This Passover Jewish communities around the globe will gather for a Seder and retell the story of escaping slavery in Egypt. The photo is from a past Seder in Suriname, South America.

For the first time, two communities in Africa will use a Haggadah, the Jewish text that sets the order of the Passover Seder, translated into their local language. In both Madagascar and Zimbabwe, the two new Haggadah will help deepen the understanding of those at the Seder making it a more meaningful experience. The Lemba Haggadah in Zimbabwe incorporates the history of the Lemba people, helping strengthen the community’s memory of its own traditions dating back to ancient Israel.

If you’d like to incorporate a bit of international flair at your Passover table this year, why not ask the 4 questions in a different language to represent Jews around the globe?!

Below are the 4 questions in Luganda, one of the most widely spoken local languages in Uganda.

Ma Nishtana in Luganda
Translated by Gershom Sizomu
Compiled by Murray F. Spiegel and Rickey Stein

Lwakyi ekyiro kyino kyanjuawulo kubiro ebilala byonna?
Mubiro ebilala byonna tulya emigati emizimbulukuse oba egitali mizimbulukuse;
mukyiro kyino tulya emigati egitali mizimbulukuse zokka.
Mubiro ebilala byonna tulya enva zonna zonna; mukyiro kyino tulya enva ezikawa zokka.
Mubiro ebilala byonna tetukoza omulundi nogumu; mukyiro kyino tukoza emirundi ebiri.
Mubiro ebilala byonna tulya tutudde oba nga tweganzise;
mukyiro kyino tulya tweganzise.

Why is this night different from all other nights?
On all other nights we may eat either leavened or unleavened bread,
but on this night only unleavened bread.
On all other nights we may eat any species of herbs, but on this night only bitter herbs.
On all other nights we do not dip even once, but on this night we dip twice.
On all other nights we eat either sitting or reclining,
but on this night we all recline.

(First published in Kulanu’s book, Under One Canopy, available at kulanuboutique.com.)

Happy Passover to you and your family from “all of us!”

Photo by Chaya Weinstein