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 5783, 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 c 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 beyond Jewish borders to include all peoples who suffer oppression and discrimination. Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, we have learnt the incredible importance of community in times of crises. Our lives were disrupted and - tragically far too many - ended.

Our Haggadah acknowledges the loss and the hope.

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.