We thought you might find these Passover resources helpful in celebrating and thinking about Passover in the most Judaean way possible. 

(NOTE:  The views expressed in these Hagaddot or resources represent the personal or organizational views of the author or sponsoring organization only. Young Judaea Global, Inc. does not endorse this content.)

Seder Hashachar – While growing up in YJ, each year mine and many other Young Judaea regions put on Seder Hashachar.  Click HERE to access your very own Seder Hashachar (Gesher Shalom version).

Here are some amazing Passover resources from some of our partners and other organizations:

The Four People – By Jewish Multiracial Network and Repair the World: On Passover, the Haggadah speaks about the four sons; one who is wise, one who is evil, one who is innocent and one who doesn’t know to ask… Tonight, let’s speak about four people striving to engage in racial justice.  Read more HERE

Keshet – LGBTQ Inclusive Passover Resource Collection: During Passover, we retell the story of the Israelites’ journey to freedom from mitzrayim, “a narrow place.” This Passover, Keshet invites you to celebrate the stories of LGBTQ Jews and reflect on your – and your community’s – journey from mitzrayim to freedom. Read more HERE

Reboot – Reboot affirms the value of Jewish traditions and creates new ways for people to make them their own. Inspired by Jewish ritual and embracing the arts, humor, food, philosophy, and social justice, we produce creative projects that spark the interest of young Jews and the larger community.  Connect to their online Passover resources HERE.

American Jewish World Service (AJWS) – Like many Jewish organizations, AJWS has created their own Haggadah, however, the focus on Social Justice aligns with Young Judaea’s values. Check out their Haggadah HERE.

Hadassah – How can we not show you the wonderful resources that Hadassah has created for their membership and for the Jewish community.  Connect to their online resources HERE.

Religious Action Center has access to a number of Social Justice Haggadot, whether you are interested in focusing on the Environment, Slavery, Hunger, you will find something for your family.  Check them out HERE.

It is the tradition in many families to read a 5th question in order to raise awareness about issues in the world. Mazon, the Jewish hunger organization poses a 5th question about Hunger HERE.

This year, Young Judaea is participating in Global Jewish Unity Day, celebrating the things that bring Jews together. Read a bit about how it relates to Passover and about the initiative HERE.

We’d love to hear what you do at your seder!  Email yjevents@youngjudaea.org and tell us

We had an incredibly successful Shabbaton in Pittsburgh March 3-4, 2017. Themed around “Rites of Passage” the Bogrim led 3 exceptional peulot that had children engaged physically and mentally. The Bogrim also spent time reflecting on how to make T’fila more engaging and had a wonderful Saturday morning service where the children spent an equal amount of time praying and discussing what the prayers meant. One of the most exciting parts of the experience was the addition of the fabulous YJers from the Cincinnati area, a special thanks to Lauren, Eva, and Ruth for joining us. Our Bogrim worked so hard on this program; thank you to Max Aizenstein, Ari Gilboa, Spencer Greenberg, Lauren Kurtzer, Mira Morris, Ruby Natelson, Sammy Nayhouse, Amy Remes, Jacob Shafran and  Eitan Weinkle our amazing Bogrim for their hard work and creativity. Justin Greenbaum, Jessica Morris and Abigail Natelson game back home to be our amazing madrichim and we could not have done it without them. As always, our volunteer parents went above and beyond – Karen Morris, Barbara Bauman, Bernice Natelson and Sharon Ackerman, what would we do without you.  Finally, thanks to Chaim Steinberg for guiding our bogrim through the entire process.

Can’t wait until next year!

This event was made even better with a grant from The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

My name is Eddie and this is my third AWB to New Orleans. Today we visited Apostolic Outreach Center to help with the community garden. We started the day by turning up topsoil in the flowerbeds and compost piles. We then went inside to hear from Master Gardener, Debera Surtain. She told us the story behind the garden and her experience with Hurricane Katrina. Hearing her story enlightened me to the hardships that citizens of New Orleans had to endure. She told us about the governmental failures and how her faith helped her through the travesty that was Katrina. We then helped her make signs to put up in the garden.

After we finished at the garden we were off to Jackson Square for a scavenger hunt; it was a great way to see the French Quarter and experience New Orleanian delicacies like the hottest hot sauce in the universe.

