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March 26, 2004/Nisan 4 5764, Vol. 56, No. 27
Retelling the story: Making it new
VICKI CABOT
Contributing Editor
Why is this seder night different from every other seder night?
Perhaps because this year you're using a new Haggadah.
Haggadot continue to proliferate - more than 3,000 worldwide according to one estimate - reflecting not only the importance of the retelling of the traditional story but the desire to continue to make it new.
Shoshana Silberman, whose "A Family Haggadah" (KAR-BEN Publishing, $4.95 paperback) has become so popular that this year publishers issued "A Family Haggadah II," with all-new commentary and a passel of new activities for kids, notes that the original text is more than 2,000 years old. Originally incorporated into the prayer book, the Haggadah became a separate, hand-written book in the 13th century. For the last 500 years, it has been printed, with ever more elaborate commentary and illustration.
Seder goers of a certain age may recall the old Maxwell House standby, with its blue and white cover and flimsy pages usually personalized by sticky fingers and dribbles of wine. It is still around, reassures Geri Epcar of the Israel Connection, which stocks a nice selection of Haggadot for a variety of seder tastes. Reissued as "Haggadah for the American Family" (Haggadah Institute, $2.99 paperback), with English text written by Rabbi Martin Berkowitz, it is a basic instruction manual for a traditional seder. Opening from left to right, it offers the entire Hebrew text without translation; turn it over and it opens from right to left, deftly interspersing the original Hebrew with both English and transliterated text. Berkowitz notes that the amplified version is meant to accommodate those with little or no knowledge of Hebrew. However, it includes only those elements of the seder "considered to be the most essential," as noted in the introduction.
Another choice, which also tries to shorten the traditionally lengthy ritual, is "The Concise Family Seder" (Jonathan David Publishers, $2.99 paperback). Prepared by Rabbi Alfred J. Kolatch, it provides a straightforward guide to the retelling of the Passover story, with a mostly English text and select Hebrew and transliterated portions. Like the Berkowitz model, it uses one color - in this case an orange-red - to brighten up the black and white text as well as Hebrew calligraphy and contemporary illustrations to illuminate the story.
New on the traditional front this year are both large print and transliterated editions of "The Family Haggadah" (Mesorah Publications Inc., $4.99 paperback). Part of the ArtScroll series, the Haggadot, edited by Rabbis Nosson Scherman and Meir Zlotowitz, have extensive commentary as well as introductory essays on the ritual of seder and instructions for preparing the Passover holiday. The popular edition begins with an illustration and description of the elements on the seder plate, as well as a listing of the 15 parts of the seder. It concludes, after the usual selection of Passover songs in Hebrew and English, with the Hebrew text of Song of Songs, often recited after the reading of the Haggadah to observe the mitzvah of continuing the seder until sleep overtakes the participants.
Alef Judaica takes the traditional Haggadah to a new level with two new offerings this year. Both are printed in four colors with striking illustrations and Hebrew calligraphy in black highlighted with gold. "Passover Haggadah" (A.G.N. Ltd, $1.99 paperback) has Hebrew text on the left, English on the right. Each page is bordered with an attractive pillared graphic and each section identified with a colorful artistic element. Particularly striking is the rendering of the ten plagues, appearing at the appropriate place in the Haggadah as well as its frontispiece. A second choice from A.G.N. is also called "Passover Haggadah" ($6.99 paperback, $15.99 hardcover). It is shaped like a round shemurah matzah (and colored to look like one, too). It has more elaborate illustrations - some reminiscent of Chagall prints - and its pages are beautifully designed with artistic elements bordering text. The $6.99 version is printed on heavier paper than the $1.99 Haggadah (the least expensive choice at Israel Connection, notes Epcar) but it still might not withstand too many seders without torn pages, which would be a shame. However, especially for those who are committed to "buying Israeli" as a continued show of support for the Jewish state, both are printed in Ra'anana, Israel, heightening their appeal.
Getting back to the Silberman Haggadah mentioned earlier, the latest version, "A Family Haggadah II" (KAR-BEN, $4.95 paperback), is a winner, from its visually appealing cover, the attractive design printed on durable laminated paper, to its inviting organization. It begins with a seder checklist, everything from a carafe of wine to individual seder plates for each seder goer, and continues through a selection of traditional songs ("Chad Gadya" and "Echad Mi Yodea"), to so-called "freedom songs," more contemporary selections such as "Go Tell it on the Mountain." The Haggadah, which opens from left to right, uses the right hand page for seder elements and the left hand page for explanations, suggestions, questions, and other activities to encourage participation from both adults and children. For instance, Silberman suggests fresh horseradish root for the maror on the seder plate, buying it three weeks before the holiday and placing it in a shallow dish with water to allow it to sprout lovely green shoots, a reminder of spring. Another idea is setting an extra place setting to remember the homeless. Silberman proposes games like "Seder Trivia" or "Meet the Press," featuring the characters of the Passover story, as other ways to engage guests in the retelling. Or asking the group, "What are your personal dayenus?" after singing the age-old song.
Silberman's Haggadah would be a wonderful choice for seders replete with children or grandchildren. However, there is also a selection of Haggadot just for children that might be even more appropriate, particularly for little ones. "ArtScroll Youth Haggadah" (Mesorah Publications Ltd., $7.99 paperback), is impressive in its scope. It includes the full text and more than 50 full-color illustrations. Still, its size may be a bit more than little hands can handle and the text, while termed large and easy-to-read, is wordy and dense. "A Children's Haggadah" (CCAR Press, $12.99 paperback) is also large but has the feel of a children's storybook. Large, beautifully crafted illustrations dominate each page; the text is distilled to its essence using simple words and short sentences. Songs are interspersed throughout rather than left to the end.
Another possibility for very young children is "My Very Own Haggadah: A Seder Service for Very Young Children" (KAR-BEN Publishing, $3.95 paperback). At first glance it, too, looks like a children's storybook, which it is, but black and white illustrations seem to beg for young fingers to fill in the outlines. Crayons certainly may be de rigueur for this seder, or for pre-Passover fun.
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