Passover Seder

ThePassover Sederis a ritualfeastat the beginning of theJewish holidayofPassover.It is conducted throughout the world on the eve of the 15th day ofNisanin theHebrew calendar(i.e., at the start of the 15th; a Hebrew day begins at sunset). The day falls in late March or in April of theGregorian calendar. Passover lasts for seven days inIsraeland, among mostcustoms, eight days in theJewish diaspora. Where seven days of Passover are observed, a seder is held on the first night; where eight days are observed, seders are often held on the first two nights, the 15th and 16th of Nisan. The Seder is a ritual involving a retelling of the story of the liberation of theIsraelitesfromslaveryinancient Egypt, taken from theBook of Exodus(Shemot) in theTorah. The Seder itself is based on theBiblicalversecommandingJews to retell the story of theExodusfrom Egypt: "You shall tell your child on that day, saying, 'It is because of whatthe LORDdid for me when I came out of Egypt.'" (Exodus 13:8)At the seder, Jews read the text of theHaggadah, an ancientTannaiticwork.The Haggadah contains the narrative of the Israelite exodus from Egypt, specialblessingsand rituals,Talmudiccommentaries, andPassover songs.
Seder customs include telling the story, discussing the story, drinking four cups ofwine, eatingmatzah, partaking of symbolic foods, and reclining in celebration of freedom.The Seder is among the most commonly celebrated Jewish rituals, performed by Jews all over the world.
Sederis a transliteration of theHebrewסדר, which means 'order' or 'procedure'. The name also expresses the conduct of the meal, all the dishes, the blessings, the prayers, the stories and the songs, written in the Haggadah, a book that determines the order of Passover and tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt. And all themitzvot(religious commandments or rites) in the "order" are done in a fixed order in every Jewish home.
The Seder is most often conducted in the family home, although communal Seders are also organized by synagogues, schools and community centers, some open to the general public. It is customary to invite guests, especially strangers and the needy. The Seder is integral to Jewish faith and identity: as explained in the Haggadah, if not fordivine interventionand the Exodus, the Jewish people would still beslavesin Egypt. Therefore, the Seder is an occasion for praise and thanksgiving and for re-dedication to the idea of liberation. Furthermore, the words and rituals of the Seder are a primary vehicle for the transmission of theJewish faithfrom grandparent to child, and from one generation to the next. Attending a Seder and eating matzah on Passover is a widespread custom even among those who are not religiously observant.
Family members come to the table dressed in their holiday clothes. There is an Orthodox Ashkenazi tradition for the person leading the Seder to wear a white robe called akittel.For the first half of the Seder, each participant will only need a plate and a wine glass. At the head of the table is a Seder plate containing various symbolic foods that will be eaten or pointed out during the course of the Seder. Placed nearby is a plate with threematzotand dishes of salt water for dipping.
Each participant receives a copy of the Haggadah: an ancient text that contains the complete Seder service. Men and women are equally obliged and eligible to participate in the Seder.Traditionally, each participant at the Seder table recites the Haggadah in the original Hebrew and Aramaic.Halakha(the collective body of Jewish religious laws) requires that certain parts be said in language the participants can understand, and critical parts are often said in both Hebrew and the native language. The leader will often interrupt the reading to discuss different points with his or her children, or to offer an insight into the meaning or interpretation of the words.
In some homes, participants take turns reciting the text of the Haggadah, in the original Hebrew or in translation. It is traditional for the head of the household and other participants to have pillows placed behind them for added comfort. At several points during the Seder, participants lean to the left – when drinking the four cups of wine, eating the Afikoman, and eating the korech sandwich.
Jews generally observe one or two seders: in Israel, one seder is observed on the first night of Passover; traditionalDiasporacommunities (to the general exception ofReformandReconstructionistJews) also hold a seder  on the second night. Seders have been observed around the world, including in remote places such as high in the Himalaya mountains inKathmandu, Nepal.
