Food & Justice Passover Seder

Food & Justice Passover Seder April 4, 2012 This Food & Justice Hagaddah is a publication of

Welcome to the food & justice seder Each year for millennia, Jews around the world have gathered with their families, friends, and neighbors around the Passover table. In this ancient tradition, our core values and story as a people are conveyed through food. The bitter herbs of the seder symbolize the bitterness of slavery. Unleavened bread symbolizes the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt. Integrating learning and eating, the ancient sages understood that food, history, values and culture are inextricably linked. The traditional Passover Seder describes matza as both the bread of freedom and the bread of affliction. The small, flat bread symbolizes the simple bread of the poor, while it also reminds us of deliverance from slavery. When we eat the matza during the Passover Seder, our unspoken assumption is that our discomfort will be limited; during the rest of year, we will enjoy our freedom and not subject ourselves to the bread of affliction. Tonight is an opportunity to recommit ourselves to ensuring that the food we produce, buy, and eat truly is the bread of freedom. We do this by renewing our commitments to ensuring that: No one goes hungry in this land of plenty and everyone has access to healthy and affordable food; Our food is grown in ways that are environmentally sustainable; and All food production workers, from farmers to processors, drivers, and grocery and restaurant workers have safe workplaces and fair wages. Bend the Arc is proud to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to convene this Seder. Happy Passover Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block Rabbi-in-Residence, Bend the Arc 2 food & justice passover seder

Seder schedule Welcome Max Finberg, Director, USDA Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture Alan van Capelle, CEO, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice Leading the Seder Rabbi Sydney Mintz and Rabbi Jack Moline First Cup The bread of poverty. Hunger and food security 1 st blessing led by MAZON and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs Second Cup We were slaves. Workers rights in the food industry 2 nd blessing led by Rabbis for Human Rights North America PAUSE FOR DINNER Third Cup Our cups are not full. 10 plagues for today 3 rd blessing led by Magen Tzedek Fourth Cup L Shana HaBa: Next year Building a better justice community 4 th blessing led by Alan van Capelle, Bend the Arc

First Cup: Hunger and Food Insecurity We will begin our seder by connecting the hunger that ancient Israelites experienced in Egypt to the modern-day experience of hunger and food insecurity. We uncover the matza and lift it up as we sing aloud. ה א ל ח מ א ע נ י א poverty: This is the bread of ה א ל ח מ א ע נ י א ד י א כ לו א ב ה ת נ א ב א ר ע א ד מ צ ר י ם. כ ל ד כ פ ין י ית י ו י כו ל, כ ל ד צ ר יך י ית י ו י פ ס ח. ה ש ת א ה כ א, ל ש נ ה ה ב א ה ב א ר ע א ד י ש ר א ל. ה ש ת א ע ב ד י, ל ש נ ה ה ב א ה ב נ י חו ר ין: Ha lachma anya di achalu avhatana b ara d mitzrayim. Kol dichfin yeitei v yeichol, kol ditzrich yeitei v yifsach. Hashata hacha, l shanah habaah b ara d yisraeil. Hashata avdei, l shanah habaah b nei chorin. This is the bread of poverty and persecution that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need come and share the Pesach meal. This year we are still here; next year in the land of Israel. This year we are still slaves; next year, free people. Translation courtesy of Mishael Zion and Noam Zion in their Hagaddah: A Night to Remember. 4 food & justice passover seder

Breaking the middle matza During the seder, we break the matza and eat the smaller portion, saving the larger portion for later. This act can remind us that hunger is experienced not only by those impoverished worldwide, but also by those close and familiar to us. Those who wish will perform ritual hand washing. The middle matza is broken and the smaller portion is eaten. ב רו ך א ת ה י י א ל ה ינו מ ל ך ה עו ל ם ה מ ו צ יא ל ח ם מ ן ה א ר ץ Baruch atah Adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam, hamotzie lechem miyn ha-aretz. Blessed are You, God, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who brings forth bread from the ground. Poor Man s Bread: Hunger in America Almost 49 million Americans including 16 million children are food insecure. That means nearly one out of every six men, women, and children in our country struggles to put enough food on the table at some point during the year. Food insecurity exists in every county in America. At the same time, 23.5 million Americans live in low-income areas that are more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store. We eat this matza and say Ha Lachma Anya this is the bread of affliction, baked on the backs of the Israelites as they fled from Egyptian slavery. But matza is not only the bread of affliction, it is also the bread of freedom, which our ancestors ate as they crossed the sea to a new life. Matza reminds us that, one day, we will overcome oppression once and for all.

