Historical, Military, Challenging: The 2021 Haggadahs You Did Not Know

Haggadah with: Rabbi Mishael Zion

(Credit: The Hartman Institute)

After the “First World Zionist Congress” was held in 1897, Benjamin Zeev Herzl said, “In Basel, I founded the Jewish state.” What the state contract did not know, is that 81 years earlier, in 1816, the “Basel Haggadah” was printed in the same city, with a fascinating story behind it.

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The Haggadah of BaselThe Haggadah of Basel

The Haggadah of Basel

(Photo: Yitzhak Tessler)

It turns out that for many years Jews in Switzerland were allowed to live only in a relatively small area, where the canton of Argao is now located. At the beginning of the 19th century, Jews were allowed to live in Basel as well, so in the run-up to Pesach 1816, Shlomo Kashilzberg hastened to publish “Passover Haggadah with Ashkenazi Translation” (meaning Yiddish), printed by Wilhelm Haas in Basel.

The Haggadah is accompanied by 24 artistic paintings prepared with the help of delicate wood carvings. After the Holocaust, a copy of the Haggadah was brought to Israel, and now the Bialik Institute, which belongs to the World Zionist Organization, has decided to reprint the beautiful old Haggadah.

“The Basel Haggadah” / published by the Bialik Institute

You must have asked yourself many times how you can shorten the recitation of the Haggadah. Well, it turns out that if you are a combat soldier in an operational activity, you have a special permit to shorten the order. You can read the full details in the IDF Haggadah, which was approved by the Chief Military Rabbi, Brigadier General Rabbi Eyal Krim.

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The Haggadah of the IDFThe Haggadah of the IDF

The IDF Haggadah

(Photo: Yitzhak Tessler)

The people in charge of the production are soldiers and officers in the Atid section (“Values ​​of Jewish Consciousness”) of the military rabbinate, and the Haggadah was printed in 84,000 copies, so that it will be sufficient for a few years to come. As a celery, and some matzah needs to be eaten to get out by duty.

There are also explanations of the meaning of the Exodus from Egypt, and at the end there are operating instructions under the heading, “Conducting Seder night in times of distress and in operational activity.” Among other things, there is also an answer to the question of what will fighters who are free to do the Passover Seder do only after midnight. Well, they have a particularly abbreviated procedure: “They should bless only the first and third cup only, and also refrain from the special blessings – for eating matzah, maror, which we have redeemed, glorified in praise.”

Bottom line: Do not try this at home.

The graduates of the “Israeli Rabbinate” program from the “Hartman Institute” released a festive and unique project for the holiday – seven videos, each lasting about five minutes, and each provides a unique perspective on Independence Day.

For example, Rabbi Mishael Zion speaks of the “Israeli Haggadah” he composed, accompanied by illustrations by Michel Kishka. In the video he explains that the last Passover closure forced us into a reality where we had to deal alone or as a small family with the story of the Exodus from Egypt, so the question is what should we learn this year from the corona year we experienced.

Rabbi Dr. Sharon Shalom, whose family immigrated from Ethiopia, presents the Haggadah “Exodus from Ethiopia” – and Rabbi Itamar Lapid is about “Haggadah of Pesach 5769”, which was produced at Kibbutz Ayelet Hashahar. A lot of the Applebaum-Reef Foundation talks about the “Land of Israel Haggadah”, accompanied by illustrations by Shmuel Katz. A lot of Noga Brenner Samia analyzes the Haggadah with illustrations by Arthur Schick, and Lana Zilberman Solovey stars in a video about the Haggadah of the Reform movement.

Iris Bondi gives a historical glimpse into the Haggadah with an interpretation by Tuvia Bundy. This is the grandfather of a brother of her husband’s grandfather, who wrote commentary in the 19th century. The Haggadah with its interpretation is passed down in her family from generation to generation. The videos are fascinating and highly recommended.

