My Israeli acquaintance lambasted the Washington-based Center for Religious Action of Reform Judaism for inviting the Dalai Lama to a "Freedom Seder." He considered the decision to use Passover to publicize a non-Jewish cause to be a travesty.

While I normally enjoy this writer's irreverent shots at the high, the mighty and the liberal, this time I wasn't amused. Why, I asked in an indignant reply, did he criticize the Reform movement for taking such an obviously righteous stance?

As someone who has spoken out about the question of human rights in China and Tibet and tried to raise Jewish awareness of this issue, I didn't understand why anyone - even the crankiest of traditionalists - would oppose a gesture of solidarity with the Dalai Lama. Surely, we can make the connection between our own Exodus from Egypt and the work of a religious leader who is dedicated to the liberation of his own oppressed people. But my Israeli friend didn't see it that way. He was offended by the idea of using our holiday as a metaphor for what he considered just another fashionable cause. As far as he was concerned, Passover was about the freedom of the Jewish people - and no one else.

Seders to avoid

Though I was appalled by his stance, I understood where he was coming from. Along with the traditional observances, Passover has also become the excuse for an annual orgy of Jewish political correctness. I've attended examples of trendy seders myself, and the results are sometimes more embarrassing than inspiring.

Many seem driven by the idea that sticking to the original Haggadah is either limiting or needlessly parochial. Indeed, some "freedom" seders I've attended on various college campuses barely retain any Jewish elements. Even worse, others specialize in Jewish self-flagellation.

The most obnoxious versions of this craze invariably incorporate a barely concealed disdain for the modern State of Israel into the observance of Passover. I've heard Haggadot recited that show more sympathy for the Palestinian Arabs who want to destroy Israel than for the lives of the descendants of the slaves who were liberated from Egypt. For some members of our tribe, everyone is entitled to justice - except the Jews!

Creating a window to Judaism

But before we write off all efforts to update, make additions or edit our recital of the Haggadah, it is useful to remember that the version of the seder we read today was not handed down to us at Sinai, even though the service itself dates back at least 3,000 years. The egregious nonsense produced by some of the Tikkun magazine crowd notwithstanding, we should never stop seeking to improve our understanding of the holiday and to find ways to enliven and enrich its observance.

Rabbi Philip Birnbaum, editor of my favorite version of the Haggadah (whose dog-eared pages filled with voluminous footnotes always accompany me to family seders), writes in the introduction to the 1976 edition of his text that the Haggadah "is one of the most frequently edited books." Birnbaum claims that since the 16th century, it has appeared in more than 3,000 separate editions. I'd wager that figure may well have doubled in the intervening two decades.

The book's development was gradual over the centuries as biblical text was brought together with folklore, prayer and poetry. As Birnbaum correctly notes, "The Haggadah is not the work of any one man nor the product of any one period."

It is well to remember that Passover has always been primarily a family-oriented holiday. As such, I think it is entirely proper for each of our families to search for new ways to bring the holiday into our lives.

The search for meaning

The recent practice of the women's seder may be something that strikes many as mere political correctness. The touchy-feely Judaism of Debbie Friedman songs isn't for everyone (especially mitnagid rationalists like me), but that doesn't make seders that specialize in such stuff any less integral to our Passover tradition of exploration. And what's wrong with the idea of placing a "Miriam's Cup" on the seder table to commemorate the role of women in the Exodus?

The basis of any seder is, after all, not merely a recitation of the Haggadah, but questioning and discussing the meaning and significance of the Passover story. If that leads some us of to speak of the environment when the Ten Plagues are recited, I think that's all to the good. If others look to the seder for insight on modern issues, from poverty ("Let all who are hungry come in to eat") to slavery in the Sudan, religious persecution in China or bigotry against immigrants or minorities here in the United States, that only shows the unique power of our faith and our traditions. As long as the integral message of Jewish continuity and the linking of every generation of the Jewish people with each other is not drowned in the process, I believe such innovations are fine.

The element that too many of us forget is that Judaism is rich enough to encompass a variety of approaches and interpretations. So before we succumb to the temptation to mock the new or the old, take a step back and realize that both are part of our experience.

Besides, the real division among the Jewish people has nothing to do with interpretation. The biggest argument over the seder remains the ongoing war between those who want to discuss the Haggadah endlessly and those who just want to finish quickly and get to the meal. Pesach sameach, and enjoy!

Jonathan S. Tobin is executive editor of the Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia.