Chronicle poll results: Creative seders
We asked our readers if the seders they attend incorporate creative or modern elements. Here's what they said.
Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an online poll the following question: “Do the seders you typically attend incorporate modern or creative elements (e.g., themed seders, contemporary rituals)?” Of the 187 people who responded, 52% said yes and 48% said no. Comments were submitted by 50 people. A few follow.
The first year that Russia invaded Ukraine we had the Ukrainian flag colors as our color scheme. The first seder after Oct. 7, 2023, we had Israeli flag colors as the color scheme.
Traditional is what I want and need.
We use a modern Haggadah that blends traditional parts of the seder with contemporary themes and prayers.
We add an orange and an olive to the seder plate — orange for women’s equality in the Jewish traditions and an olive for Middle East peace.
Some families just think reading the Haggadah is enough. Bringing in relevant issues of today and comparing them is needed.
We use a diversity of Haggadahs with interesting commentaries as we go through the standard text. We especially like commentaries that help us have the psychodrama experience from the seder: working to be freed from whatever keeps us enslaved in negative patterns and prevents us from being free to be our fullest, best selves.
I love the traditional seder. That’s why I’ve been attending one at Chabad for a number of years now.
Ordinarily, no. I do my own, and I like being traditional. However, this year we will have four young children coming, so we will be using child-friendly Haggadahs. I hope this will help them look forward to Passover next year.
I go to wherever I am invited.
This year we will think of our hostages and the blind eye of the world to their plight. In the past we thought of Soviet Jews.
We have done the same exact seder for 70-plus years…I love it! Same Haggadahs too!
We do everything very traditionally, the only thing is we now include Ashkenazi elements in
our Sephardic seders.
I write my own seder and tweak it every few years to keep it current.
Elements from the Haggadah are assigned to family members. They must do something creative to explain their part: e.g., a skit, a poem, puppets, costumes, etc.
Queer seders rock!
We play a family trivia game with Pesach-related content.
Each year the seders seem to get shorter, more joyful and less religious.
Tried and tested procedures are what my extended family (currently 61 souls) want.
The seders I lead or attend in Hebrew and English include readings from various areas of the world.
This year I plan to have readings about social justice and inclusivity, as it’s especially important at this time. PJC
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