How to Read the Passover Story

During the Passover seder, tradition requires that Jewish families retell and discuss the Passover story, including the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, where they had been held as slaves. Jews recount the story on both the first and second days of Passover if they do not live in Israel. The story is the largest portion of the Haggadah, the book that sets forth the order of the seder.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Select a Haggadah for your family's seder. There are many Haggadahs aimed towards different audiences, such as families with small children or groups of adults with certain backgrounds.

2. Assign each member of your family a section of the story to read aloud. You may wish to hand out these roles ahead of time, especially if young children need to practice reading their sections. Extra time may also be necessary if a section contains multiple Hebrew words.

3. Invite children and other family members to ask questions as you read the story of Passover. Passover is meant to be a time of learning and questioning, and the Haggadah specifically directs children to ask questions, including the traditional Four Questions, which must be asked by the youngest child present.

4. Complete the steps of the seder. Everything on the night of the seder is symbolic, from the foods that you eat to the act of reclining. These symbols are meant to stimulate curiosity about the story of Passover, and they are the subjects of the Four Questions.

5. Sing and celebrate the holiday of Passover. All Haggadahs include a number of traditional Passover songs that complement and expand on the story of the Exodus, such as "Dayenu" ("That Would Have Been Enough") and "Chad Gadya" ("One Kid Goat").

Tips & Warnings

• If you wish to read a more detailed version of the Passover story, read the Book of Exodus, which is one of the five Books of Moses that make up the Torah or Old Testament.
• If you are having difficulty locating an appropriate Haggadah, check with your local synagogue. Many synagogues offer options for purchasing Haggadahs as well as recommendations from rabbis. Some bookstores will also carry Haggadahs as Passover nears.