The Jewish Democratic Initiative:

Democratic Haggadah

The seder itself is symbolically and practically a time of Jewish solidarity, togetherness and tradition. We connect to our family and friends, to our ancestors and to Jews around the Globe who are all celebrating Pesach and singing from the same hymn sheet all on the same day.

The Seder is a Big Deal.

Which is why this Pesach 5784, JDI presents this Haggadah in the spirit of Jewish solidarity with the past, present and future. In an effort to promote Jewish Unity, in a time when we need it so desperately.

Evolving from around the 2nd CE, the tradition of the Seder is relatively new in Jewish Time. The style and some symbols are borrowings from surrounding cultures particularly Graeco-Roman symposia where participants reclined and feasted while engaged in discussion. To maintain resonance with our times, it is therefore appropriate to update the rituals and symbols, add relevance and give permission for coming generations to make appropriate adjustments. 

We participate in the centuries-long history of transformation and adaptation - embracing changing traditions and making them new.

Of course, it is by no means revolutionary to update the Haggadah.

In the recent past we recall the issue of discrimination against Soviet Jewry becoming a feature of seders across the Jewish world. Today the Seder’s narrative of liberation from oppression has been expanded to ritually include formerly marginalised community members.

Our Haggadah includes symbols acknowledging and welcoming women and LGBTI+ community. Furthermore, we expand our desire for a peaceful world both within and beyond Jewish borders to include all peoples who suffer oppression and discrimination. We are in the midst of Israel’s brutal war against Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. We acknowledge that as we sit around our Seder table tonight, people continue to die.

Our Haggadah acknowledges the loss and the hope. In this time of unprecedented crisis, it is more important than ever that we turn to our history to remember our liberation and recognise that if our freedom is dependent on the oppression of another people it cannot be true liberation.

We re-examine the traditional symbols so that they provide personal worth. Handle your matzot with kavanah – with intention and meaning - so they become more significant than a slice of

edible cardboard. Engage with the new symbols to raise awareness and authenticate modern Aspiration.

We hope that you find this Haggadah more than simply a user’s manual for your Seder.

May it provide a source of connection to a deeper understanding of our Jewish place in the wider world and our moral and religious duty to make the world a better place for all who live in it. Pesach is a cry against indifference - a cry for compassion. 

The Seder is, above all, a story. Our story. It belongs to all of us. 

who we represent

The Jewish Democratic Initiative represents those who strive for an inclusive and tolerant South African Jewish community, focused on social justice and allowing space for a diverse range of approaches to societal challenges.

We are committed to the equality of civil and political rights as codified in South Africa’s constitution and envisaged in Israel’s Declaration of Independence. Recognising these rights, we advocate for a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a truly democratic Israeli State.

We value open debate and dialogue within our diverse South African community to enrich our community’s contribution to the Constitutional values of freedom, equality, dignity and Ubuntu. In short…democracy

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