Seders

A seder is a ceremonial meal that marks the Passover holiday in Judaism. The term comes from the Hebrew word for “order,” reflecting the structured narrative and rituals that guide the evening. Central to the seder is retelling the Exodus from Egypt, as described in the Torah, with commentary, prayers, and songs drawn from the Haggadah, a liturgical text used to shape the ritual and instruction for participants of all ages.

During the seder, a plate holds symbolic foods, including matzah (unleavened bread), maror (bitter herb), karpas (vegetable, often parsley), charoset (a fruit-nut paste), and sometimes zroa (shank bone) and beitzah (egg), with chazeret (additional bitter herb) used in some customs. The meal also features four cups of wine or grape juice, a ritual washing, and the recitation of prayers and passages that trace the plagues and the Israelite departure. The gathering emphasizes questions, especially the Ma Nishtana, traditionally asked by the youngest participant, to prompt discussion and learning. An afikomen, a broken middle matzah hidden earlier, is later found and redeemed as part of the ritual.

The seder structure, often summarized as Kadesh, Urchatz, Karpas, Yachatz, Matzah, Maror, Korech, Shulchan Orech, Tzafun, Barech, Hallel, and Nirtzah, provides an orderly framework for storytelling, ritual commentary, symbolic eating, and celebration. Practices vary among Jewish denominations and cultures, with Sephardi, Ashkenazi, and Mizrahi communities observing distinct customs within the same overarching framework. In modern observance, seders are widely held in homes, synagogues, and community spaces, serving as both a family rite and a public expression of Jewish identity and memory.