We begin our journey through this women s seder by lighting the way for ourselves and one another. We light the first two candles to represent the balance for which we strive, as we acknowledge the dualities of our world.
T hus begins a women s seder, celebrated in different forms in communities throughout the country.
From quiet, intimate dinners for 18 to raucous, musical events for over 600, women s seders are gaining in popularity as they provide an opportunity to celebrate the women who traditionally are left out of the retelling of the Passover story. Many NCJW Sections celebrate women s seders, and it is clear that each has a unique spin on the event, personalizing it in a special way. Some Sections invite each participant to introduce herself with her own name, her mother s name and her grandmother s name, an emotional moment for many women who haven t said those names aloud in a while. Their reason is that in connecting to Miriam we go back many generations, so we must do the same for ourselves. Most women s seders are multigenerational events members bring their mothers and daughters, usually starting at the age of 13, which makes the seder something of a rite of passage for these young women.