Passover Resources

This Passover, share your commitment to social justice with students, friends and family by using a variety of resources provided by American Jewish World Service.

+ Haggadah supplements and Seder readings

The Four Children: A Passover Reading
At Passover, we are confronted with the stories of our ancestors’ pursuit of liberation from oppression. Facing this mirror of history, how do we answer their challenge? How do we answer our children when they ask us how to pursue justice in our time? We encourage you to incorporate this reading into the Four Children section of your Seder.
Moving from Symbols to Solidarity: A Passover Reading
As we invite “all who are hungry to come and eat,” we commit to translating this symbolic ritual into concrete action that enables all in our world to have access to food and freedom. We encourage you to incorporate this reading into your Seder prior to the retelling of the Passover story.
The Power of our Freedom: A Reading Before Drinking the First Cup of Wine
As we celebrate our redemption from slavery and revel in our freedom, we also remember the great responsibility that freedom creates: to harness the power of our privilege on behalf of the oppressed and marginalized. We pray for and work toward the moment when all human beings will celebrate their liberation in comfort and plenty. We encourage you to incorporate this reading into your Seder as you drink the first glass of wine.
Dayenu: Supporting the Long Journey from Disaster to Recovery
A reading to remind us that we must stand in solidarity with people striving for liberation. Designed to be incorporated during the Dayenu section of the Seder.
Let All Who are Hungry, Come and Eat: A Reading for The Passover Seder
Calling for a time when all who are hungry will eat as free people. Designed to be incorporated during the Ha lachma anya section of the Seder.
Why is This Year Different from All Other Years?: A reading for the Four Questions
Designed to be incorporated during the Four Questions section of the Seder, this reading encourages us to infuse the rituals of the Seder with action for a just world.
In Search of Freedom: A Passover Seder for Darfur
by Rabbi Or N. Rose & Tamar Grimm
Adapting the traditional Seder to serve as a ritual framework for protesting the genocide in Darfur

+ Commentaries on Passover and social justice themes

Pesach Chag v'Chesed
by Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Drawing inspiration from our people’s story of liberation to work for the freedom and empowerment and women and girls around the world.
Pesach Chag v'Chesed
by Rabbi Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus
Using our historical memory of slavery to connect with those who labor today.
Pesach Chag v'Chesed
by Dr. Judith Plaskow
Struggling with the power and difficulty of the charge to remember that we were strangers even when we live today in freedom.
Pesach Chag v'Chesed
by Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson
Reflecting on the close relationship between hunger and liberation in the Passover seder.
Pesach Chag v'Chesed
by Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen
Searching the Exodus portion of the Torah for guidelines for pursuing justice.
Pesach Chag v'Chesed
by Professor Michael Walzer
Focusing on our particular liberation history while supporting other people's struggles for freedom.

+ Text studies on Passover and social justice themes

From the Sources: Pesach
Exploring slavery, freedom and migration during Pesach
From the Sources: Pesach Supplementary Resource
A supplement to the Pesach From the Sources that highlights the current status of worldwide migration today and how you can take action to support migrant workers and their families.
Exodus, Freedom and Responsibility
A text-based lesson plan that explores how the Exodus narrative can serve as a model for our own pursuit of justice.

+ Family resources for Passover

Passover reading for children: "When the Storm Came to Plink"
A reading geared for children ages 3-6, teaching children to develop empathy for others during Passover.
Passover reading for children: "Afikomen Hunt: Now and Later"
A Passover reading to help children understand the concepts of short-term disaster relief and long-term development (later), with the earthquake in Haiti as the prime example. Designed for children ages 7-11.