How can I make an engaging seder?

Double AA asked:I'm going to be at a seder this year with other adults who are all relatively familiar with the text and structure of the haggadah. Most have heard many of the classic divrei torah many times. I'm looking for a way to "spice up" the seder.

Has anyone been to a seder with similar company and found it to be a new and invigorating educational experience? What techniques did they use? Longer divrei torah? Shorter divrei torah? Themed divrei torah? What about pausing the haggadah in the middle and switching texts to: Chumash? Talmud Pesachim? Shulchan Aruch? In what other unique ways can I "cause us to view ourselves as if we ourselves had left Egypt" and get involved in the seder?

Monica Cellio asked:I sometimes find myself at a seder where most of the people are not interested in the religious content -- the seder to them is a family reuinion with traditional elements. All of the attendees are teens or adults.

I have already (mostly) found ways to fulfill my own halachic obligations in such a setting. What, if anything, can I do to liven up this kind of seder and pique others' interest? Should I bring midrashim that aren't in the haggadah (maybe people like stories)? Should I ask questions (that I'm prepared to then answer if needed) about the haggadah? Can I somehow make the theme of redemption more personal, in a way they could relate to? (How?)

Double AA asked:And what about the beginners? I'm going to be at a seder this year with young children who are familiar with the basic structure of the haggadah. Some will likely have some of the classic divrei torah prepared for them to say. I'm looking for a way to "spice up" the seder.

Has anyone been to a seder with similar company and found it to be a unique and effective educational experience? What techniques did they use? Quick interesting divrei torah? Themed divrei torah? Skits? Games? What about pausing the haggadah in the middle and switching texts to: Chumash? A picture book about korban pesach? In what other unique ways can I "cause the children to ask questions" and involve them in the seder?

Eytan Yammer said:It seems like you wanted some practical tips. I have run many successful sedarim with differently engaged Jews. There are a couple of things that I do to engage people who may not be initially interested in sharing their thoughts.

1. Go around the table and have everyone finish a sentence "slavery is..." "freedom is..."

2. Do some prep work and print out a different quote for each person at the table. It can be from literature, torah, art, whatever. Last year I chose several about the value of stories telling stories. At the beginning of the seder I give each person a few minutes to read the passage and then ask them to speak up if it applies or if they find it relevant to the discussion taking place later in the seder.

3. when you prepare think of questions more than answers. If you ask people and really listen to their answers they are much more likely to engage than if you tell them divrei torah.
4. It may also be worthwhile to email the attendees a short essay/dvar torah/food-for-thought questions a week or so before the sedarim so that they come to the seder more prepared.
5. There are some people who will connect more through art than through reading and words. Before Yom Tov print out several depictions of the four sons or the splitting of the sea and pass them around the table. People who are artistic will love that you are reaching out to them where they are as opposed to presuming that they must come to you.

The more prepared you are the better you will be able to direct the conversation without taking it over.

jake said:A few ideas:

• Get into "round-table" discussions related to the Exodus somehow, in which everyone is encouraged to voice their opinions on the subject at hand. For example, citing the midrash about how the redemption was deserved by the Jews for not changing their "Jewish" attire and names can incite a socio-historical discussion about the role of assimilation in Jewish history. The ten plagues can incite a philosophical discussion about Pharaoh's free will. The passage about God directly redeeming the Jews (not by angel or messenger) can incite a theological discussion about God's providential role in general. There are so many topics one can relate to the haggada, and sometimes you'd be surprised at who has strong opinions about certain subjects.
• A lot of singing. People who attend the seder for ritualistic purposes often want to hear the "classic traditional" songs (i.e."Ha lachma anya", "Mah Nishtana", "Avadim Hayinu", "Dayenu"etc.) Find someone with a voice who knows the tunes and have him/her lead the singing.
• For those who get bored in the middle, have the table sprinkled with stuff to do, like those kind of trinket-puzzles that can take time to solve, or little toys that are fun to play with. (You'd be surprised how much stuff you can find that can be indirectly "passover-related", e.g. pyramid puzzles, hopping frogs, wind-up locusts, etc.) This usually works to occupy kids and even bored adults.

Andrewmh20 said:As a person who has had numerous seders with young children I would highly recommend they be given the opportunity to act out the yeztiah story if they are so inclined; perhaps during Shulchan Orech.

Also, maybe for the 10 plagues you can use different manipulatives to show each of them (or act them out).

If a child has a D'var Torah they learned in school, let them say it and be excited to share with everyone else, and have everyone else appear excited to hear from them.

Really though, I think the skits work best to make the seder "more interesting" and to involve everyone.

