Friday, April 21, 1918 19
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
The Passover Haggada Through the Ages
By DVORA WAYSMAN
World Zionist Organization
JERUSALEM — The
word 'Haggada' simply
means a story or narration,
but we have come to associ-
ate it with Passover and the
Seder.
This, of course, goes back
deeply into the roots of
Jewish history and tradi-
tion. In Exodus 13:18 we are
told, "And thou shalt tell
thy son in that day saying:
"It is because of that which
the Lord did for me when I
came out of Egypt."
Josephus, the famous an-
cient historian, tells us that
in Second Temple days, not
less than three million
people gathered in
Jerusalem at Passover.
The Passover Haggada
is a special book in He-
brew (with a few pas-
sages in Aramaic), telling
the story of the Exodus
from Egypt, and explana-
tions for the use of the
symbolic objects of the
Seder table, and certain
prayers, psalms, hymns
and songs.
The book is really an an-
swer to the four questions
asked by the youngest child
at the beginning of the
Seder. In effect, it presents a
religious philosophy of
Jewish history, and much of
the text dates back to the
Temple period. It probably
received its present form at
the time the Mishna was
compiled (200 CE).
Haggadot have been the
most popular works in
Jewish religious literature.
They are lavishly illus-
trated, perhaps as a means
of holding children's inter-
est during the long Seder
service. Many have been
preserved dating from the
13th to 15th centuries,
originating in all countries
in which Jews have lived,
and translated into most
languages including Jewish
vernacular — Yiddish,
Ladino, Judeo-Greek,
Judeo-Arabic and Judeo-
Persian.
Since the 15th Century,
there have been more than
2,700 editions of Haggadot
published. Because of its
comparatively small size, it
was not too expensive to
commission or purchase,
and not too laborious for a
scribe to write or an artist to
illuminate.
The matzot and maror
(bitter herbs) seem to be
the earliest textual illus-
trations — some very
witty such as the one of
the man pointing at his
wife while reciting
"maror ze' — "this bitter
herb."
Many illustrated editions
are of great artistic value
and have found their home
in museums and private col-
lections around the world.
Certain communities use
their own versions, particu-
larly the Central Confer-
ence of American Rabbis
(Reform) — from 1905, and
the London Union of Liberal
and Progressive
Synagogues — from 1953.
Also original Haggadot,
exist in Israel in the kibut-
zim, where the Haggadot
are compiled by the kibbutz
movement or by the indi-
vidual kibbutz in question.
The kibbutz Seder is re-
nowned for its presentation,
the reading being in-
terspersed by a choir, an or-
chestra and dramatic
readings, with the Seder
culminating in a presenta-
tion by children of 'Had
Gadya'.
Anyone who has a rela-
tive, however distant, in a
kibbutz tries to wangle an
invitation for the kibbutz
Seder night.
An Emergency Hag-
gads of the Israel De-
fence Forces was pro-
duced for soldiers on
front line duty in 1967. It
has large print and an
abridged ritual, and a
copy is in the Ansbacher
Collection, Jerusalem,
which also has a Hag-
gada issued in 1948, illus-
trated by A. Alweil, spe-
cially published for
soldiers of the Hagana.
In Israel today, at the
Seder, the Haggada is
supplemented with stories,
poems and songs of the new
redemption. One tells how
he escaped a life worse than
slavery in Germany; others
how they wandered over
snow-capped mountains,
To All Our Friends, _
Relatives and Customers
sun-parched deserts or
stormy seas to freedom in
Israel.
Perhaps someone recalls
"the bread of affliction" he
and his fellow "halutzim"
(pioneers) lived-on for sev-
eral years until the neg-
lected soil of Palestine
began to yield harvests.
The Haggada reminds
Jews of the story of their
liberation from slavery, and
how—in spite of wandering
and persecution for so many
centuries — the Jews have
- urvived and preserved
their faith and culture.
Prices Dropping
for Passover
TEL AVIV (JTA) — The
prices of many Passover
foods are going down, not up
as is normally the case.
The large supermarket
chains announced they
would lower prices in order
to increase sales and to pre-
vent high-mark-ups by
smaller merchants.
Even the poorest Jew, a
recipient of charity, must,
on the eve of Passover, eat
only in a reclining position,
as a mark of freedom, and
drink no less than four cups
of wine.
— Mishna
We wish you a happy,
healthy and
Joyous Passover
MR. AND Mrs. Larry Warsh
and Family
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Raderman
and Family
RASKIN FOODS, INC.
KITCHENMAID FOODS
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JNF VOLUNTEERS WILL CLEAR YOUR
BLUE-WHITE BOX. Please have yours ready. If
your box is not cleared by May 31, please call the
Jewish National Fund office. Members of Youth Organizations will
also participate. Remember, all contributions to JNF are tax deductible.
THE BLUE BOX IS A SYMBOL OF A STATE'S REBUILDING ... If you do not have one in
your home, ask for it by calling the Jewish National Fund office.
MARK E. SCHLUSSEL
President
MRS. FRANK SILVERMAN
Chairman, Blue Box Committee
1.1
Jewish
Pres. Women of JNF
PERCY KAPLAN
MRS. RISSA WINKELMAN
Executive Director
Pres. Young Women of JNF
In the top photograph, the shofar heralds the ascent
of pilgrims on Mt. Zion at Passover. In the bottom
photograph, a family in Yemen holds a Seder.
MRS. LOUIS LEVINE
National Fund
22100 Greenfield Rd. Oak Park, Mich,48237— 968-0820
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