Four cups
The Passover seder includes four cups of wine, one for each of God’s promises/expressions of Redemption: “I will take you out;” “I will save you;” “I will redeem you;” and “I will take you as a nation” (Exodus 6:6-7).
Haggadah
Literally, “telling.” This is the Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover seder. Plural: Haggadot.
Magid
“Telling.” The section of the Pesach (Passover) Haggadah designed to tell the Passover story.
Miriam's cup or cup of Miriam
A contemporary item added by some to the Pesach (Passover) seder. Often placed next to Elijah’s cup, Miriam’s cup highlights the role of Miriam and women in the Exodus story.
Salt water
During the Pesach (Passover) seder, karpas (greens) dipped in salt water is eaten as a reminder of both the hope of rebirth and the tears the Israelites cried during their enslavement.
What I Learned from My “Lost Passover”
Two years ago, for the first time ever, I didn’t attend a seder. A virulent infection was poisoning my body and I was fighting for my life.
Remembering Dr. King, Our Modern-Day Moses
As we mark 50 years since Dr. King was assassinated, and in thinking about his connection with Moses, I’m drawn to Dr. King’s “I’ve Been To the Mountaintop.”
How Sandy Koufax Became My Hero
The start of baseball season reminds me that as a young boy in Southern California in 1965, I thought only one thing when I heard the word “hero”: Sandy Koufax.