The New American Haggadah

Jonathan Safran Foer's and Nathan Englander's spectacular Haggadah-now in paperback. Upon hardcover publication, NEW AMERICAN HAGGADAH was praised as a momentous re-envisioning through prayer, song, and ritual of one of our oldest, most timeless, and sacred stories-Moses leading the ancient Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to wander the desert for 40 years before reaching the Promised Land. Featuring a new translation of the traditional text by Nathan Englander and provocative essays by a collection of major Jewish writers and thinkers, it was received not only as a religious document but a magnificent literary and artistic achievement. Now, after two years of patience, those readers who asked for a paperback edition have gotten their wish.

UPDATED: Now with Hebrew characters and gender-neutral phrasing! A Haggadah you can read from cover to cover. No decisions! No skipping! No guilt! A Haggadah long enough to cover everything, yet short enough to conquer boredom. A Haggadah that's easy to follow, even for those who have never led or attended a Seder before. A Haggadah that encourages everyone to participate, without any confusion as to who says what. A Haggadah that celebrates freedom. A Haggadah that highlights traditional Jewish values alongside modern American ideals. A Haggadah that explains everything! _____ This e-book version is for those participants who prefer to read on their ereaders, smartphones, or tablets. Printed paperback copies and other digital formats are also available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and Kobo. _____ PRAISE FROM REVIEWERS… “My family and guests loved it. First time we went back to Haggadah to finish the Seder after the meal.” “Thank you for a wonderful Haggadah. It honors our traditions and makes them relevant for today. Even my 13 and 15 year olds were inspired to participate!” “My family and I used this for our first Passover Seder tonight. We had a beautiful experience together. Everything was easy to follow and understand.” “The subtitle—a "simple" version—is not really true. We all felt the text was clear and thorough. This group of long-time Passover observers all learned things.” “We went through the whole Haggadah, the story was told nicely with both English and some Hebrew (and transliterations). We loved it!” “…a clear path to a lovely Passover dinner. Sharing this with newcomers puts them at ease to share in this beautiful tradition.” “Easy to follow, covered everything in a clear way for people unfamiliar with Passover. Appreciate the modern, liberal, inclusive tone. Highly recommended!” “I'm very glad we used "The New American Haggadah" last night and we'll continue to use it in years to come.” “Easy to use. Covers all the basics and tells a great story.” “Fantastic Haggadah. It is the perfect length. Tells the story without being too redundant. I highly recommend this to every family.” “Just right! It captured the traditional story—and not too long nor too short.” “We had a very "mixed" group at our Passover seder this year, ranging from extremely religious to extremely nonreligious, together with devout guests from other religions, and I feel like this book made for an enjoyable and accessible Seder experience for everybody involved.” “This combines all the favorite and traditional aspects of your grandpa's Haggadah while serving the needs of Jews in America today who want a modern explanation. Everyone contributes and there is no confusion at all about what the order is, what part is next, no frantic turning pages back and forth, stage whispering of "what page are we on?" and it has finally quashed the heckling from the Seder table crowd. You'll love this as our family did.” “I was pleased that the updates on concern for minorities was handled well, and the broader philosophies were not "preachy" but rather are thought-provoking and appropriate. The traditional Hebrew prayers are in there, and a comprehensive story of the Exodus is most informative to even those who go through it every year.” “Just finished a Seder guided by the New American Haggadah. We had a group of 23 participants. Everyone got involved in a story that is a cornerstone of the Jewish faith. It is a great read for today's insightful and intelligent Jewish family who has a rational understanding of Jewish history.” _____ You might enjoy this Haggadah if you like: short, simple, and fun Passover dinners; easy Seder meals; events with children and family; or Reform Jewish holidays.

Whether at a model seder, a community seder, or a family seder, The New American Haggadah will inspire and delight participants of all ages. First developed as The New Haggadah, this Passover classic has been revised to reflect the experiences of our generation and the contributions it has made to the holiday's message of universal freedom. The New American Haggadah presents the Passover service, filtered through the richness of the American Jewish experience. The moving text and traditional Passover songs are supplemented with illuminating commentaries. Highlights include: An Ethiopian Jew's account of Operation Moses, her own modern-day exodus from poverty and oppression The memoir of a Union soldier celebrating Passover during the Civil War Illustrations reflecting the diverse ways American Jews have enriched the Passover message of liberation Songs by Debbie Friedman and Linda Hirschhorn Riddles to entertain children and adults alike Gender-sensitive language with elegant translation, transliteration of the original Hebrew text, music, and instructions for the leader combine to offer an accessible--and uniquely American--Passover seder.

