During the traditional seder, we join together and drink four cups of wine: a cup for each of the promises of freedom God made to the Israelites as God led them out of bondage. Today we join together and make four new promises — promises not about breaking the shackles of Egyptian slavery, but about breaking the bonds of hunger. We do so standing together and calling for a better tomorrow, one in which we are all blessed to have bountiful and nutritious food for our families, our neighbors, our friends, and for all people.

ALL READ IN UNISON

1. We will work to ensure that everyone has access to enough nutritious food.
2. We will learn why—in a nation of such abundance—there are still millions of people who struggle with hunger.
3. We will urge our elected officials and community leaders to support effective public policies and prioritize ending hunger.
4. We will create a world where all Americans and all people are free from hunger.

LEADER In the traditional Passover seder, we pause to reflect on what we have in our lives for which we are grateful and thank God for the miracles God performed. Let’s now recite aloud the blessings we enjoy. After each blessing, we take a moment to say together “Dayenu — it would have been enough.”

1. We are grateful that so many among us do not suffer from the pain and hardship of daily hunger. Dayenu

2. We are grateful to live in a democracy and have the ability to influence our government’s priorities. Dayenu

3. We are grateful for the opportunity to direct national attention to the injustice of hunger and center the heartbreaking stories of those impacted. Dayenu

4. We are grateful to those who use their hands to stock a food bank, their feet to march to Capitol Hill, and their voices to demand justice. Dayenu

5. We are grateful we made the time to be present for this Hunger Seder to educate ourselves and be inspired to act. Dayenu

6. We are grateful for each other – alone we are limited, but together we are powerful advocates for change. Dayenu

Day Day-enu, Day Day-enu, Day Day-enu Dayenu, Dayenu (x2)

Each year, Jews across the world join with family, friends, neighbors, and strangers to celebrate the holiday of Passover. But why? What is behind this tradition?

Seder means “order.” The ordered rituals and symbols of the Passover seder help us to tell the story of the Jewish people’s liberation from slavery in Egypt.

(Leader holds up the Seder Plate and briefly explains the ritual items and what they symbolize.)

For today’s seder we choose to recognize that while the Jewish people may be free, not everyone has cause for celebration. Many people, even in a free society such as ours, are bound by the hardships and challenges of their circumstances. We come together today with them in mind, determined to realize our vision of a day when we will all be truly free from the oppression of hunger.

Let us honor this moment by joining together in song:

Hineh mah tov u’ma-na’im shevet achim gam yachad.
How good it is for brothers and sisters to be together.