The rituals and symbolic foods evoke the twin themes of the evening: slavery and freedom. It is stated in the Haggadah that "In every generation everyone is obligated to see themselves as if they themselves came out of Egypt" – i.e., out of slavery.
The rendering of time for Jews is that a day began at sunset and ended at sunset. According to the Exodus narrative, at the beginning of the 15th ofNisanin Ancient Egypt, the Jewish people were enslaved to Pharaoh. After thetenth plaguestruck Egypt at midnight, killing all the first-born sons from the first-born of Pharaoh to the first-born of the lowest Egyptian to all the first-born of the livestock in the land (Exodus 12:29), Pharaoh let the Hebrew nation go, effectively making them free people for the second half of the night.
Thus, Seder participants recall the slavery that reigned during the first half of the night by eatingmatzah(the "poor person's bread"),maror(bitter herbs which symbolize the bitterness of slavery), and charoset (a sweet paste, possibly representing the mortar which the Jewish slaves used to cement bricks). Recalling the freedom of the second half of the night, they eat the matzah (the "bread of freedom" as well as the "bread of affliction") and 'afikoman', and drink the four cups of wine, in a reclining position, and dip vegetables into salt water (the dipping being a sign of royalty and freedom).
There is an obligation to drink four cups of wine during the Seder. TheMishnahsays (Pesachim10:1) that even the poor are obliged to drink the four cups. Each cup is imbibed at a specific point in the Seder. The first is forKiddush(קידוש), the second is for 'Maggid' (מגיד), the third is forBirkat Hamazon(ברכת המזון) and the fourth is forHallel(הלל).
The Four Cups represent the four expressions of deliverance promised by God Exodus 6:6–7:"I will bring out," "I will deliver," "I will redeem," and "I will take."
TheVilna Gaonrelates the Four Cups to four worlds: this world, theMessianicage, the world at the revival of the dead, and theworld to come. TheMaHaRaLconnects them to the four Matriarchs:Sarah,Rebeccah,Rachel, andLeah. (The threematzot, in turn, are connected to the three Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.)Abarbanelrelates the cups to the four historical redemptions of the Jewish people: the choosing of Abraham, the Exodus from Egypt, the survival of the Jewish people throughout the exile, and the fourth which will happen at the end of days.
The four cups might also reflect the Roman custom of drinking as many cups as there are letters in the name of the chief guest at a meal, which in the case of the Seder is God himself whose Hebrew name has four letters.
The special Passover Seder plate (ke'arah) is the special plate containing symbolic foods used during the Passover Seder. Each of the six items arranged on the plate has special significance to the retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The seventh symbolic item used during the meal – a stack of three matzot – is placed on its own plate on the Seder table.
The six items on the Seder plate are:
Since the retelling of the Exodus to one's child is the object of the Seder experience, much effort is made to arouse the interest and curiosity of the children and keep them awake during the meal. To that end, questions and answers are a central device in the Seder ritual. By encouraging children to ask questions, they will be more open to hearing the answers.
The most famous question which the youngest child asks at the Seder is the"Ma Nishtana"– 'Why is this night different from all other nights?' After the asking of this questions, the main portion of the Seder,Magid, discusses the answers in the form of a historical review. Also, at different points in the Seder, the leader of the Seder will cover the matzot and lift their cup of wine; then put down the cup of wine and uncover the matzot – all to elicit questions from the children.
In some traditions, the questions are asked by the assembled company in chorus rather than by a child, and are put to the leader of the seder, who either answers the question or may direct the attention of the assembled company to someone who is acting out that particular part of the Exodus.  Physical re-enactment of the Exodus during the Passover seder is common in many families and communities.
Families will follow the Haggadah's lead by asking their own questions at various points in the Haggadah and offering prizes such as nuts and candies for correct answers. Theafikoman, which is hidden away for the "dessert" after the meal, is another device used to encourage children's participation. In most families, the leader of the Seder hides theafikomanand the children must find it, whereupon they receive a prize or reward. In other homes, the children hide theafikomanand a parent must look for it; when the parents give up, the children demand a prize (often money) for revealing its location.