A Passover Haggadah, enhanced with more than fifty original drawings, Elie Wiesel and his friend Mark Podwal invite you to join them for the Passover Seder—the most festive event of the Jewish calendar. Read each year at the Seder table, the Haggadah recounts the miraculous tale of the liberation of the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt, with a celebration of prayer, ritual, and song. Wiesel and Podwal guide you through the Haggadah and share their understanding and faith in a special illustrated edition that will be treasured for years to come. Accompanying the traditional Haggadah text (which appears here in an accessible new translation) are Elie Wiesel's poetic interpretations, reminiscences, and instructive retellings of ancient legends. The Nobel laureate interweaves past and present as the symbolism of the Seder is explored. Wiesel's commentaries may be read aloud in their entirety or selected passages may be read each year to illuminate the timeless message of this beloved book of redemption.

After the Bible, the Passover haggadah is the most widely read classic text in the Jewish tradition. More than four thousand editions have been published since the late fifteenth century, but few are as exquisite as the Washington Haggadah, which resides in the Library of Congress. Now, a stunning facsimile edition meticulously reproduced in full color brings this beautiful illuminated manuscript to a new generation. Joel ben Simeon, the creator of this unusually well-preserved codex, was among the most gifted and prolific scribe-artists in the history of the Jewish book. David Stern’s introduction reconstructs his professional biography and situates this masterwork within the historical development of the haggadah, tracing the different forms the text took in the Jewish centers of Europe at the dawn of modernity. Katrin Kogman-Appel shows how ben Simeon, more than just a copyist, was an active agent of cultural exchange. As he traveled between Jewish communities, he brought elements of Ashkenazi haggadah illustration to Italy and returned with stylistic devices acquired during his journeys. In addition to traditional Passover images, realistic illustrations of day-to-day life provide a rare window into the world of late fifteenth-century Europe. This edition faithfully preserves the original text, with the Hebrew facsimile appearing in the original right-to-left orientation. It will be read and treasured by anyone interested in Jewish history, medieval illuminated manuscripts, and the history of the haggadah.

The revolutionary Haggadah is written in gender-inclusive contemporary language and has sold over 900,000 copies since its introduction.

A magical place, a lost history: Trochenbrod, the setting for Everything is Illuminated, is now rediscovered for a new generation. In the 19th century, nearly five million Jews lived in the Pale of Settlement. Most lived in shtetls—Jewish communities connected to larger towns—images of which are ingrained in popular imagination as the shtetl Anatevka from Fiddler on the Roof. Brimming with life and tradition, family and faith, these shtetls existed in the shadow of their town’s oppressive anti-Jewish laws. Not Trochenbrod. Trochenbrod was the only freestanding, fully realized Jewish town in history. It began with a few Jewish settlers searching for freedom from the Russian Czars' oppressive policies, which included the forced conscriptions of one son from each Jewish family household throughout Russia. At first, Trochenbrod was just a tiny row of houses built on empty marshland in the middle of the Radziwill Forest, yet for the next 130 years it thrived, becoming a bustling marketplace where people from all over the Ukraine and Poland came to do business. But this scene of ethnic harmony was soon shattered, as Trochenbrod vanished in 1941—her residents slaughtered, her homes, buildings, and factories razed to the ground. Yet even the Nazis could not destroy the spirit of Trochenbrod, which has lived on in stories and legends about a little piece of heaven, hidden deep in the forest. Bendavid-Val, himself a descendant of Trochenbrod, masterfully preserves and fosters the memory of this city, celebrating the vibrant lives of her people and her culture, proving true the words of one of Trochenbrod’s greatest poets, Yisrael Beider: I beg you hold fast to these words of mine. After this darkness a light will shine.

The life and times of a treasured book read by generations of Jewish families at the seder table Every year at Passover, Jews around the world gather for the seder, a festive meal where family and friends come together to sing, pray, and enjoy traditional food while retelling the biblical story of the Exodus. The Passover Haggadah provides the script for the meal and is a religious text unlike any other. It is the only sacred book available in so many varieties—from the Maxwell House edition of the 1930s to the countercultural Freedom Seder—and it is the rare liturgical work that allows people with limited knowledge to conduct a complex religious service. The Haggadah is also the only religious book given away for free at grocery stores as a promotion. Vanessa Ochs tells the story of this beloved book, from its emergence in antiquity as an oral practice to its vibrant proliferation today. Ochs provides a lively and incisive account of how the foundational Jewish narrative of liberation is remembered in the Haggadah. She discusses the book's origins in biblical and rabbinical literature, its flourishing in illuminated manuscripts in the medieval period, and its mass production with the advent of the printing press. She looks at Haggadot created on the kibbutz, those reflecting the Holocaust, feminist and LGBTQ-themed Haggadot, and even one featuring a popular television show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Ochs shows how this enduring work of liturgy that once served to transmit Jewish identity in Jewish settings continues to be reinterpreted and reimagined to share the message of freedom for all.