The Polish-born artist used his brush to battle Hitler, champion Zionism, and celebrate Jewish pride. Today, his work is enjoying a remarkable revival.
Jupp Weiss and the Passover Seder at Bergen-Belsen
Before the war, Josef “Jupp” Weiss was a promising department store manager in Cologne. Against his will, this modest man became the prisoners’ representative in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, doing all he could to ease their suffering. On the night of the Passover Seder, at the edge of despair, his words bore witness to immense inner strength alongside a sober and painful grasp of reality.
Did We Borrow the Passover Seder From the Persians?
Are “biur chametz” and the “afikoman” uniquely Jewish inventions? Not necessarily. A historical journey into Nowruz, the Persian New Year, reveals striking – and delightful – parallels between the Jewish Seder table and ancient Zoroastrian traditions.
The Lost Seder Plates: A Glimpse of a Vanished Jewish World
The centuries-old Seder plates photographed by Theodor Harburger in the 1920s may be the only remnants we have of many Jewish families from Bavaria, Germany. Harburger survived the Holocaust and immigrated to Israel, bringing with him his rare collection, which serves as a testament to the lives of German Jewish communities that were plundered and murdered in the Holocaust. These antique Seder plates preserve not only the story of the holiday throughout the generations but also the stories of the families at whose tables they once stood.
The Passover Seder as Live Action Role Playing
Is it any surprise that the Passover Seder is essentially the world’s oldest Jewish role-playing game, predating “Dungeons & Dragons” by millennia? How did the Sages of yore get us to joyfully participate in Jewish rituals, and what does all this have to do with mutual scallion whippings?
Who Knows One? The Arrival of the Moss Haggadah
A unique Haggadah crafted by American-Israeli artist David Moss four decades ago joins the National Library of Israel’s collection.
Freedom Under Siege: The Last Seder in Kfar Etzion
How can one celebrate the festival of freedom, with the clear knowledge that your life or liberty will be taken from you in just a few days? The Seder night of 1948 was one of the last nights of freedom for those in besieged Gush Etzion, but this fact did not prevent the isolated group of men from creating the most celebratory atmosphere possible under the circumstances.
How the Inmates of a Concentration Camp Celebrated the Festival of Freedom
Despite the lack of food, the threat of deportation, and the difficult prison conditions, Jewish prisoners at the Gurs concentration camp in southern France insisted on celebrating Passover at any price. One of them wrote the Haggadah they read from by hand – from memory.
Who Is the Empty Chair at the Passover Seder Intended for?
Along with the ancient tradition of leaving an empty chair on the Seder Night for Elijah the Prophet, a modern Zionist tradition has developed in which we leave an empty chair for our loved ones who have not yet returned from captivity. In the 1970s-80s, these were the “Prisoners of Zion”. Today these are the hostages of October 7. “Let my people go,” Moses commanded Pharaoh in the name of God, and thousands of years later the same call is carried in Passover celebrations around the world, and with it we leave an empty chair and a glass of wine waiting for every single one of them to return
Let’s Raise a Glass for Miriam the Prophetess
What was Miriam the Prophetess’ part in the Exodus from Egypt? How does the Jewish Midrash explain her role in the journey from slavery to freedom and why do some set aside a sixth cup for her at the Passover Seder table?