Seth J said:If everyone is respectful and well behaved, I wouldn't be too surprised if they'll go along with the "let's all take turns reading" approach. They might not get through the entire thing, and you may find yourself reading the rest on your own during dinner, but give it a shot and see how far you can get with them. A lot of times people, after going through the Haggadah for the first time (or first time in a long time) look back at it and say, "Wow, that was actually a lot more interesting than I expected/remembered".

That, and good wine.

Madeleine said:Make it clear from the start if there is anything, anyone wants to know, he should jump in and ask. Arrange some sort of signal ahead of time to recognize an interruption in the reading, so that they can easily ask their question in a timely manner. It could be a something like snapping of the fingers, a clap, whatever, to just attract attention of whoever is reading. The answer(s) generated should keep people interested, laughing, and more comfortable to ask additional questions.

Original questions:
Advanced Seder Advice (http://mi.yodeya.com/q/15277)
Seder advice when with people who aren't interested? (http://mi.yodeya.com/q/15285)
Beginners' Seder Advice (http://mi.yodeya.com/q/15278)

Contributors:
Andrewmh20 (http://mi.yodeya.com/u/2246)
Double AA (http://mi.yodeya.com/u/759)
Eytan Yammer (http://mi.yodeya.com/u/1351)
jake (http://mi.yodeya.com/u/489)
Madeleine (http://mi.yodeya.com/u/819)
Monica Cellio (http://mi.yodeya.com/u/472)
Seth J (http://mi.yodeya.com/u/5)

By Sarah Spencer

Passover is a time for people to gather around tables, share stories food and rituals. It can be joyous and exciting. But like with any communal setting, is can also be complicated to navigate the different needs and agendas people bring to the table. Still, if we follow Jewish tradition, we will find Passover can be a model for how to create positive diverse communal connections. Its rituals and structures teach us to talk across differences and celebrate commonalities.

Passover is about story telling. And good communication is based on the ability to tell our own stories. Before we gather to celebrate our common identity, we must each own our personal story. Judaism has an oral history, and we have survived by telling those stories and passing them down through the generations. Passover brings us together to celebrate a universal experience of slavery to freedom, a concept everyone can relate to in some way or another. This is the theme around which the story telling takes place on this particular evening. Having a common theme around which to tell stories, a theme with which people from different places or times can identify which, is one of the ways in which people can connect across differences.

Passover encourages us to invite strangers into our home so that we remember that we too were once strangers in own land. We are supposed to open the door and include the strange, the unfamiliar into our familiar Passover ceremony. We can only build strong community when we view the prospect of engaging others as a positive opportunity. Recognize that perhaps some of the people at our table may feel like strangers or that people already sitting at your table may be a stranger to your personal Passover story. We welcome others into our experience and learn about ourselves when we share our stories and hear other people’s experiences and perspectives.    

Passover is all about asking questions; so is bridging differences. Ask questions of the people whom share Seder. Diversity is not about trying to understand somebody else’s experience as your own or listening politely while they speak. It is about engaging and learning so that you both might learn from your curiosity about their life. Sometimes it is difficult to ask questions about that which makes us different. Asking questions in a well structured and thought out way can help us navigate what can feel like difficult and unfamiliar territory.

There are many ways to ask questions: like the four children, we can be intentional about how we engage with one another, and need to recognize and celebrate that we all have different levels of skill and capacity when it comes to asking— some are wise, some wicked, some ignorant, and some don’t even know how to ask. Regardless of how we may ask or be asked, it is our engagement with one another that will ensure we continue to grow as individuals and as a people.

The traditional Seder is supposed to be a raucous affair, with food, song, ritual and debate. This historic framework provides a wonderful space for all of us to engage across differences.

By Sarah Spencer

Passover is a time for people to gather around tables, share stories food and rituals. It can be joyous and exciting. But like with any communal setting, is can also be complicated to navigate the different needs and agendas people bring to the table. Still, if we follow Jewish tradition, we will find Passover can be a model for how to create positive diverse communal connections. Its rituals and structures teach us to talk across differences and celebrate commonalities.

Passover is about story telling. And good communication is based on the ability to tell our own stories. Before we gather to celebrate our common identity, we must each own our personal story. Judaism has an oral history, and we have survived by telling those stories and passing them down through the generations. Passover brings us together to celebrate a universal experience of slavery to freedom, a concept everyone can relate to in some way or another. This is the theme around which the story telling takes place on this particular evening. Having a common theme around which to tell stories, a theme with which people from different places or times can identify which, is one of the ways in which people can connect across differences.

Passover encourages us to invite strangers into our home so that we remember that we too were once strangers in own land. We are supposed to open the door and include the strange, the unfamiliar into our familiar Passover ceremony. We can only build strong community when we view the prospect of engaging others as a positive opportunity. Recognize that perhaps some of the people at our table may feel like strangers or that people already sitting at your table may be a stranger to your personal Passover story. We welcome others into our experience and learn about ourselves when we share our stories and hear other people’s experiences and perspectives.    

