Passover Haggadah »

Since his unprecedented memoir Night woke up the world to the atrocities of the Holocaust in 1958, Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel has dedicated his days to turning his survival story from one of horror to one of hope. From several works inspired by his experience to his insightful reflections in After the Darkness, Wiesel s work serves to both admonish and inspire.

With this Passover Haggadah, 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.

This volume is enhanced by more than fifty original drawings by Mark Podwal, the artist whom Cynthia Ozick has called a "genius of metaphor through line." Podwal's work not only complements the traditional Haggadah text, as well as Wiesel's poetic voice, but also serves as commentary unto itself. The drawings, with their fresh juxtapositions of insight and revelation, are an innovative contribution to the long tradition of Haggadah illustration.

Marcia Welsh, Guilford Free Library, CT - Library Journal

The Passover Haggadah is a set form of benedictions, prayers, psalms, and commentary recited at the Passover seder. Numerous English-language and English/Hebrew Haggadot are available for home use, including Let My People Go: A Haggadah (Macmillan, 1973), also illustrated by Podwal but no longer in print. So how is this Haggadah different from all others? Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Wiesel's wise and compassionate commentary, poetic interpretations, lively retellings of ancient legends, and personal reminiscences, along with Podwal's powerful line drawings (only seen as sketches), make this a very special edition indeed, and one to be treasured for years to come. Highly recommended.

The Seder

KADESH Reciting the Kiddush

U'RECHATZ Washing of the hands

KARPAS Blessing for the green vegetable

YACHATZ Breaking of the middle matzah

MAGGID Telling the story

RACHTZAH Washing the hands before the meal

MOTZI MATZAH Prayer for the beginning of the meal and blessing for the matzah

MAROR Blessing for the bitter herbs

KORECH Hillel's sandwich

SHULCHAN ORECH The meal

TZAFUN The afikoman

BARECH Saying grace

HALLEL Psalms of praise

NIRTZAH Conclusion of the service