By Fayra Teeters

The following is the “script” from the 2026 Passover / Easter / Spring Equinox Celebration taking place at the Portland Subud House on Saturday, April 4th

Host: Welcome to our Spring Celebration of Rebirth and Resurrection, a blending of the Jewish Passover Seder, the Christian celebration of Good Friday April 3 and Easter April 5th, Pagan Spring Equinox on March 20th, and Ramadan observed this year from February 18-March 20th. These ceremonies focus on our yearly rebirth from the throes of Winter’s cold and darkness into the growth of plant-life, increase of daylight hours and warmth, with the coming of Spring.

Pagan: (lights candle) With this fire, I call upon Nature’s power for renewal and rebirth. Let Spring be reborn from Winter. So, mote it be!

Jewish Sabbath Prayer:  Baruch Atah Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha-olam, adsher kid-ishunu v’mitzvatov, vitsivunu la’hadlich, ner shel Shabbot. Blessed art Thou, Eternal our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us through Thy commandments and instructed us to kindle the holiday candles.

Jewish: What is renewal without thanking God for bringing us to this day?  Here is the she-hecheyanu:

Baruch Atah Adonai Elohaynu Melech ha-olam, she-hecheyano, v’ki-y’manu, v’hgi’anu La-zman ha-zeh

All: Blessed art Thou, Eternal our God, King of the Universe, who hast given us life and kept us alive, and brought us to this moment.

Pagan: Pagan practices of Rebirth and Resurrection are grounded in Love, beginning with the story of Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest, and her daughter Persephone. When Hades abducted Persephone, Demeter searched for her and the world suffered famine due to the loss of grain. Demeter descended into hell to retrieve her daughter. Hades sensed Demeter’s approach and tricked Persephone into eating three seeds of a pomegranate. As Demeter departed with her daughter, Hades claimed his right to Persephone’s presence as his consort three months each year as payment for “taking” the seeds, thereby creating the cycle between Winter and Spring.

Christian: Christians celebrate Good Friday, the eve of Christ’s Last Supper and Easter Sunday which marks Jesus’ resurrection from his tomb. Quoting from Matthew: “My time is at hand; I will keep Passover with my Disciples.”

Muslim: Muslims celebrate liberation from lower forces experienced by fasting and prayer during Ramadan. Here is one of the prayers spoken each night upon breaking the fast:

Allah, on this night of Ramadan, purify me in body, mind and soul; make me patient over the events that have transpired, grant me the wisdom to keep company with Goodness and awake from darkness into light.

Jewish: Let’s drink the first toast to liberation of all people on earth: Baruch Atah Adonai Elohaynu Melech Ha-olam, boray p’ri ha-gafen.

All: Blessed art thou, Eternal our God, King of the Universe, creator of the fruit of the vine. (Drink)

Christian: When Jesus passed his cup of wine to his disciples, he said, “Drink it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Jewish: Before the Exodus from Egypt, Jews and Pagans alike celebrated the renewal of life each Spring. The tender greens and salt from the sea joined together to sustain life and as a symbol of rebirth.

(Everyone takes a sprig of parsley, dips into salt water, holding it up while saying the prayer:)

Baruch Atoh Adonoi Elohaynu Melech ha-olam, boray p’ri ha-adamah.

All: Blessed art thou, Eternal our God, King of the Universe, creator of the greens of the earth.

Jewish: These three matzoh represent the three groupings of our people. The Cohanim serve as priests and rabbis; the Levi’s serve as cantors and keepers of the temple; and the Israelim are the rest of the congregation. This middle matzoh is the Afikomen. (Breaks it in two.) One part we keep here, the other is hidden so our children can hunt for it. Then we put the two halves together again as a sign that our hope is in our children to find what is lost, to bring together what was broken. Each of us add bitter herb (chrain) onto the matzoh and mortar (charoset) as a reminder of the bitterness of slavery leading to the sweetness of freedom.

All: Blessed art thou, Eternal our God, King of the Universe, who has instructed us to eat bitter herbs and sweet mortar.

Christian: When Jesus broke unleavened bread during the Last Supper, he said, “Take this, eat! This is my body. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Jewish: Prophet Elijah visits every house celebrating a Seder. (Fills Elijah’s cup) We fill Elijah’s cup to prepare for his coming and open the door as a symbol that no one is shut off from his fellow man. (Someone opens a door.) During the era of the ghettos in Eastern Europe, legends spoke of Elijah appearing to any Jew in great trouble, perhaps coming as a beggar to save the soul of a wealthy man by giving him a last chance to be charitable. Let all who are hungered come and eat; whomever is in need, come celebrate Passover!

The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. The ten plagues were the result of the volcanic eruption of Mt. Thera (1325 BC) which destroyed the island currently called Santorini in the Mediterranean 500 miles NW of Egypt. Similar to the destruction caused by Krakatoa, which exploded with miles of ash, toxic dust, debris, causing acid rain, blackened skies, iron oxide turning rivers red, killing fish, cattle and crops, giving people skin rash and boils.

Let us dip our pinky into our wine, throwing a drop onto our plate as we say each of the plagues:

Darkness, Hail & Toxic Dust, Boils, Blood in Rivers, Frogs, Locusts, Vermin, Beasts, Cattle Disease, Killing the First Born.

Christian: God instructed the Jews in Egypt to sacrifice a lamb and smear the lintels of their doorposts with its blood so the Angel of Death would pass over their homes, killing only the first born in homes without lamb’s blood on the doorway. When Christ conducted His Last Supper, he likened His body to that of the sacrificial lamb. The horizontal beam on the Cross is analogous to the lintel on Passover doorways.

Jewish: When Pharaoh’s first-born was killed by the Angel of Death, Pharoah allowed Moses to lead the Jews out of Egypt. But when they arrived at the Red Sea, Pharoah broke his word, pursuing them with a mighty army. The Lord caused the waters to be divided so the Jews could pass over safely. When the soldiers tried to follow, the wall of water broke over them drowning them all.

Let us remember the martyrs, victims of the Roman Empire (Jews and Christians alike), the Inquisition, the Crusades, the Third Reich, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; Israel’s war crimes against the people of Gaza, and the current war against Iran: for all killing is an outrage to God. Let us remember and never forget those who gave the world examples of courage: the Early Christians, those who fought in the ghettos, concentration camp survivors, and witches burned at the stake – remember; never forget.

Jewish: She-ma Israel, Adonai Elohaynu, Adonai E-chod. Hear Israel, God is Eternal, our God is ONE.

Pagan: And now to honor our beloved dead, please call out their name and give a brief mention of a time when they taught you a special lesson.

(Guests take turns calling out the names of their dead, high-lighting an important lesson gleamed from their departed loved ones.)

Morris: (singing)

The earth is home for everyone, A planet jewel, warmed by the sun,

Stranger and friend, reach out your hand, lift up your voices, and make a stand

Lift up your voices, throughout every land

Let peace prevail, over mountains tall, through hill and dale, for one and all,

Across oceans wide, love shall not fail, throughout the world, Let Peace Prevail.

Throughout the world, Let Peace Prevail.