Passover is all about asking questions; so is bridging differences. Ask questions of the people whom share Seder. Diversity is not about trying to understand somebody else’s experience as your own or listening politely while they speak. It is about engaging and learning so that you both might learn from your curiosity about their life. Sometimes it is difficult to ask questions about that which makes us different. Asking questions in a well structured and thought out way can help us navigate what can feel like difficult and unfamiliar territory.

There are many ways to ask questions: like the four children, we can be intentional about how we engage with one another, and need to recognize and celebrate that we all have different levels of skill and capacity when it comes to asking— some are wise, some wicked, some ignorant, and some don’t even know how to ask. Regardless of how we may ask or be asked, it is our engagement with one another that will ensure we continue to grow as individuals and as a people.

The traditional Seder is supposed to be a raucous affair, with food, song, ritual and debate. This historic framework provides a wonderful space for all of us to engage across differences.

By Noam Zion

In a culture of questions like that of the Rabbis, they wish to understand the purpose and the reason for each commandment and every social institution and to exercise free choice between options. This type of education is critical by nature and it generates not only the aspiration to political freedom, but also spiritual and intellectual freedom.

That is why the Rabbis took the image of the first Jew, who obeyed unquestioningly the divine commandment of lech lecha - “Go out of your land” - and accorded the spiritual hero the content appropriate to their world.

The Rabbis, like Philo the first century Jewish philosopher, attribute to Abraham a search for truth that involved challenging the accepted beliefs of his idolatrous society. (See the midrash about Abraham the iconoclast in the Haggadah itself.)

It is noteworthy that the Rabbis, and following in their footsteps, Maimonides, painted a portrait of Abraham as a doubter, someone who questions society’s conventions and is searching for a philosophical truth. He also tries to free others from their intellectual bondage by creating a situation that forces them to pose questions, as Hillel did with the proselyte and as the Rabbis demanded that each parent do on Seder night with one’s own child.

Here, the Rabbis painted a portrait of Abraham based on the Biblical nucleus of the story of Sodom, in which God encourages Abraham to ask tough intellectual and moral questions, challenging the supreme authority - God.

Willing participation

“Shall not the judge of all the land be just?” - This rhetorical question seems defiant toward God, and yet God invited this defiance by involving Abraham in the debate concerning the fate of Sodom. Why? Why did God not fear rebellion? Why did God agree to enter in the extended negotiations that involved making concessions to the product of God’s own creation, Abraham?

The answer, in my opinion, lies in a radical educational approach - God’s desire to teach humans to willingly participate in God’s plan, out of rational understanding and recognition of the intrinsic justice of God’s Torah.

The Rabbis also took this direction and constructed an educational method based on the idea of the mentor, the apprentice. In this relationship, there are no questions that may not be asked, no doubt that may not be raised - as long as the true motive for the question is a genuine desire to learn.

Raising doubts, continuing tradition

The child and spiritual heir, who raised doubts and discovered the inner logic of the Seder, who queried and contributed to its ongoing design in a process of questions and answers, will continue the tradition most faithfully.

A genuine question is not a rebellion against authority, but rather authentic curiosity that enables the tradition to be passed on. It is not easy for authoritarian figures who are already convinced of the rationality of their world and of the unreason of other ways, to listen to criticism from the younger generation.

It is vital that the parent-teachers learn at the very least how to open themselves, their teachings and the existing social order to the new questions. If the parent and teacher discover they have innocent pupils before them who do not know how to ask, they must open up to them and open them up to the asking of incisive questions.

Democratic society can learn a great deal from the openness of our Rabbis to the culture of kushiyot - questions. A kushiya is not merely an educational tool to arouse the interest of students in the “material” of Passover, but rather an educational “form” that educates teacher and pupil, parent and child to the dialogue of freedom.

Being able to track down food sources is a pretty critical pastime of nearly every moving animal on the planet. Most vultures rely on eyesight to identify thier next meal, however, a handful of species actually use scent as well (Greater and Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures, and possibly King Vultures). This is a feat which requires a really powerful sense of smell, which is pretty unusual among birds. The reliance on smell was "proven" (i.e. heavily supportedf by evidence explained) by a study that showed these vultures had absolutely massive olfactory bulbs. According to US Fish and WIldlife Service, a Turkey vulture can use smell to track a food source up to 5 miles away.

Sources:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/do-vultures-find-dead-animals-by-smell-or-by-tracking-predators-or-scavengers-on-the-ground/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/turkey-vultures-have-keen-sense-smell-and-now-we-know-why-180967599/

https://www.facebook.com/USFWS/photos/turkey-vultures-have-an-extraordinary-sense-of-smell-helping-them-to-find-their-/10159064618330775/