Since we’re on the topic of peeps, bunnies and bilbies, let’s not forget the seasonal reason for oranges. Is that confusing? Then you should take a look at a humanist feminist modern-version Haggadah for Passover. My referral logs from last year tell me that there are definitely others out there who seek such a text so I was happy to make one available. To elaborate, humanist means that there is no mention of a higher power and feminist refers to the inclusion of the orange on the Seder plate. It’s a modern version Haggadah because it does not only refer to events from thousands of years ago but also makes reference to the Holocaust and hardships of today. The plagues are not frogs and wild beasts but hunger and war. In general, it’s a more inclusive text. To spice things up a bit, you can also plan to have a chocolate seder plate for dessert. The first night of Passover this year falls on Monday, April 5th.
{ 11 comments }
Jeremy Osner 03.31.04 at 2:15 pm
Ooh… thanks for the reminder… Next week will feature two non-humanist, non-feminist seders with my in-laws…
John Isbell 03.31.04 at 2:33 pm
I didn’t think the traditional seder was particularly sexist. Agist, sure.
OTOH, the seder and Dayenu are quite possibly the oldest festival and song still celebrated on this planet. I’d have to check Hinduism.
Bernard Yomtov 03.31.04 at 5:41 pm
The orange seems to be somewhat common these days, even among many who would by no means describe their Seder as “feminist.”
I’m not big on the transmutation of the plagues into generic evils. I think the specificity is important, especially when we recall the suffering of the Egyptians.
Dan Simon 03.31.04 at 8:03 pm
I love the idea of a humanist, feminist seder, and my family’s planning on having one this year. Of course, we’ve made a few modifications: we’ve eliminated the orange and the other modern updates, and use the complete standard text, including references to God. We think of it as a traditionalist, humanist, feminist seder.
zed 04.01.04 at 1:10 am
For all the members here you would think more posts would be forthcoming. How about some content, jeesus f*cking christ. Davies has been Awol for months. Throw anything up, a reading list or something.
jm 04.01.04 at 3:44 am
The Haggadah is the retelling of the story of the Exodus. The Exodus is the story of the Jews’ flight from slavery in Egypt. Were there no miracles in the book of Exodus it would long have been forgotten, or relegated to the library like the Epic of Gilgamesh. Therefore a Haggadah with no mention of a higher power cannot exist. A retelling of the story of Exodus without mention of a higher power exists only because sooner or later the hearers are going to hear the actual substance of the story, which are the miracles. You’re doing a religious deed in spite of yourself, but it’s no Seder. Happy Passover. Something about who did the passing over and who was given it was very, very important, and no, the Rolling Thunder Heavy Ordnance didn’t miss your firstborn son because of the cod liver oil you gave him, but the naches. Shalom. Viva la lucha.
dsquared 04.01.04 at 7:23 am
Davies has been Awol for months
not true; I had leave.
dsquared 04.01.04 at 9:53 am
Btw, the fascist octopus has been at work; how do you spice things up with chocolate?
Andrew 04.01.04 at 12:41 pm
Mole sauce.
Andrew 04.01.04 at 12:42 pm
Salsa mole!
John Isbell 04.01.04 at 2:34 pm
Isn’t that cruel to the moles?
Comments on this entry are closed.