March 14,2023

How to Host a Zoom Seder

Posted by Haggadot

Picture of a table decorated for a seder, with matzah in the foreground

Gathering virtually this year? Follow these tips for hosting an engaging, interactive, and worry-free virtual seder on Zoom.

1. Share Your Haggadah on Zoom.

To ensure everyone can follow along, share your Haggadah on Zoom. To do this, you’ll first want to use our interactive tool to create your free Haggadah. Then you’ll want to download it as a Portrait PDF and share your screen in Zoom. For more instructions on how to do this, check out our post here

2. Incorporate Videos.

Take advantage of the virtual environment by incorporating videos into your Haggadah. For a grown-up crowd, we recommend starting with the DIY Seder by the Jewish Emergent Network to inspire, spark discussion, and bring meaning to your virtual seder. For kid-friendly videos, check out the PJ Library video seder.

3. Don’t Skip the Afikomen!

While it may be harder to do a virtual afikomen hunt, it’s not impossible. Check out our post with some fun creative ideas, including a scavenger hunt, Afikomen Bingo, and more. 

4. Celebrate Computers.

You’re already hosting a computer-based seder, why not take it one step further and use a Haggadah supplement that was written by a computer? Check out our Chat GPT Haggadah supplement for silly and creative additions to your seder this year. 

5. Mix it up a little bit!

Don’t be afraid to shirk the traditional, and incorporate some fun into your seder. Consider using Mission From Moses, which transforms the afikoman hunt into a role-playing game, or the One Piece Haggadah which adapts a popular manga series. 

6. Make it inclusive.

Be sure to design a seder that welcomes all by taking advantage of the accessibility features within Zoom, like closed captions and the ability to mute participants who may be making a lot of background noise. You can explore some of our inclusive Haggadot to find clips that welcome and honor guests of all backgrounds and experiences, like our Liberal Haggadah, the JQ International GLBT Haggadah, the Mizrahi and Sephardic Passover Guide, the #BlackLivesMatter Haggadah, and the Haggadah for Justice.
 

For more seder ideas, be sure to sign up for our email list and follow us on social media. Happy Passover!