We then say, Let all who are hungry come and eat, but how can we accommodate such an invitation? We cannot invite 48 million men, women and children to join us at our table. But this does not mean we are without recourse. Tonight, let us give modern meaning to these ancient words by taking action to free people from the bondage of hunger. Let us commit to ensuring that each and every one of us has access to the nutritious food we need to lead a healthy life. One day, a group of friends gathered for a picnic by a river near their village. As they shared food and conversation, one of them noticed a baby in the river, struggling and crying as she floated downstream. Quickly, they rushed to save her from drowning. But no sooner had they done so, than two more babies came floating down the river. And even more after that! The friends quickly decided to rally more villagers to assist in their rescue activities. They organized volunteers to take turns watching over the water to rescue the babies. Volunteers recruited their friends to help too, and soon the entire village was helping rescue babies from the river. In the middle of the ongoing operations, one villager jumped out of the river and began running upstream. Where are you going? shouted the other rescuers. We need you here to help us save these babies! As she ran she replied, I m going upstream to stop whoever is throwing them in! 6 food & justice passover seder

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) In 2012, Congress has the opportunity to reauthorize the Farm Bill, which authorizes funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP, the nation s most important and effective anti-hunger program, helped more than 46 million Americans put food on the table in 2011 (an increase of about 70 percent since 2007). Forty-seven percent of recipients are children, eight percent are senior citizens, and 92 percent do not receive cash welfare. Ending hunger in America requires a substantive commitment and partnership between government at all levels, the private sector, the faith community, and civil society. MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs are working together this Passover to raise the collective voice of a unified American Jewish community in support of appropriate funding for SNAP. Together we are a powerful force for change. Ask Yourself 1. Does the text of the Passover hagaddah compel you to work to reduce hunger? 2. How do you relate to the dual meanings of matza, the bread of affliction and the bread of freedom? 3. What actions can we take now that will help us create the long-term, long-lasting changes required to eliminate hunger once and for all? First Blessing ב רו ך א ת ה י י, א ל ה ינו מ ל ך ה עו ל ם, בו ר א פ ר י ה ג פ ן Baruch atah Adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p ri hagafen. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Second Cup: The work behind our food The second portion of our seder will focus on the experience of workers who grow, harvest, process, deliver, and serve our food. Conditions for farm and food workers today are evocative of the ancient experience of slavery that we are obligated to retell on Passover year after year. The act of recounting that story generation after generation and tasting the bitterness of maror allows us a glimpse into the experience of modern slavery. This year, we also highlight those victories and changes for the better for which food workers have struggled. We sing together. ע ב ד ים ה י ינו slaves: We were ע ב ד ים ה י ינו ל פ ר ע ה ב מ צ ר י ם, ו י ו צ יא נו י י א ל ה ינו מ ש ם ב י ד ח ז ק ה ו ב ז רו ע נ טו י ה Avadim ha-yinu l Pharaoh b Mitzrayim, v yotziaynu Adonai Elohainu m sham b yad hazakha u vzroah ntuya. We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and Adonai freed us from Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Translation courtesy of Mishael Zion and Noam Zion in their Hagaddah: A Night to Remember. 8 food & justice passover seder

Maror: Bitter Herbs We eat maror, the bitter herb, during our seder as a reminder of the bitter and harsh conditions that the Israelites toiled within in Egypt. We eat maror tonight and focus on the experience of workers in our time. ב רו ך א ת ה י י א ל ה ינו מ ל ך ה עו ל ם, בו ר א פ ר י ה א ד מ ה Baruch atah Adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p ri hadamah. Blessed are You, God, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth. The Bitter Truth: Modern Day Slavery The Coalition of Immokalee Workers fight slavery and labor abuses in the tomato fields. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is an organization led by tomato pickers and other low-wage agricultural workers fighting to end slavery, trafficking, and other unjust and unsafe working conditions. Tomato pickers often lack minimum wage protections, experience sexual harassment and assault, and handle dangerous pesticides that can cause birth defects and cancer. In the worst cases, workers are enslaved that is, they are held against their will without being paid. Sometimes, these workers are chained and locked up overnight. Other times, the employer prevents them from leaving by holding onto their passports and visas. CIW has persuaded ten major retailers including most of the large fast food companies to sign a Fair Food Agreement by which the companies agree to buy tomatoes only from wholesalers that have a zero tolerance policy for slavery and sexual harassment, offer minimum wage protections and pay workers a penny more a pound for tomatoes, and provide safety training and equipment.

Three years ago, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack applauded efforts to assist Florida tomato workers: I d like to extend my congratulations to the Compass Group and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers on the signing of an agreement today to improve conditions for tomato harvesters in south Florida. I commend the Compass Group and Coalition of Immokalee Workers for taking meaningful steps to ensure that these workers are paid a decent wage and are treated fairly. This agreement not only represents an important step forward for tomato workers in Florida, it is an expression of the essential value of farm workers to our agricultural sector as a whole. Rabbis for Human Rights-North America: Next Year We Will Be Free We sit at our seder table each year and give thanks for our freedom. The memory of slavery compels us to work to ensure that no one else in the world suffers from this violation of human rights. Rabbis for Human Rights-North America has therefore dedicated itself to fighting human trafficking and slavery in the United States, in part by supporting the efforts of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Since September 2011 we have brought 25 rabbis to meet with tomato pickers. These rabbis have invited the workers to speak to their congregations, given sermons about the conditions of migrant workers, brought congregants to local grocery stores to support the Fair Food Agreement, and traveled to the California headquarters of Trader Joe s to ask the company to sign the agreement. In February 2012, in part as a result of rabbinic pressure, Trader Joe s signed. Now, we are asking other grocery chains to do the same. This Passover several congregations led by rabbis who have traveled to Immokalee, Florida, will hold a migrant worker justice seder. In October 2012 another delegation of rabbis will travel to Immokalee. And we continue to visit, call, and write to our local grocery stores to ask them to guarantee slave-free tomatoes. 10 food & justice passover seder

