Seder in Motion: A Haggadah to Move Body and Soul

by Leora and Ron Isaacs

A moving Passover experience using body and mind.

This family-friendly traditional Haggadah engages all five senses and weaves in activities to promote a full-body connection to the Passover story and rituals, all in 48 clear, concise, yet beautiful pages.

Mindfulness Moments throughout the haggadah encourage participants to pause and take in the full experience, from the taste, aroma, and feel of the wine in our mouths, to using a mirror to help visualize oneself as a slave in ancient Egypt. 

This first-of-its-kind Haggadah can be used with model seders and intergenerational groups in a community celebration and at home, and includes tips and techniques for engaging those who may be attending remotely, including specific "Connection" opportunites through the haggadah. Gender-neutral language is used throughout, and the directions accommodate participants of all physical abilities.

Participation is further engouraged by the use of translation and transliteration of the Hebrew prayers, blessings, and songs, including Dayeinu, Echad Mi Yodea (Who Knows One), and Chad Gadya (One Little Goat). 

Clear directions for putting together a seder plate include options such as making vegan/vegetarian substitutions, and including an orange to symbolize how fruitful it is to include those marginalized in our society.

Throughout the haggadah, motion icons encourage participants to experience the elements of the seder as physical manifestations as well as intellectual ideals.

Sidebar notes explain practices such as why we lean left while eating or drinking during the seder, why Maimonides instructed parents to allow mischievous behavior like snatching the matzah during the seder, and non-Ashkenazic Passover practices like the Moroccan practice of passing the matzah over the head of the participants.

The Four Children are expresed as people with different learning styles, each of which benefits from a parituclar kind of response, including the advice to remind a defiant child that they will share in the joy of freedom if they include themselves in the celebration.

The Plagues are included, and offered in Hebrew, translation, and transliteration, along with the practice of dipping out a drop of wine with a finger or a spoon as each plague is recited to recall that the plagues caused ancient Egyyptians to suffer, and so lessens our joy.

The clean, uncluttered presentation and colorful layout of the steps of the seder help participants find and keep their places effortlessly.

• Published February 1, 2021
• Approximately 9.3" x 0.3" x 7.3", 64 pages
• Paperback