This Passover, consider how you might make personal meaning of the rituals. 

For example, some people choose to add a special item to the Seder Plate such as:

  • A Padlock 🔐: This symbol reminds us of those who are currently behind bars, those who are labeled as felons in the community and therefore locked out of jobs and housing, and the children and other family members who are impacted by a system that currently incarcerates two million people in the U.S. 
  • An Acorn 🌰: “Jews on Ohlone Land” offers this flyer to explain how the acorn can remind us of the significance of celebrating Jewish liberation on Ohlone land.


You might also look for interesting supplements to your Haggadah that inspire new traditions or recall ancient ones. 

  • Check out  this supplement from Jewtina which connects the story of Passover to histories and current events affecting the Latin-Jewish community. 
  • The LUNAR Collective for Asian-American Jews created a new Haggadah you can order here (along with their 2022 version.) Here’s info on their Bay Area Seder. 
  • This Global Justice Haggadah (from AJWS) weaves in quotes, images and freedom stories that will surely spark interesting conversations at your seder table!
  • JewBelong offers a new reading for the 12 Plagues of Antisemitism in their Hagaddah.
  • Ask students in Jewish Social Justice class to share their Haggadah supplements focused on housing insecurity! 

Your family might want to explore different themes of the traditional Haggadah through the video series Haggadahs You Should Know from Shalom Hartman Institute. The Aish Passover Guide has lots of resources to personalize your seder, such as 10 Ways to Gamify your Seder. JCHS Alum, Rabbi Jonah Keyak, often hosts their live chat! 

Does your family have a practice of singing during the Seder? Listen to this 6-minute radio piece about the complex relationship between the popular African American Spiritual, “Go Down Moses” (which is believed to have been written around 1800 by enslaved people inspired by the biblical Exodus story) and Jewish American Passover celebrations.

May this be a rich and meaningful Passover for you and your loved ones!