The order and procedures of the Seder are stated and printed in the text of the PassoverHaggadah, a copy of which is in front of all participants. Jewish children learn the following words, denoting the order of the Seder, with a rhyme and tune at their Jewish schools:
Kadeish(קדש) is Hebrew Imperative forKiddush. It should be recited as soon as the synagogue services are over but not before nightfall.ThisKiddushis similar to that which is recited on all of theThree Pilgrimage Festivals, but also refers tomatzotand the exodus from Egypt. Acting in a way that shows freedom and majesty, many Jews have the custom of filling each other's cups at the Seder table. TheKiddushis traditionally said by the father of the house, but all Seder participants may participate by reciting theKiddushand drinking at least a majority of the first cup of wine. On Shabbat, it is preceded by a reading from the Book of Genesis recounting God's rest on the seventh day of creation and includes an extended doxology on the blessings of Shabbat.
Technically, according toJewish law, whenever one partakes of fruits or vegetables dipped in liquid while remaining wet, one must wash one's hands if the fruit or vegetable remains wet. However, at other times of the year, one has either already washed their hands before eating bread, or dry the fruit or vegetable, in which case one need not wash their hands before eating the fruit or vegetable.
According to most traditions, no blessing is recited at this point in the Seder, unlike the blessing recited over the washing of the hands before eating bread.  However, followers ofRambamor theGaon of Vilnado recite a blessing.
Each participant dips a vegetable into either salt water (an Ashkenazi custom; said to serve as a reminder of the tears shed by their enslaved ancestors), vinegar (a Sephardi custom) orcharoset(an older Sephardi custom, still common among Yemenite Jews). Another custom mentioned in some Ashkenazi sources and probably originating withMeir of Rothenburg,was to dip the karpas in wine.
Threematzotare stacked on the seder table; at this stage, the middle matzah of the three is broken in half. The larger piece is hidden, to be used later as theafikoman, the "dessert" after the meal. The smaller piece is returned to its place between the other two matzot.
Moroccan Jewish custom is that when the matzah is split, a passage is recited describing how "in this manner God split the Red Sea" in the aftermath of the Exodus.
Before Magid, some Sephardi families have a custom to sing"Bivhilu yatzanu mi-mitzrayim"(translated: 'In haste we left Egypt'). While this is being sung, the head of the household walks around the table with the Seder plate and waves it over each individual's head.
The story of Passover, and the change from slavery to freedom is told. At this point in the Seder, Moroccan Jews have a custom of raising the Seder plate over the heads of all those present while chanting"Bivhilu yatzanu mimitzrayim, halahma anya b'nei horin"('In haste we went out of Egypt [with our] bread of affliction, [now we are] free people').
Thematzotare uncovered, and referred to as the "bread of affliction". Participants declare (inAramaic) an invitation to all who are hungry or needy to join in the Seder.Halakharequires that this invitation be repeated in the native language of the country.
TheMishnadetails questions one is obligated to ask on the night of the seder. It is customary for the youngest child present to recite the four questions.Some customs hold that the other participants recite them quietly to themselves as well. In some families, this means that the requirement remains on an adult "child" until a grandchild of the family receives sufficient Jewish education to take on the responsibility. If a person has no children capable of asking, the responsibility falls to their spouse, or another participant.The need to ask is so great that even if a person is alone at the seder they are obligated to ask themselves and to answer their own questions.
The question about reclining substitutes for a question about eating roasted meat, that was present in the mishnah but removed by later authorities due to its inapplicability after thedestruction of the temple:
Roasted sacrifices were no longer possible after the destruction, and roasted meat was therefore disallowed on seder night, to avoid ambiguity.
The questions are answered with the following:
The four questions have been translated into over 300 languages.
