As we gather around this table tonight – people of different faiths, backgrounds, and journeys – we come together in the spirit of unity and understanding. We are bound by our shared humanity and our desire to celebrate liberation, renewal, and hope.

Together, let us recite:

Blessed is the gathering that draws on our rich history to bring diverse hearts together. Blessed are the stories that connect us across time and tradition. Blessed is the bread of affliction that reminds us of struggles still unfolding. Blessed is the cup of celebration that holds our collective freedom.

May this Passover Seder be a sacred space where our differences enrich rather than divide us. As we recall the ancient story of liberation, may we find inspiration for the work of freedom that continues in our world today. May the symbols on our Seder plate speak to each of us in our own way, while reminding us of the values we share – dignity, compassion, and the pursuit of justice for all people.

As the candles illuminate our gathering, may their light shine upon faces both familiar and new, reminding us that we are all created in the divine image. May our questions and conversations deepen our understanding of each other and of ourselves.

Let us honor the traditions of those who have hosted this Seder, while embracing the wisdom that each person brings to our table. In our differences, may we find strength; in our unity, may we find purpose.

With open hearts and open minds, we begin our journey together through this night of remembrance and hope.

Makor HaChayim, Source of Life, 

You created human beings in your image, 

B'tzelem Elohim* 

Each one of us a unique creation -

genetic material that holds a neshamah** 

a soul that is pure. 

Our bodies and our minds 

are different and diverse creations -

Full of strengths and vulnerabilities, 

talents, challenges, abilities, struggles. 

Some of us born into our bodies needing help 

to move, to see, to hear, to talk, to eat. 

Some of us will take our bodies and minds for granted 

until they change with age, 

reminding us that there are times 

when we all need support. 

The human body is a vessel that we can see, but deeper, 

what is constant and in common among us all 

is the unseen -

the souls that You have placed within us.

Makor HaChayim, Source of Life, 

Help us to encounter one another 

as that pure soul created in Your image; 

that we see ourselves and one another 

as B'tzelem Elohim. 

*B'tzelem Elohim: In Genesis 1:27, we read that God created human beings in God's own image. 

**Neshamah: A Hebrew word meaning 'soul.' 

-by Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer 

by Sheikha Ibtisam Mahameed and Rabba Tamar Elad-Appelbaum

This invocation, written by two mothers, one Muslim and one Jewish, invites us to take their plea for peace into our hearts and into the world. It has been shared widely by Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie and the Lab/Shul community.

Let us Light Candles for Peace

Two mothers, one plea:

Now, more than ever, during these days of so much crying,on the day that is sacred to both our religions, Friday, Sabbath Eve

Let us light a candle in every home – for peace:

A candle to illuminate our future, face to face,

A candle across borders, beyond fear.

From our family homes and houses of worship

Let us light each other up,

Let these candles be a lighthouse to our spirit

Until we all arrive at the sanctuary of peace.

Secular-Friendly Mourners' Kaddish Translation by Rabbi David Cooper

There is an eternal essence that persists in time and space —
and this is our prayer to make it part of our awareness 
by affirming its persistence and pledging ourselves 
to act to advance the promise it holds of a better world; 
may it be soon and in our days. Amen.

Let the great essence be blessed through all our actions!

Whether it be blessed or praised or honored or exalted, 
we affirm that it is far beyond any expression which we use to describe it — 
prayer or song, prose or poem — and we say: Amen

We express our hopes for peace and for life upon us and upon all people. Amen.

May the harmony we experience as we gaze toward heaven 
be reflected in a harmony between all who dwell on the planet: 
Israelite, Ishmaelite, and all creatures upon this holy earth, and we say: Amen.
 

From: Beside Still Waters, available for download and purchase.