The Jewish Democratic Initiative:

Democratic Haggadah

The seder 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 following the same seder all on the same day.

The Seder is a Big Deal

This Pesach 5785, JDI presents this Haggadah in the spirit of Jewish solidarity with the past, present and future. Evolving from around the 2nd Century CE, the tradition of the Seder is relatively new in Jewish time. The style and some symbols are borrowings from surrounding cultures particularly GraecoRoman symposia where participants reclined and feasted while engaged in discussion.

To maintain resonance with our times, it is 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 renewing them.

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 marginalised community members.

Our Haggadah includes symbols acknowledging and welcoming women and the LGBTQI+ community. Furthermore, we expand our desire for a peaceful world beyond Jewish borders to include all peoples who suffer oppression and discrimination.

We re-examine the traditional symbols so that they provide a contemporary meaning. Handle your matzot with kavanah – with intention and meaning. Engage with the new symbols and see how this Haggadah enhances the one you may be used to having at your table, and yet remains the same.

We hope that you find this Haggadah more than simply a user’s guide 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.

Chag Pesach Sameach!

The Jewish Democratic Initiative 2025