The traditional Haggadah speaks of "four sons" – one who is wise, one who is wicked, one who is simple, and one who does not know to ask. This is based upon the rabbis of theJerusalem Talmudfinding four references in the Torah to responding to your son who asks a question.Each of these sons phrases his question about the seder in a different way. The Haggadah recommends answering each son according to his question, using one of the three verses in the Torah that refer to this exchange.
The wise son asks "What are the statutes, the testimonies, and the laws that God has commanded us to do?" One explanation for why this very detailed-oriented question is categorized as wise, is that the wise son is trying to learn how to carry out the seder, rather than asking for someone else's understanding of its meaning. He is answered fully:
"You should reply to him with [all] the laws of pesach: one may not eat any dessert after the paschal sacrifice."
The wicked son, who asks, "What is this service to you?", is characterized by the Haggadah as isolating himself from the Jewish people, standing by objectively and watching their behavior rather than participating. Therefore, he is rebuked by the explanation that "It is because God acted formysake whenIleft Egypt." (This implies that the Seder is not for the wicked son because the wicked son would not have deserved to be freed from Egyptian slavery.) Where the four sons are illustrated in the Haggadah, this son has frequently been depicted as carrying weapons or wearing stylish contemporary fashions.
The simple son, who asks, "What is this?" is answered with "With a strong hand the Almighty led us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage."
The one who does not know to ask is told, "It is because of what the Almighty did for me when I left Egypt."
Some modern Haggadahs mention "children" instead of "sons", and some have added a fifth child. The fifth child can represent the children of theShoahwho did not survive to ask a questionor representJewswho have drifted so far from Jewish life that they do not participate in a Seder.
For the former, tradition is to say that for that child one asks "Why?" and, like the simple child, has no answer.
Four verses inDeuteronomy(26:5–8) are then expounded, with an elaborate, traditional commentary based on theSifre. ("And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God: 'A wandering Aramean was my parent, and they went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. And we cried unto the Lord, the God of our parents, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression. And the Lord brought us forth out of Egyptwith a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and withsigns, and with wonders.")
The Haggadah explores the meaning of those verses, and elaborates on the story. This telling describes the slavery of the Jewish people and their miraculous salvation by God. This culminates in an enumeration of theTen Plagues:
With the recital of the Ten Plagues, there is a late custom, which arose in German-Jewish circles, that each participant removes a drop of wine from their cup using a fingertip at the mention of each of the ten plagues.Although this night is one of salvation,Don Isaac Abravanelexplains that one cannot be completely joyous when some of God's creatures had to suffer.Amnemonicacronymfor the plagues is also introduced:"D'tzach Adash B'achav", while similarly spilling a drop of wine for each word.
At this part in the Seder, songs of praise are sung, including the songDayenu, which proclaims that had God performed any single one of the many deeds performed for the Jewish people, it would have been enough to obligate us to give thanks. Some sing insteadThe Women's Dayenu, a feminist variant ofDayenu, byMichele Landsberg.
AfterDayenuis a declaration (mandated by Rabban Gamliel) of the reasons of the commandments of thePaschal lamb,Matzah, andMaror, with scriptural sources. Then follows a short prayer, and the recital of the first two psalms ofHallel(which will be concluded after the meal). A long blessing is recited, and the second cup of wine is drunk.
The ritual hand-washing is repeated, this time with all customs including a blessing.
Two blessings are recited.
First one recites the standard blessing before eating bread, which includes the words "who brings forth" (motziin Hebrew).
Then one recites the blessing regarding the commandment to eat Matzah.
An olive-size piece (some say two) is then eaten while reclining to the left.
The blessing for the eating of the maror (bitter herbs) is recited and then it is to be eaten.
The maror (bitter herb) is placed between two small pieces of matzo, similarly to how the contents of a sandwich are placed between two slices of bread, and eaten. This follows the tradition ofHillel, who did the same at his Seder table 2000 years ago (except that in Hillel's day the Paschal sacrifice, matzo, and maror were eaten together.)
