WOMEN'S SEDER SOURCEBOOK
For the first time, contemporary Jewish women’s writings on the Passover seder are gathered in one comprehensive and compelling sourcebook—an unprecedented and powerful resource for those planning a women’s seder and those seeking to infuse their Passover celebration with the creative and courageous voices of Jewish women.
Arranged according to the order of the seder, this practical guide gathers the voices of more than one hundred women in readings, personal and creative reflections, commentaries, blessings and ritual suggestions that can be incorporated into your Passover celebration as supplements to or substitutes for traditional passages of the haggadah. It also includes a detailed guide to planning a women’s seder, based on information from successful seder organizers around the world. Whether you are organizing a women’s seder in your community or planning a family seder in your home, this inspiring and accessible resource will help you take an active role in re-creating the educational and spiritual experience of Passover—and in shaping Judaism’s future.
A group of Yale students gathered for an unprecedented event at the university: a women's Passover seder. In the years that followed, students have revised and perfected the "Yale Women's Haggadah," a special liturgy for the women's seder. Rather than simply publishing this Haggadah of commentaries and alternative texts, the group (now stretching far beyond the bounds of New Haven) decided to write this sourcebook for planning women's seders. Some of the selections come from unpublished liturgies from campus Hillel groups, individual congregations and Jewish women's organizations, but most were solicited from female rabbis, scholars and other notables such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anne Roiphe, Lynn Gottlieb and Judith Plaskow. The manual closes with a practical appendix on how to plan a women's seder.