A Tomato on the Seder Plate We place a tomato on the seder plate in honor of the Immokalee workers and migrant farm workers everywhere who have demonstrated extraordinary courage and persistence in securing a better life for agricultural workers. Moses Maimonides ruled, One may not buy stolen goods from a thief; to do so is a great transgression because it strengthens the hands of those who violate the law and causes the thief to continue to steal, for if the thief would find no buyer he would not steal. (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Theft 5:1) Ask Yourself 1. Does buying tomatoes picked by slaves or underpaid workers constitute receiving stolen goods? 2. To what extent should consumers be held responsible for the conditions under which our goods are produced? 3. What is the relative responsibility of consumers and producers to guarantee that the goods we buy are produced ethically? Second Blessing ב רו ך א ת ה י י, א ל ה ינו מ ל ך ה עו ל ם, בו ר א פ ר י ה ג פ ן Baruch atah Adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p ri hagafen. Blessed are You, God, our God, ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Third Cup: Our cups are not full 10 issues Our third cup lifts up a variety of issues that affect our communities today. We honor those raising awareness, advocating, providing services, directing policy, and supporting the elimination of these modern day plagues. Unfilling Our Glasses We recount the 10 plagues visited upon the Egyptians and as we name each one we remove a bit of wine from our glasses. We cannot experience complete happiness, represented by a full glass of wine, when we are aware of the suffering of others. This evening, 10 individuals will be asked to say a few words about the plague they are working to eliminate. By removing wine from our glasses after each presenter, we actively display empathy for those suffering today. The ten plagues.דם. צפרדע. כנים. ערוב. דבר. שחין. ברד. ארבה. חשך.מכת בכורות Blood. Frogs. Lice. Flies. Disease. Boils. Hail. Locusts. Darkness. Death of the firstborn. Third Blessing ב רו ך א ת ה י י, א ל ה ינו מ ל ך ה עו ל ם, בו ר א פ ר י ה ג פ ן Baruch atah Adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p ri hagafen. Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. 12 food & justice passover seder

Carpas: Green Vegetable We are brought together by a shared vision of a more equitable and sustainable society. We recite the blessing for a green vegetable aloud and then dip the vegetable into salt water before eating. ב רו ך א ת ה י י א ל ה ינו מ ל ך ה עו ל ם, בו ר א פ ר י ה א ד מ ה Baruch atah Adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p ri hadamah. Blessed are You, God, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.

Fourth Cup: Next year As we begin the fourth and final portion of our seder, we begin to think about the coming year. Traditionally, the seder ends with the hope that next year we will celebrate together in Jerusalem. The hagaddah text also urges us to think of ourselves as experiencing and embodying liberation at the seder. As we envision the coming year, we commit to efforts that bring us closer to the world as it should be. ב כ ל ד ו ר ו דו ר ח י ב א ד ם ל ר או ת א ת ע צ מו כ א ל ו הו א י צ א מ מ צ ר י ם B chol dor v dor chayav adam l rot et atzmoh k ilu hu yatzah m Mitzrayim Every generation is required to consider itself as having left Egypt. Forth Blessing ב רו ך א ת ה י י, א ל ה ינו מ ל ך ה עו ל ם, בו ר א פ ר י ה ג פ ן Baruch atah Adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p ri hagafen. Blessed are You, God, our God, ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. 14 food & justice passover seder

The following organizations provided materials and content for this publication Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice is helping to build a national movement that pursues justice as a core expression of Judaism. We invest to revitalize neighborhoods, train leaders and organize across lines of race and faith to increase economic opportunity and secure basic rights. United States Department of Agriculture provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management. Rabbis for Human Rights North America is an organization of rabbis from all streams of Judaism that acts on the Jewish imperative to respect and protect the human rights of all people. Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and alleviating hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs serves as the representative voice of the organized American Jewish community in promoting a just American society, one that is democratic and pluralistic, one that furthers harmonious interreligious, interethnic, interracial and other intergroup relations. Thanks to the following organizations and individuals for their work in making this night possible: Abby Bellows Deborah Ben-David Rachel Berger Jarrod Bernstein Stosh Cotler Julie Curti Max Finberg Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block The Jewish Council on Public Affairs Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger Rabbi Sydney Mintz Rabbi Jack Moline Rabbis for Human Rights North America Regina Weiss Translations courtesy of Mishael Zion and Noam Zion in their Hagaddah: A Night to Remember.