The festive meal is eaten. Traditionally it begins with a hard boiled egg dipped in salt water, referencing the charred egg on the Seder plate.In Yiddish, there is a saying:מיר צוגרייטן די טיש און עסן די פיש, which means "We set the table and eat the fish".
Theafikoman, which was hidden earlier in the Seder, is traditionally the last morsel of food eaten by participants in the Seder.
Each participant receives an olive-sized portion of matzo to be eaten asafikoman. After the consumption of theafikoman, traditionally, no other food may be eaten for the rest of the night. Additionally, no intoxicating beverages may be consumed, with the exception of the remaining two cups of wine.
The recital ofBirkat Hamazon.
The drinking of the Third Cup of Wine.
Note: The Third Cup is customarily poured before theGrace after Mealsis recited because the Third Cup also serves as aCup of Blessingassociated with the Grace after Meals on special occasions.
In many traditions, the front door of the house is opened at this point.Psalms79:6–7 is recited in both Ashkenazi and Sephardi traditions, plusLamentations3:66 among Ashkenazim.
Most Ashkenazim have the custom to fill both a fourth and a fifth cup at this point. This relates to a Talmudic discussion that concerns the number of cups that are supposed to be drunk. Given that the four cups are in reference to the four expressions of redemption in Exodus 6:6–7, some rabbis felt that it was important to include a fifth cup for the fifth expression of redemption in Exodus 6:8. All agreed that five cups should be poured but the question as to whether or not the fifth should be drunk, given that the fifth expression of redemption concerned being brought into the Land of Israel, which – by this stage – was no longer possessed of an autonomous Jewish community, remained insoluble. The rabbis determined that the matter should be left untilElijah(in reference to the notion that Elijah's arrival would precipitate the coming of theMoshiach(Jewish Messiah), at which time all halakhic questions will be resolved) and the fifth cup came to be known as theKos shel Eliyahu("Cup of Elijah"). Over time, people came to relate this cup to the notion that Elijah will visit each Jewish home on Seder night as a foreshadowing of his future arrival at the end of the days, when he will come to announce the coming of the Moshiach, and that the door is opened for him to enter.
Some seders (including the original Women's Seder, but not limited to women-only seders) now set out a cup for the prophet Miriam as well as the traditional cup for the prophet Elijah, sometimes accompanied by a ritual to honor Miriam.Miriam's cup originated in the 1980s in a BostonRosh Chodeshgroup; it was invented by Stephanie Loo, who filled it with mayim hayim (living waters) and used it in a feminist ceremony ofguided meditation.Miriam's cup is linked to themidrashofMiriam's well, which "is a rabbinic legend that tells of a miraculous well that accompanied the Israelites during their 40 years in the desert at the Exodus from Egypt".
The entire order of Hallel which is usually recited in the synagogue on Jewish holidays is also recited at the Seder table, albeit sitting down. The first two psalms,113and114, were recited before the meal.  The remaining psalms115–118, are recited at this point.Psalm 136(the Great Hallel) is then recited, followed byNishmat, a portion of the morning service for Shabbat and festivals.
There are a number of opinions concerning the paragraphYehalelukhawhich normally follows Hallel, andYishtabakh, which normally followsNishmat. Most Ashkenazim reciteYehalelukhaimmediately following the Hallel proper, i.e. at the end of Psalm 118, except for the concluding words. After Nishmat, they reciteYishtabakhin its entirety.  Sephardim reciteYehalelukhaalone after Nishmat.
Afterwards the Fourth Cup of Wine is drunk and a brief blessing for the "fruit of the vine" is said.
The Seder concludes with a prayer that the night's service be accepted. A hope for the Messiah is expressed: "L'shanah haba'ahb'Yerushalayim!–Next year in Jerusalem!" Jews inIsrael, and especially those inJerusalem, recite instead "L'shanah haba'ah b'Yerushalayim hab'nuyah!– Next year in the rebuilt Jerusalem!" Jerusalem is the holiest city in the Bible; it has become symbolic of the idea of spiritual perfection.  The tradition of saying "Next year in Jerusalem" is similar to the tradition of opening the door for Elijah: it recognizes that “this year” we live in an imperfect world outside of “Jerusalem,” but we patiently await a time, hopefully “next year,” in which we live in spiritual perfection.