In 2006, an association called the “Center for Deepening Jewish Identity” was founded in Ramat Hasharon. Its purpose is to bring together religious and secular people on Israeli holidays, and today the organization’s activities are conducted under the auspices of the “Jewish Identity Administration” in the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

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The crop of HaggadotThe crop of Haggadot

The crop of Haggadot

(Photo: Yitzhak Tessler)

On the occasion of Passover, they produced a charming Haggadah called “The Nutcracker”, which includes, along with the original text, also lovable puzzles at different levels of difficulty, composed by Adam Paz and Mandy Frommer. For example, where are bees mentioned in the Haggadah? (“Soaps like bees”) And what verse is said in both the Haggadah and the circumcision? (“And I will tell you in your image my life).

Illustrators Nathaniel and Tel Epstein prepared a variety of paintings for the Haggadah, each of which is a riddle. For example, in a drawing of a chametz test, there are questions such as – how many children are in the family (Tip: you should also look at the pictures of the children hanging on the walls).

“The Nutcracker” / Haggadah from “Close to the Heart”

In 1990, the “Association for Children at Risk” was founded, which operates the “Center for the Treatment and Research of Autism”. The center provides a diagnostic and therapeutic response in the community for children and adults with autism. On the occasion of the holiday, two Haggadot were produced there, all proceeds of which are donated to the association as a donation.

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“Corona Haggadah”, the Haggadah of the Center for Autism Treatment and Research

(Photo: Yitzhak Tessler)

The first is the “regular” Haggadah, which contains the traditional text. Attached to it is the “Corona Haggadah” written and illustrated by Chen Abelu (18) from Tel Mond, who, despite her limitations, has created a booklet with charming illustrations that can also be painted. She said: “I presented the routine in the days of the corona in a humorous way. The work was done at the height of the corona, and its purpose was to make people happy during this difficult period, and to see the existing situation in a slightly different way.”

Haggadah of Corona / Association for Children at Risk (Reservations: 03-5100297)

The Meitarim and Tzohar associations assume that no one really lacks Passover Haggadot. That is why these associations have produced pamphlets that accompany the Haggadah, and do not come in its place.

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String HaggadahString Haggadah

String Haggadah

(Photo: Yitzhak Tessler)

“From Quarantine to Seder Night” is a booklet from the “Tzohar Rabbis” house, intended to upgrade the traditional Haggadah. In addition to a special chapter, “Everything That Should Be Prepared for Proper Order,” each section between the ten sections of the Haggadah (sanctuary, and bath, etc.) includes a comprehensive and theoretical explanation. In addition, there are ten suggestions for games and activities that are adapted for Passover and more.

“This Night” from Meitarim is a children’s playbook. Inside there are short passages from the Haggadah, points for thought and discussion, illustrations for coloring and a “search and find” game.

The booklet also includes the lyrics to the song “Great Joy”. We all know the beginning, but it’s time for you to know the last house as well: “I wish it would come, I wish it would come, I wish it would go away – the generation will see me, the generation will see me so much.”

“From quarantine to Seder night” / Tzohar; “Tonight” / Strings

“Choosing a Family” is an organization whose website, seeks to instill in the public the understanding that “the family, in addition to being the foundation of Jewish society and the state, is the most natural and healthy place to grow up for the individual.” What is not written on the website is that this is a body that is trying to fight the LGBT revolution and recognition of the proud community, which has permeated not only the Israeli public, but also part of the religious public.

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Haggadah chooses a family (and probably does not like passionHaggadah chooses a family (and probably does not like passion

Haggadah Voters Family

(Photo: Yitzhak Tessler)

On the occasion of the holiday, a comprehensive Haggadah was produced, along with the traditional text, also opinion pieces edited by Haim Branson. Among other things, Dr. Hanna Katan wrote about the happiness that comes with having multiple births – and the need to maintain the rules of purity. Rabbi Itai Elitzur explains how the Jews became “the people of Israel”: “The dress matched Jewish modesty compared to Egyptian sexual promiscuity.” Rabbi Zeev Shema explains that “children need a family cell with healthy and strong roots from which they can flourish and grow.”

What is surprising is that the person who helped finance the printing of the Haggadah was not the Ministry of Religious Affairs or the Chief Rabbinate’s spokeswoman, but the Jewish Culture Division of the “Ministry of Higher and Complementary Education.”

“Family Haggadah” / Choosing a Family

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