The Passover Haggadah: A Biography

by Vanessa L. Ochs

The life and times of a treasured book read by generations of Jewish families at the seder table

Every year at Passover, Jews around the world gather for the seder, a festive meal where family and friends come together to sing, pray, and enjoy traditional food while retelling the biblical story of the Exodus. The Passover Haggadah provides the script for the meal and is a religious text unlike any other. It is the only sacred book available in so many varieties--from the Maxwell House edition of the 1930s to the countercultural Freedom Seder--and it is the rare liturgical work that allows people with limited knowledge to conduct a complex religious service. The Haggadah is also the only religious book given away for free at grocery stores as a promotion. Vanessa Ochs tells the story of this beloved book, from its emergence in antiquity as an oral practice to its vibrant proliferation today.

Ochs provides a lively and incisive account of how the foundational Jewish narrative of liberation is remembered in the Haggadah. She discusses the book's origins in biblical and rabbinical literature, its flourishing in illuminated manuscripts in the medieval period, and its mass production with the advent of the printing press. She looks at Haggadot created on the kibbutz, those reflecting the Holocaust, feminist and LGBTQ-themed Haggadot, and even one featuring a popular television show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Ochs shows how this enduring work of liturgy that once served to transmit Jewish identity in Jewish settings continues to be reinterpreted and reimagined to share the message of freedom for all.

Genres: Jewish, Judaism, Religion, History

232 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 3, 2020

Reviews

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 4 out of 5]

Passover will start in a few hours. I just finished this book and liked it a lot. It mostly goes through the history of the Haggadah (the book that we read at the Passover meal (Pesach sedar)) that guides us through the dinner, suggests discussion and tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt.

Toward the end, the Haggadot (plural for Haggadah) become more liberal, being less about the Exodus from Egypt and more about a particular cause. But frankly, most Jews prefer to have the basic traditional elements included regardless of what additional ideas compel people to discuss.

Gotta go. Hag Sameach.

[Erika Dreifus]

Check out my review for Hadassah magazine at https://www.hadassahmagazine.org/2020....

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable short read going through the different iterations of the haggadah. Made me want to make my own haggadah.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

More Jews observe Passover than any other Jewish holiday, although those celebrations vary greatly – from strictly Orthodox to totally secular. What they all have in common, though, is some variation of the haggadah, which provides a blueprint for what will occur during the evening. However, what exactly is the haggadah and why are there so many different versions? Those questions are discussed in the wonderful “The Passover Haggadah: A Biography” by Vanessa Ochs (Princeton University Press).
Read the rest of my review at http://www.thereportergroup.org/Artic...

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enlightening history of the Haggadah with references to many different versions, both historical and recent. There are, unfortunately, no color pictures. Best of all is the author’s analysis of the various irritating problems with the Haggadah in the final section entitled, Why Have We Needed So Many Haggadot?.

[Sarah Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little book. I especially liked reading about all the 20th century adaptations of the Haggadah: the labor movement, kibbutzim, post-Holocaust, civil rights, Zionist, feminist versions. Very accessible book, quick read.

[Mae Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

How amazing is this? Vanessa Ochs writes, “Haggadah comes to life when it leads those who have gathered to use it to ask hard questions about slavery, exile, redemption, and freeing the oppressed.”

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely loving book about an absolutely lovely book.

[Katie Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on the history of the Haggadah! Perfect for Passover

[Yonatan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating little volume that gives a glimpse into the history of the Haggadah.
Very little that I didn't know already, but nicely placed in one compact book.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I had written my article "A Brief History of the Haggadah" (https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/pb-...) I was aware of this biography's existence, but I did not read it, as a way of challenging myself to ensure that I covered the historical ground appropriately, without resorting to any "cheating." The book and my article inevitably would cover the same ground, so I had to avoid it to ensure my material was unsullied and fresh.

I was quite relieved to have found that I covered the material responsibly, and really didn't miss much of note concerning the timeline of haggadahs. I was also relieved to find that our voices are different. The book is clearly written by an erudite scholar, whilst I only pretend mightily to be one.

I do have one beef: The Emoji Haggadah wasn't included in her run-down of modern haggadahs, and it was certainly on the radar at press time. However, she did mention it in a recent podcast, so it's a wash, and I'm pleased as punch.

A final thought on her final thought, and a negiligible quibble: she spends a lot of time pondering why the haggadah is so malleable, and why it's presented in so many forms, and why it's unending in its various incarnations. Sometimes the answer is the simplest of all: it's just plain fun to. I've written three haggadahs. I know.