A Ritual for Welcoming Your Ancestors to Your Seder

Elliott batTzedek

Leader:

Draw to your mind your ancestors—genetic or spiritual. Imagine them in the different places they lived, the lands and seas they traveled, by choice and for their lives, in freedom and enslaved.
Imagine them holding what was precious to them, imagine this gift coming down through the generations to you. Imagine the places they were broken and take a moment to feel the bodies of your ancestors, their stitches and their scars.Thank them for the parts of your heritage you love and forgive them for the pain.

 

Now visualize yourself as the ancestor of the generations to come. Accept their gratitude for what you can do, and their forgiveness for what you cannot.

All:  We invite into the room the spirits of our ancestors. We honor you and we forgive you. Thank you for bringing us to the moment. May our lives contribute to the healing of all of our peoples, to our beloved planet, and to all of the worlds.

All:

נִזְכֹּר אֶת מָסֹרֶת הַדּוֹרוֹת
וְנִשְזֹר בָּה אֶת שָרִיגֵי חַיֵּינוּ

Nizkor et masoret hadorot v’nishzor bah et sarigey hayeynu
Recalling the generations, we weave our lives into the tradition

(Marcia Falk, The Book of Blessings)