This trip has been an amazing experience for me. Even though this is my third visit to New Orleans I am still learning so much about the people, city, and Katrina. Tomorrow Team Inspire (The best team ever!) will be going to help in the lower ninth ward. I am so excited to go and help Lower Nine; over the course of the week I have had the opportunity to see all different parts of the cituy and the ninth ward will be a fantastic place to end.

~ Eddie is a Sophomore at Yale.

Today was very eye-opening. It made me actually think hard about how others live and how good I have it.

Today we went to help out at the Alexandra House and I was in charge of helping organize the thrift sale. I also had a great time with the kids! They were so happy and I don’t think they had any idea of why they were there and not in a nice home with their whole family. We then got a tour at PATH and it was very interesting! I think my favorite day was today because I felt like we did the most work to help the society!

I’m not a part of TY camp but this trip might make me sign up because I had a great time with all of the people! Thanks for making my winter break great and I will hopefully see everyone over the summer!

~Jessica is a 9th grader from Scotch Plains, NJ

Today, we went to The Alexandria House, where victims of domestic abuse stay while they get their lives back on track. I helped take down Christmas decorations and play with the little kids that lived there. Each one of those kids had such a distinct, unique personality, and I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to them to make them the way they were. A girl I played with, Jade, was very sensitive to what everyone else said and did. She wanted to be just like all the kids around her, and negatively interpreted many interactions. A contrasting personality, Kingston, was very dominant and aggressive, and he was very much a part of everything. But the way all of the kids craved our love and attention made me fear to wonder what they had been through and how their lives shaped them. It was such a powerful experience to get to interact with the children because, living in a community such as my own, I can’t really comprehend how those who are truly struggling live. Seeing how little it took to please these kids opened my eyes to a whole new perspective that I wish everyone else could understand, too.

~ Hannah is an 11th grader from Woodland Hills, California. She is an active leader in the Los Angeles Young Judaea community.

Today (Thursday) was probably the most impactful day of this service trip. So far as a group, we have observed and learned about homelessness, community, and environmental importance. Today we were exposed to the consequences of domestic violence. However, these consequences seemed nothing like consequences. I personally played with 4-11 year olds for the majority of the day and I would have never guessed that they had been dealing with a tough and untraditional life. They were the happiest kids who were not only disciplined, but were genuinely respectful of themselves and each other. While playing games with them, I closely observed the way they would talk to each other/the way they acted individually. I came to the conclusion that perhaps these kids might not even be aware of their sensitive lives, yet they still view the Alexandria House as a safe home and a privilege. One of the activities consisted of each child expressing their personal goals for the new and upcoming year. They surprisingly all said that they would love to be able to learn things like math, science, or a foreign language, and they wish to travel the world some day. When they were expressing these personal goals, I felt not only lucky to have such an amazing life, but I also felt happy for these kids who were all saved from a very difficult life and will grow to become successful individuals. Overall, this day definitely stood out among the trip and impacted me most in a way that will continue to stick with me for the rest of my life.

~ Shelby is an 11th grader from Miami, Florida

Today when we visited the Alexandria house we started our visit by speaking with the founder of Alexandria house which not only provides temporary housing for abused and homeless women and their children. The center, which is located  in the middle of a residential neighborhood consists of two houses. These two houses also serve  as a community center for the local neighborhood. The Alexandria house also provides care for local children after school and during holidays. We spent the majority of the day assisting them with whatever task needed to be completed, we put away Christmas decorations , organized donated goods to be sold, helped take care of the children being watched and so on. It was very insightful to watch 25+ young Judaeans spend hours on task that the much smaller staff of Alexandria have to do on a daily basis.

~ Zander is an 11th grader from Birmingham, Alabama and this is his second AWB. 

