Passover is a holiday about release from bondage.

For some, it is the remembrance of what they believe was a real event in history, the liberation of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, as recounted in the biblical story of Exodus. For others, it is a symbolic affirmation of the liberation from false idols. Still others understand Passover as a more coded political story, written during the time of the Bar Kochba rebellion against the Romans.

And, of course, many believe Passover is all these things, none of them, or something in between.

People celebrating the holiday of Passover generally do so through a home ritual meal called The Seder. Based on the Greek festival meal, the Seder begins with an egg, and ends with the afikomen–in Greek, meaning "dessert" and in Hebrew, referring to a piece of matzoh broken off and separated during the Seder ritual.

Part of what makes Passover unique–and such a terrific place to begin practicing a more participatory and collaborative form of Judaism–is the extent to which our interpretations of this holiday vary. Perhaps because the Seder is performed in the home, around a familiar table, people have felt more comfortable doing it their own way than other, synagogue based rituals. That's what makes it ideal for an "open source" inquiry.

Although Passover seders had been practiced for several centuries, the Haggadah (literally "telling") wasn't actually written down until the 2nd Century ACE. And while there is a rather standard Hebrew text for the Haggadah, radically different translations and adaptations have proliferated through the years.

The Passover seder, as described in the Haggadah, consists of fifteen main parts. Each one consists of a section of text and/or ritual to be performed. Some are quite short- a simple washing of the hands with no prayer–and others are as long as the whole story of the Exodus.

In some cases, a family may choose to read the original text, but interpret the ritual for themselves. In others, they may choose to create their own translation, or use a favorite one they saw in another Haggadah, online, or in a magazine.

It is the contention of the Open Source Haggadah project that however you decide to organize and conduct your seder is "kosher," as long as it's kosher to you. In fact, the more personally invested and conscious you are of the design and execution of your seder, the closer to the spirit of Passover's liberation you will become.