Finding the Joy In Your Seder

by Leah Allswang and Beth Steinberg

"Why is this night different from all other nights?" How will we ask that oh-so-important Pesach question this year? So much is different this year. Differences that .will affect our Seder conversations, and our holiday happiness overall.

Entering into Pesach, that special holiday marking freedom, is hard during this painful, complicated, and challenging time. We know that 133 hostages are still captive in Gaza. There are families mourning their loved ones, killed on October 7th, or during these last 6 months of war. Six months of loss, of uncertainty, where we hope for better times. Six months of yearning and praying for peace.

Can you make your Seder night a time for optimism this year? For learning and sharing new ideas, along with hoping for a better future, even as we acknowledge .some of the pain we may all be feeling. 

We’ve got a NEW-FUN-SOMETHING for your Seder this year. A deck of cards with things-to-do for Seder guests of all ages. It’s part of a family game we created during COVID. (Click here if you want it in Hebrew.) Download and print (and laminate if you can) the cards for some inclusive fun together. And if you still haven’t used the Shutaf Bingo game at your Seder, it’s time. 

Want some more ideas for your Passover Seder conversations? Check out the articles and activities we've gathered together for you, including this new piece by Beth Steinberg from Seder Interrupted: A Post October 7 Haggadah Supplement.