I didn’t start reading the news until I was twenty years old. I’m studying educational policy at Hunter college and I want to change the world. I have always wanted to change the world. But when I was a high-schooler I was focused on the immediate, on grades and drama and how I would get out of my small town. These students take time out of their already busy high school lives to read the news and inform themselves about the issues they care about. They spent the winter break they could have been lounging around the house and binge-watching TV, helping people and learning about how to help people. This AWB involved less short-term service and instead gave the students tools, experience, and knowledge that will help forward their futures in service. This trip was about helping people, but it was more about finding the spark and inspiration to help people for their whole lives. My brother did AWB NOLA last year and enjoyed the experience so much that he’s planning on spending a gap year building houses in New Orleans. Young Judaea is a movement of wonderful people who will change the world with their work. These are so intelligent, passionate, funny, and driven to make change. I’m not sure if Young Judaea molds them to be this way, or if the movement draws such wonderful people, but I am so lucky to have spent a week listening to these students think deeply about the state of the world. I was constantly awestruck by their thoughts and the level of articulation with which they convey them. We, as a Movement are lucky to be carried by this future. I’m excited to see where they end up and grateful for every day I spend with them.

~ Ariel is a Junior at Hunter College and is a veteran staff member at Sprout Lake. She is finishing up a semester as the Adviser for NJ Young Judaea.  Later this month she is heading to Israel for the Nachshon Fellowship.

Today was the perfect day to dedicate to those who could not share it with their families. The teens of AWB had been split up and assigned to either one of two old-age homes or work at a homeless shelter. My first request was the soup kitchen, and it was granted.

Upon arrival, grateful nuns welcomed us, thanked us for joining and gave us a tour of operations. The work the institution does and the services they provide are
incredible. They attend to many of the less fortunate and restore the faith these persons had lost throughout their hardships. The organization helps first-time homeowners, provides medical attention, provides hygienic services, and, on weekdays from 12pm to 1pm, lunch.

After the tour, we AWBers gathered in the kitchen. We made an assembly line and got packing. We made over 100 plates to serve. As the guests waited on line to get their food, myself and other participants struck conversations with them and sung songs for the time of year. Once everyone got their food, participants moved to the eating area and conversed with the guests
again.

Questions were flying in the atmosphere; stories were being exchanged. I had spoken to a
couple – whose relationship status was unidentified – who had traveled from Texas to Florida, and everywhere in between. They seemed grateful for the company.

Next, I spoke to a man from Virginia and discussed the difference between Virginia and West Virginia. We had an intense and informative American History session.

The last man I spoke to seemed to be on his way out, in which I wished him a “Happy New Year.” He stopped to chat however – which I did not expect. I asked how he liked the food, and from there we got to my pesquetarianism (vegetarian, but I eat fish). He seemed genuinely concerned with my health, thinking that it was in danger due to my lack of consumption of meat. He was quite relieved when I told him I ate fish.

We talked about languages, about the city of New Orleans (particularly the French
Quarter and its history), but most of all, food. He must have “blessed” me ten times, asking God to have me eat meat. He explained where he lived, in the Swamp, where he had learned at 13how to kill a snake, eat it, and use it as a belt. He wanted to “go out on the town” with us, so he could show us the city, but we strategically avoided the arrangement. He thanked me for talking to him and went on his way.

Talking to the faithful people at Lantern Light was wonderful – the guests were very thankful for the meal they were getting and some of those who I had spoken to had helped a lot after Katrina hit. Many of them were sincere in their wishes for a happy new year and thanked the Sisters and us profusely. This was a true adventure and experience in which I, and the other AWBers, learned a lot from.

~ Jenny Shub is from Puerto Rico and is now a sophomore at Emory University.

Last spring, I had a chance to visit New Orleans for the first time, and I loved it. This time,  was my first opportunity to staff Alternative Winter Break through YJ, and I  jumped at the opportunity. Today was our last day of volunteering and we spent it with Green Light New Orleans. We spent the first half of the day helping families build small gardens in their front yard, and the second part of the day delivering and installing eco-friendly light bulbs in several people’s houses. This was our first major interaction with true “New Orleanians”, and it was a really amazing experience being able to hear how their lives were altered by Hurricane Katrina and how they live their lives now. This entire week has been an incredible learning experience, filled with meeting new people, getting to know the AWB participants, and bonding as a staff. I’m going to be extremely sad to see everyone go tomorrow, but I’m lucky to be able to know that we truly made a difference this week, throughout the entire city of New Orleans.

~ Miriam is a sophomore at the University of Michigan and is a staff member at Tel Yehudah.