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?
Why Did Moroccan Jews Bring Moses Into the Passover Haggadah?
Moroccan Jews (and the Jews of Western Algeria in the areas adjacent to Morocco) to this day begin the Passover Seder with a short text in Judeo-Arabic at the center of which is the figure of Moses…
The Happy Mistake That Gave Us the “Soup Almond”
How did a bureaucratic mix-up during Israel’s 1950s austerity period lead to one of Israel’s most unique culinary innovations? How did an Ashkenazi Jewish Passover recipe end up on the holiday table of every Jewish Israeli, and where does the distinctive yellow color of the soup almond come from? In short, here is the story of Israel’s prized “shkedei marak”
Why Does Elijah Visit Us on the Eve of Passover?
The story of how the most zealous of the biblical prophets ended up becoming everyone’s most anticipated Passover dinner guest
‘Bitter’ Women at the Seder Table and the Men Who Pointed at Them
This long-forgotten Passover custom was dealt a bitter blow by a sharp wife in a 15th century Haggadah…
A Haggadic Sister: New Acquisition Illuminates Artist’s Journey
In 2012, artist Maty Grünberg decided to revisit his 1984 work, The Bezalel Haggadah – ranked among the finest modern illustrated Haggadot. The resulting volume, The Sister of the Bezalel Haggadah, reveals the artist’s creative process, from concept to final print.
From Amsterdam to Persia: A World of Wine-Stained Haggadot
Four glasses of wine is a lot, are we really that surprised?
