiday Mailer, an essay, a book of stories, a podcast, a blog, a video – find your way to spend some time studying this Torah about Zionism, Israel and ways of being Jewish Beyond Zionism.

Matir Asurim Shavuot Mailer

The Jewish Care Network for Incarcerated People’ Holiday Mailer, FROM THE EXODUS, TO THE RISE OF ABOLITION by William Dickson and Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg:  “As we head into Pesach, as we head into Counting the Omer, as we look towards Shavuot, your teaching about accountability lights the way for me to a daily practice of abolition. Your writing and questions makes me ask 11 the question: how are we taking responsibility for each other, every day?”

Understanding Apartheid 

by Noura Erakat and John Reynolds

“Embracing a radical critique of Israeli apartheid is a precondition for bringing it to a just end.”

This essay appeared in Jewish Currents, Summer 2022 issue

A Land With A People: Palestinians and Jews Confront Zionism 

edited by Esther Farmer, Rosalind Petchesky, and Sarah Sills, members of JVP NYC Chapter. Stories offering radical, anti-Zionist visions from Jews and Palestinians debunking the myth that Palestine was ever a land without a people.

Diaspora podcast

From Jewish Voice for Peace, this monthly podcast explores some of the big concepts animating progressive Jewish life. We talk to Jewish people who grew up Zionist without even realizing it, Jewish people who learned how to be Jewish through Zionism, Palestinians who are impacted by it, and the ever-growing group of Jewish people who are rejecting Zionism. If you are curious about Jewish life, if you are part of progressive movements, if you are wrestling with Zionism, or if you just don’t quite understand what Zionism is – subscribe.

Shalom Rav by Rabbi Brant Rosen

This blog explores the intersection between Judaism and social justice, with a special focus on Israel/Palestine by one of JVP Rabbinical Council’s members.

JVP Rabbis Hold Beit Midrash in the Streets

JVP Rabbinical Council Rabbis and rabbinical students protest Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich at the Israeli Bond Conference and demand divestment.

Watch this short video and start your path to Divest