Rabbi Nachmun of Breslov teaches:
“The Exodus from Egypt occurs in every human being, in every era, in every year, and in every day.”
The chaos of our escape from an oppressive overlord in the Passover story is not just a piece of our past but a part of our present. We all, at one point in our lives, have found ourselves in some kind of Egypt, where we felt burdened by the weight of something we never thought we would be free from and, even when offered the chance to escape, didn’t believe was possible. These might be stories about challenging relationships, difficult work or living situations, chronic physical illness, or mental health conditions. They are stories we often prefer to bury in our past rather than relive. In a way, locking those experiences up and living in fear of those parts of ourselves is like constructing an inner “Egypt.” But unlike the original Egypt we had to escape from, we need to open ourselves up to let it out.
By telling those stories — both to ourselves and to others — we can Quiet the Silence surrounding our inner “Egypts,” release those inner “Egypts,” and encourage others to do the same.
We created this Haggadah to help individuals utilize the themes and motifs of Passover traditions to examine their internal stories of slavery and experience true freedom. Telling stories of people living with mental illness helps de-stigmatize conversations about mental illness and helps others feel less alone in their mental health journeys. This Haggadah is an attempt at creating an experience that helps participants feel a sense of freedom from their own challenges or at least helps them start to talk about them and #QuietTheSilence surrounding mental illness.
This Haggadah includes:
– Original commentary with a focus on aspects of the Seder that speak to mental health and wellness.
– The Mental Health Chametz Search
– Mental Health Seder Plate
– Your Journey to Wellness – In Four Cups
– Mental Health Ma Mishtanah (Four Questions)
– A Prayer For Your Children
– Four Mental Health Children of the Seder
– The Mental Health Dayenu
– Ten Mental Health Plagues
– Making Your Own Magid – Learning to Tell Your Own Story
– A Substance Abuse Advisory Message
– Selected Stories from our “#QuietingTheSilence Personal Stories” collection.
– And much more!
Hardcover: $30
Paperback: $22
Reviews
There are many captivities, ancient and modern, and many liberations. The Blue Dove Haggadah helps those who are captive to mental illness in themselves or those they love to tell stories of hope and liberation.
The #QuietingTheSilence Haggadah is an incredibly meaningful addition to the Seder table, reminding everyone of the importance of mental health and the role that they can play in removing the stigma surrounding it. Passover is a holiday of reflection and there is no better way to reflect on our journeys than with these ideas to help both ourselves and those who are struggling within our communities.
Blue Dove’s #QuietingtheSilence Haggadah brilliantly blends our tradition with poignant opportunities to explore our own spiritual wellbeing. From burning our mental chametz to asking the Four Mental Health questions, I look forward to using it to check-in with myself throughout the holiday each year.
