HAGGADAH SHEL EREV RAV

A colorful, multicultural Haggadah.

This new Haggadah (a Jewish text for guiding the annual Passover seder meal) was commissioned by New York City’s historic Central Synagogue in honor of Rabbi Angela Buchdahl. The work, translated by Rabbis Janet Marder and Sheldon Marder and edited by Rabbi Sarah Berman, is dedicated to the erev rav, the “mixed multitude,” and is meant to reflect the cultural richness and ethnic diversity of Judaism. As the introductory material states, “Central Synagogue’s goal in creating this Haggadah is to help everyone at our seders find authentic connections to the Pesach story and its themes.” Including traditional texts and modern additions, this Haggadah is strikingly augmented by the work of Indian Jewish artist Siona Benjamin. Her colorful, often dazzling contributions to this volume enliven the Haggadah with profound visualizations of the seder themes; for instance, she uses the shape of a seder plate, adorned with a mandala, to represent the 10 plagues of Israel. The explanatory text in the Haggadah is universal in voice and restrained in tone. In rare cases, the text can be seen to reflect contemporary issues (“We cannot look away from the plight of those who languish under the rule of modern-day Pharaohs”), but for the most part it feels timeless and, as the seder closes, poetic (“Egypt is now, Egypt was then. / We live it, we leave it, again and again”). Short questions ending each section serve to guide conversation and challenge participants to find the meaning of Pesach in their own lives (“How do you feel free?”; “What is sustaining you at this time?”). Many Haggadot aim to enlighten and educate guests at the seder meal, recognizing that the gathering may include a wide variety of people of different ages, experiences, and backgrounds; this particular example does so expertly.

An elegant accompaniment to a holy feast.