I’m currently serving in the Young Women’s presidency and it’s been so much fun. Last year, my sweet Young Women’s president suggested we might do a Passover Seder as a combined Young Women activity. She wondered if it would be too hard to pull off.
That’s where I came in. I love these types of projects! I dove in head first! I have a very sweet neighbor family that are Jewish and I asked her if it would be respectful and appropriate to do for a youth activity at my church. She explained that you ask 5 Jewish people and you’ll get 5 different answers. She said many, herself included, felt that the Jewish community needed all the allies they could find and that teaching about their traditions, as long as it was done respectfully, was a positive thing.
My neighbor also invited me over to her Passover Seder that was a couple days away! What an honor! I was thrilled to join their family along with one other neighbor and get to participate in their tradition and learn from them as well as their two young daughters what this tradition looks and feels (and tastes!) like.
She sent me home with two children’s books with information explaining the traditions and traditional scripts. I poured into these resources, my personal experience at her home and asking questions, and several online resources as well as the scriptures and much of the symbolism that is tied to the Passover feast as it relates to the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Of course, the Jewish people do not believe that Jesus was their promised Messiah. This left me feeling that in order to truly be respectful of their traditions, it would be important to not say their blessings word for word, as they would, and instead explain what types of promises and blessings they would speak. You’ll notice this formatting throughout my script.
I was also very aware that Jesus himself partook of the Passover feast and modeled this experience to be one that would follow along the feast in the manner that he would have partook of the Passover Seder during the Holy Week.
What resulted was a very rich, engaging, and faith filled experience. There is so much beautiful symbolism in the Passover Seder and I think it is highly worth considering doing with your own family or youth groups. We plan to repeat this tradition roughly every 4 years!
LDS Passover Seder Script Sample:
| #1a Intro | Passover is the oldest religious holiday that is still celebrated today. It began over 3500 years ago when the Lord freed ancient Israel from Egyptian bondage. After they were freed, the children of Israel were commanded to celebrate this holiday to help them remember how the Lord had freed them from captivity. “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.” (Exodus 12:14). In obedience to the commandment, Jews still observe this holiday today, and many believe that the promised Messiah will come to free them on this day, just as the Lord freed their ancestors so long ago. Jesus also partook of the Passover feast as part of what we call the Last Supper. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the disciples who ate the Last supper with Christ that fateful night. On the night before passover, the people would need to remove all leaven (anything with any wheat or yeast – bread, cakes, cookies, pasta, etc) from the home. That included not just food but the dust in the air vents and in the couch cushions and corners of our homes. Leaven symbolically represents sin which is often present all around us and will grow, just like natural yeast does, aggressively if given the place to do so like a sourdough starter. We symbolic would start the feast by clearing our hearts of any sin, grudges, malice, arrogance, unforgiveness. |
| #1b Light the Candles Seder Order of events | Light both candles. The candles are lit at the start of the event. A traditional Passover Seder begins in the evening. With the Jewish calendar, a new day begins at sunset and so the Passover meal would start in the evening at the beginning of the 15th of Nissan. A prayer is said that gives thanks to God for giving us light and giving us special times to celebrate. Seder means order. Just like you have an agenda for a meeting, we have a Seder (or order) to this meal. You will find the Passover Seder in front of you and up on the board. |
| #1c Kadesh First Cup | Fill the first cup. Use just a small portion, as you will drink 4 different refills. Tonight we will drink four cups of grape juice. The four cups can represent four types of freedom. This first cup represents rejoicing for the freedom won and the first promise given – that he would bring us out of Egypt. “Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will [deliver] you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” (Exodus 6:6-7) Raise the cup as a blessing is said. A blessing would be given that gives thanks to God for the creation of the earth and for finishing the creation on the 7th day, giving the people a holy day of rest. Each time a cup is raised, God is acknowledged as the ruler of the universe who has created all things, including the fruit of the vine. This first cup also represents to us Christ’s first miracle that demonstrated his divinity. At the wedding feast in Cana, Christ created wine for the celebration, demonstrating that He was literally the “creator of the fruit of the vine.” At the last supper, Jesus did not bless this first cup in the traditional manner. Instead, he “took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: for I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.” (Luke 22:17-18) There would be no joy for the Savior until his mission on earth was completed. Until he returned a glorified, resurrected being who had conquered all things in behalf of his sin-bound brothers and sisters. All drink the first cup, the Cup of Blessing. During the time of Jesus, participants of passover leaned to the left due to the Romanized table setting. This tradition of leaning with eating symbolizes being at ease and joyful. This tradition continues even today and why a pillow or padded seat is an important part of the passover meal to this day. Everyone leans to their left, temporarily or as comfortable. |
Seder Plate Supplies:
- Plate with 6 smaller dishes, if possible.
- Parsley – A sprig plus more for serving
- Hard-boiled egg – This will be served in salt water. Plan for 1 boiled egg per 2-4 people, depending on your group size. This can be cut and shared with those at the same table.
- Bowl of salt water at each table – Simply mix 1 tablespoon of salt into 1 cup of water.
- Charoset – You’ll need to make this recipe ahead of time. You can find many charoset recipes online.
- Roasted Bone – This is traditionally a lamb bone, but you can use a chicken bone such
as a drumstick from a rotisserie. You’re looking for just the bone to be on the plate. - Horseradish – This can stay in its original container if you purchase this as a condiment which is easier for serving. You can use this item from the seder plate.
- Lettuce
- 1 box of Matzah, make sure it is labeled Kosher
Additional Supplies:
- Plate, napkin, cup, utensils, and a water bottle for each place setting
- 2 Candles (battery operated if inside a church building)
- Fancy cup for Elijah, this should have grape juice in it but it will not be consumed
- Grape Juice and/or water
- Water basin and a towel, 2 sets if you have a larger group. This is for dipping fingers to wash hands.
- 5 Towels or a couple large white flour sack towels that can be folded in half. You will need a towel between each layer for the Matzah and a separate towel or cloth bag to hold the piece that is broken and then hidden.
LDS Passover Seder Printables
You’ll find the complete 7-page script that is broken down into parts that can be assigned to leaders and youth to participate in each of the different steps of this LDS Passover Seder.
It includes a 2-page informational help sheet to help you prepare ahead of the activity as well as a 1-page assignments checklist to break up the preparation amongst the leaders, adults, children or youth participating. As leaders, we took over much of the prep for this particular activity.
This LDS Passover Seder is available in my online shop on my Singing Time ideas blog PrimarySinging.com as well as on Etsy shop here (seasonally).
> LDS Passover Seder Script <
I can’t wait to hear how this LDS Passover Seder activity went for your group!