Although the 15 orders of the Seder have been complete, the Haggadah concludes with additional songs which further recount the miracles that occurred on this night in Ancient Egypt as well as throughout history. Some songs express a prayer that theBeit Hamikdashwill soon be rebuilt. The last song to be sung isChad Gadya("One Kid Goat"). This seemingly childish song about different animals and people who attempted to punish others for their crimes and were in turn punished themselves, was interpreted by theVilna Gaonas anallegoryto the retribution God will levy over the enemies of the Jewish people at the end of days.
Following the Seder, those who are still awake may recite theSong of Songs, engage in Torah learning, or continue talking about the events of the Exodus until sleep overtakes them.
In 1976, the first of a series of women-only Passover seders was held inEsther M. Broner'sNew York City apartment and led by her, with 13 women attending, includingGloria Steinem,Letty Cottin Pogrebin, andPhyllis Chesler.Esther Broner and Naomi Nimrod created a women's haggadah for use at this seder.In the spring of 1976 Esther Broner published this "Women's Haggadah" in Ms. Magazine, later publishing it as a book in 1994; this haggadah is meant to include women where only men had been mentioned in traditional haggadahs, and it features the Wise Women, the Four Daughters, the Women's Questions, the Women's Plagues, and a women-centric "Dayenu".The original Women's Seder has been held with the Women's Haggadah every year since 1976, and women-only seders are now held by some congregations as well.Some seders (including the original Women's Seder, but not limited to women-only seders) now set out a cup for the prophet Miriam as well as the traditional cup for the prophet Elijah, accompanied by a ritual to honor Miriam.Miriam's cup originated in the 1980s in a BostonRosh Chodeshgroup; it was invented by Stephanie Loo, who filled it with mayim hayim (living waters) and used it in a feminist ceremony ofguided meditation.Miriam's cup is linked to themidrashofMiriam's well, which "is a rabbinic legend that tells of a miraculous well that accompanied the Israelites during their 40 years in the desert at the Exodus from Egypt".Furthermore, some Jews include an orange on the seder plate. The orange represents the fruitfulness for all Jews when all marginalized peoples are included, particularly women and gay people.An incorrect but common rumor says that this tradition began when a man toldSusannah Heschelthat a woman belongs on the bimah as an orange on the seder plate; however, it actually began when in the early 1980s, while when speaking at Oberlin College Hillel, Susannah Heschel was introduced to an early feminist Haggadah that suggested adding a crust of bread on the seder plate, as a sign of solidarity with Jewish lesbians (as some would say there's as much room for a lesbian in Judaism as there is for a crust of bread on the seder plate).Heschel felt that to put bread on the seder plate would be to accept that Jewish lesbians and gay men violate Judaism likechametzviolates Passover.So, at her next seder, she chose an orange as a symbol of inclusion of gays and lesbians and others who are marginalized within the Jewish community.In addition, each orange segment had a few seeds that had to be spit out – a gesture of spitting out and repudiating what they see as the homophobia of traditional Judaism.
Furthermore, many Haggadah now use gender-neutral English translations.
The group of people who hold a Passover Seder together is referred to in theTalmud(tractate Pesachim) as achavurah(group). In theFar East, for example,Chabad-Lubavitchemissaries regularly conduct Seders for hundreds of visiting students, businesspeople and Jewish travelers. The Chabad Seder inKathmanduregularly attracts more than 1,200 participants.In 2006, the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS and Baltic Countries organized over 500 public Seders throughout theFormer Soviet Union, led by local rabbis and Chabad rabbinical students, drawing more than 150,000 attendees in total.
