Passover Traditions and the Evolution of the Ukrainian Jewish Identity

A Jewish worshiper wrapped with the Ukrainian flag and Talit prayer shawl prays as religious Jews of the Cohanim Priestly caste take part in the bi-annual mass "Birkat Kohanim" or "Priestly Blessing" on the holiday of Pesach (Passover) at the Kotel in Jerusalem, Israel. As we gather around this table tonight – people of different faiths, backgrounds, and journeys – we come together in the spirit of unity and understanding. We are bound by our shared humanity and our desire to celebrate liberation, renewal, and hope.

The Symbolism of the Seder Plate

The entire story of the Haggadah is contained in the Seder plate; everything on it symbolizes an aspect of Exodus. Each symbol holds a story true of freedom's journey, old and new. To understand these traditions better, we can look at the specific elements used during the ritual:

Item	Symbolic Meaning
Zeroa	A roasted bone, beet or “Pashcal yam”. Evokes the offering made at the Temple in ancient times.
Beitza	A boiled egg, symbolizes the circle of life and death.
Maror	A bitter herb, reminds us of the bitterness of enslavement.
Charoset	A mixture of fruit, nuts, wine and spices, represents the mortar our ancestors used to build the structures of Mitzrayim.
Karpas	A green vegetable, symbolizes hope and renewal.
Chazeret	The bitter herb for the “sandwich” we eat later, as a reminder that our ancestors “ate matzah and bitter herbs together”.

As the symbols on our Seder plate speak to each of us in our own way, we remember that "Seder" means order, a path we'll trace through this evening's gathering. Questions are not only welcome during the course of the evening but are vital to tonight’s journey. There really is no such thing as a stupid question, especially tonight.

For Our Freedom: The First Ukrainian Haggadah

The first Passover Haggadah in Ukrainian marks a community’s break with Russia. This holiday text undergoes complex translation as Ukraine’s Jews continue to forge a separate identity, a process hastened by Russia’s invasion. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year prompted many Russian-speaking Ukrainians to switch languages as a marker of national solidarity — and sparked a push to translate Ukraine’s Jewish life into the Ukrainian language.

Michal Stamova, a musicologist from western Ukraine who fled to Israel shortly after Russia’s invasion, was recruited to create a Ukrainian-language Haggadah, a powerful sign of the community’s rupture with its Russophone past. Her text, titled “For Our Freedom,” was released online in advance of the Passover holiday. Stamova knew she wanted to base her translation not on the preexisting Russian translation, but on the original Hebrew and Aramaic. This reflects a shift where Ukrainian Jews who are in the country are shifting as fast as they can over to Ukrainian.

Historical Devotions and Prayers

In the 19th century, Marcus Heinrich Bresslau published "Prayer for the First Days of Passover (פסח)". He wrote: "To Him who is enthroned on high, whom heaven and earth exalt, our songs of praise shall resound on this day, on which the All merciful has, as suddenly as lightning, loosened the heavy and oppressive bonds of slavery in which our fathers had languished for centuries."

Thankfully do their descendants yet eat the bread of affliction, which reminds them of that momentous event; with songs of joy, praise, and thanksgiving they now eat the bitter herbs which call back to their recollection those gloomy times. Blessed is the gathering that draws on our rich history to bring diverse hearts together. As we recall the ancient story of liberation, may we find inspiration for the work of freedom that continues in our world today.