The Story of Passover
Passover seders are unusual dinners, with unique foods and ways of eating. Why do we have these foods and rituals? How do they help us tell the story of Passover? Asking questions out loud and answering questions in ways that tell our own stories are both signs of being a free person. Traditionally, the youngest person or people at the table get to ask the Four Questions.
מַ ה נּ ְ ִ שַׁתּנָּ ה ַהַ לּיְ לָ ה הַ זֶּ ה מִ כָּ ל הַ לֵּ ילוֹn?
A baby in a basket floats down the Nile river in Egypt. How did he get there? Who is he? He is found by the Pharaoh’s daughter, and raised in the palace. She named him Moses.
When Moses grows up, he sees that Pharaoh is forcing the Jewish people to build his buildings for him, working in the hot sun with no break. The Jewish people worked so hard, they were tired and hungry. The Jewish people were also sad that Pharaoh did not let the Jewish people live in their Jewish ways.
Discuss ways we are Jewish – Celebrate Shabbat and other holidays (how), read from the torah, visit synagogue, etc.
Moses thinks that Pharaoh is not being a fair king and he decides to run away from Egypt into the wilderness.
While in the wilderness, Moses finds a burning bush. The bush is on fire, but it is not burning down. It is a miracle. Then Moses hears a voice that comes from inside the bush. The voice tells Moses he is a Jewish person, and he must go back to Egypt to convince Pharaoh to let the Jewish people go and lead them out of Egypt to be free.
This is the moment of self-reflection for Moses, where he realizes who he really is.
Moses tells Pharaoh to “Let my people go!” Pharaoh says “no!” After some things happened to Pharaoh in Egypt, he finally agrees to let the Jewish people go. They pack up and leave so fast that they don’t even have time to let their bread finish baking!


Dayenu (die-AY-new)
Dayenu (die-AY-new) means “It is more than enough for us!” God has given the
Jewish people so many pleasures, — and even just one of them would have been enough for us to feel
grateful and happy.
Ilu iilu hotzianu
Hotzianu mimitzrayim,
Hotzianu mimitzrayim,
Dayenu!
Dai, dayenu, dai dayenu,
Dai dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu!
Dai, dayenu, dai dayenu,
Dai dayenu, dayenu, dayenu!
Ilu natan natan lanu,
Natan lanu et hatorah
Natan lanu et hatorah
Dayenu!
Dai, dayenu, dai dayenu,
Dai dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu!
Dai, dayenu, dai dayenu,
Dai dayenu, dayenu, dayenu!
Ilu natan natan lanu,
Natan lanu et hashabbat
Natan lanu et hashabbat
Dayenu!
Dai, dayenu, dai dayenu,
Dai dayenu, dayenu, dayenu, dayenu!
Dai, dayenu, dai dayenu,
Dai dayenu, dayenu, dayenu!

We are free! “Next year in Jerusalem” is what we say!
