The Jewish Community prepares for Passover

Several community members were eager to share information about their Passover planning and the haggadot they use. Here is a small sampling of their traditions.

Paula Bodo | Providence, R.I.

Our Seder varies a bit from year to year, maybe that is the tradition. Our haggadah is a compilation of pieces from different haggadot. If I find something interesting, I add it. Also, I encourage our guests to contribute if they come across something interesting.

Marty Cooper | North Kingstown, R.I.

My family does a play, and we act it out. It makes it fun and interactive. You can download several different kinds, but my daughter wrote the one we use.

Noam E. | Providence, R.I.

I am from Israel. During my Seders, I enjoy traditional Yemenite food with a healthy focus.  My preference is to use the haggadah I used a child. I brought it with me when I came here; it’s in Hebrew. So even if we use a haggadah in English, I like to refer to it.

Celia and Steve Gamm | Providence, R.I.

Our family is a blended one, which began with the two of us and seven adult children. At that time, we used the Leonard Baskin haggadah. It was artistic and poetic and served our purpose at that time. As in-law children with a variety of Jewish backgrounds entered the family, we moved to using the “Feast of Freedom Haggadah” because it provided more explanation and historical context. Now, 22 years later, we have 15 grandchildren, ranging in age from almost two to 19 years. In order to meet the more global need of our growing and diverse family, we began using the “A Different Night” haggadah. We have found it to be both adult and child oriented at the same time. 

Naama Gidron | Providence, R.I.

At our Seder, it’s never been so much about which haggadot we use. It’s all about the pace at which we read them. We have been celebrating Passover with our dear family friends the Klein Horns for 35 years. The   tradition has always been that my dad Danny, a secular Israeli, sits at one end of the table and Bernie, a first-generation New York Jew, sits at the other. My dad sings through the Hebrew like an auctioneer while Bernie reads each word carefully often discussing the commentary, posing questions and inviting stories. Interspersed in this all is my mom, who sits somewhere in the middle and asks my dad to “slow it down, and read some in English.” Though we never read the second half of the haggadah after the meal, we do spend hours singing together and enjoying each other’s company.

Rabbi Sarah Mack |   Providence, R.I.

Our Seder is full of kids—ten kids under the age of ten. We use a haggadah, but we tell the stories and sing a lot. One of the most amazing things is watching the kids “age into” reading the haggadah. That’s one of my favorite parts of Passover.

Amy Podolsky, | Sudbury, Mass.

About ten years ago, my husband and I decided to put aside the ol’ Maxwell House haggadah we’d grown up with and create our own. It was promoted by a desire to create a Seder that was both “kid friendly” (our oldest son Josh was about six years old at the time) and uniquely ours. We took bits and pieces from different haggadot (mainly children’s haggadot with beautiful pictures) and made them our own. We purchased a “Plagues Bag,” which added to the fun of our Seder. It made it more interactive. Years later (that six year old is almost sixteen!), we continue to use the Seder format and haggadah we created all those years ago. It’s very special to now have our own unique tradition!

Rabbi Raphie Schochet | Providence, R.I.

The haggadot we use have traditional texts, but within the texts there are so many insights and lessons to be learned. I may use three at the same time.

Ezra Stieglitz | Providence, R.I.

We must use at least six or seven different haggadot because during the Seder we like to ask a lot of thought-provoking questions. We look for haggadot that have commentary, questions and answers so we can find new questions. We use the finger puppets for the ten plagues (and there are no kids at the Seder – just adults). Do you know how many times Moses’ name is mentioned in the haggadah? (The answer is only once!)

Estelle Millman | Rumford, R.I.

About seven years ago, after a long Seder, I decided that my family needed a different type of haggadah. So I wrote my own, and it is one that tells the story of Passover in a more child-friendly way and encourages both participation and conversation by all those sitting at the Seder table. This haggadah is adored by my family, especially young nieces, nephews and cousins, and is appreciated by many adults of all faiths. We look forward to placing our DeQuattro homemade haggadah on the holiday table every year.

Ira T. | Fall River, Mass.

My wife is responsible for the hametz and I conduct the Seder. We are joined by my son and his girlfriend , along with my brother and his wife. Over the past few years we’ve been using “My People’s Passover Haggadah” because it includes traditional text with modern commentaries. It’s quite scholarly.

Marc Trachtenberg | Lincoln, R.I.

It’s different every year. Sometimes I’m at my mother’s; sometimes I’m at my sister’s, and they each use their own haggadah.