InIsrael, where permanent residents observe only one Seder, overseas students learning inyeshivasand women's seminaries are often invited in groups up to 100 for "second-day Seders" hosted by outreach organizations and private individuals.
SomeChristians, especially but not onlyEvangelical Protestants, have recentlytaken great interest in performing Seders according tothe ancient rubric. Many churches host Seders, usually adding a Messianic Christian Passover message, and many times invitingMessianic Jewsto lead and teach on it. TheGospelsplace theLast Supperat Passover, so that some Christians have interpreted it as a Seder; in consequence some Christian Seders are onMaundy Thursdayas part of commemorating the Last Supper.Many Christians cite the meal as a way to connect with the heritage of their own religion and to see how the practices of the ancient world are still relevant to Christianity today.However, the current form of the Passover Seder dates from theRabbinicperiod, after Christianity and Judaism had alreadygone their separate ways.Some Jews and Christians consider Christian Seders an inappropriatecultural appropriationof Jewish ritual for non-Jewish purposes.
A number of churches hold interfaith Seders where Jews and non-Jews alike are invited to share in the story and discuss common themes of peace, freedom, and religious tolerance.  During theAmerican civil rights movementof the 1960s, interfaith Seders energized and inspired leaders from various communities who came together to march for equal protection for all. The first of these, theFreedom Seder,was written byArthur Waskow, published inRampartsmagazine and in a small booklet by the Micah Press and in a later edition (1970) by Holt-Rinehart-Winston, and was actually performed on April 4, 1969, the first anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the third night of Passover, at Lincoln Memorial Temple in Washington, DC. It celebrated the liberation struggle of Black America alongside that of ancient Israel from Pharaoh, and was the first Haggadah to go beyond the original Biblical story. It sparked a large number of Haggadahs celebrating various other forms of liberation – feminism, vegetarianism, the liberation movements in Latin America in the 1970s, ecological healing, etc..  Today, manyUnitarian Universalistcongregations hold annual interfaith community Seders.A number of Interfaith Passover SederHaggadahshave been written especially for this purpose.
In 2009 PresidentBarack Obamabegan conducting an annual Passover seder in theOld Family Dining Roomof theWhite House, marking the first time that a sitting US president hosted a Seder in the White House.The private dinner for about 20 guests,both Jewish and non-Jewish – including the President and his family, members of the President's and First Lady's staffs, and friends and their families– features the reading of the Haggadah, traditional rituals such as the hiding of the afikoman and the cup of Elijah, and the reading of theEmancipation Proclamation.
When people wish to participate in a shared Seder but are unable to be physically together, technology such asvideoconferencingsoftware can be used to facilitate a "virtual" Seder.  In 2020, theCOVID-19 pandemicresulted in a surge of virtual Seders, as many Jews sought to practicesocial distancingduring the holiday, or lived in jurisdictions where they were legally required to do so, and thus could not visit the homes of friends and family who were hosting Seders. The website OneTable saw a fourfold increase in the number of virtual seders it hosted from 2019 to 2020, andZoomwas widely used to host virtual Seders.Virtual seders were endorsed byProgressiverabbis but eschewed byOrthodoxrabbis.TheRabbinical AssemblyofConservative Judaismissued guidance (though not an officialConservative responsum) specific to 2020 on using videoconferencing to facilitate Seders while avoiding or minimizing violations ofYom Tovrestrictions that limit the use of electronic devices on holidays.
In 2022, the Israeli astronaut,Eytan Stibbe, participated in the first privately sponsored trip to theInternational Space Stationas part of the "Rakia" mission to conductscience and technologyexperiments for a number of universities and startups in Israel.  As part of the “Rakia” mission, Stibbe held the first Seder in space on the first night of the holiday.  This included reciting kiddush, drinking grape juice, eating matzah, and relating to his fellow astronauts about the values that the Seder tradition and the reading of the Haggadah can teach, noting that the story of the exodus from Egypt of the people of Israel "from slavery into freedom" shows that "no dream is beyond reach".