Welcome to the Seder: A Passover Haggadah for Everyone - by Rabbi Kerry M Olitzky (Paperback)

About the Book

"This warm, welcoming haggadah includes core Passover texts, as well as poems, readings, and stories that acknowledge and value the wide range of backgrounds of seder participants today, and inspire us with the universal message of freedom:

Book Synopsis

Named one of "the best haggadahs of all time" by the Forward's Jay Michaelson.

Welcome to a new kind of seder. Celebrate Passover with traditional seder texts as well as poems, readings, and stories that acknowledge, value, and include the diverse backgrounds of seder participants today.

Evoke the universal message of freedom, inspired by writers and thinkers from around the world.
Find new meaning in the Passover story, whether this seder is your first or your one hundred and first.

Perfect for:

• Guests from a variety of backgrounds and experiences
• Multi-cultural, interfaith, and unaffiliated families
• First-time seder guests

Includes:

• All the instructions and readings for a seder of up to 60 minutes
• Prayers and blessings in English, Hebrew, and Hebrew transliteration
• Unusual additions to the seder plate to lift up those often marginalized
• Clear instructions for leaders
• Vibrant, inspirational artwork by a leading Israeli artist
• Multicultural connections throughout the texts, including relevant blessings and rituals from other cultures
• Reflective passages by a variety of contributors from diverse backgrounds
• Miriam's Cup and Ruth's Cup (to signify a welcome to Jews by Choice) included in addition to Elijah's Cup
• Seder Songs: Dayeinu, Adir Hu, Orah Hi, Echad Mi Yodei'a (Who knows One), Chad Gadya (One Little Goat), Let My People Go
• Seder Recipes: Roasted Peanut Charoset, Italian Charoset, Make your own matzah

Review Quotes

"If you are searching for an inclusive, beautiful, and easy-to-use, creative haggadah for Passover, look no further than Welcome to the Seder: A Passover Haggadah for Everyone. Rabbi Kerry Olitzky offers a fresh take on the traditional ritual, and Rinat Gilboa's artwork is beautiful. A great choice for your seder table! --Dr. Ron Wolfson, Fingerhut Professor of Education, American Jewish University and author of Relational Judaism.

"Need a beautiful, spiritually inclusive, yet easy-to-follow haggadah? You'll find exactly that when you open the pages of Welcome to the Seder: A Passover Haggadah for Everyone. It's the perfect guide to your family's Passover celebration. --Jodi Bromberg, CEO of InterfaithFamily

"Whether you have been leading seders for generations or hope to lead one for the first time, this is a haggadah to inspire, educate, and enliven your table. Rabbi Kerry Olitzky and illustrator Rinat Gilboa have created a beautiful and accessible addition to our Passover library." --Abigail Pogrebin, author of My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew.

"This Passover haggadah introduces the seder to families in a welcoming, educational manner easily understood by all ages. It includes quotes by famous people, poetry, traditional and modern customs, ideas for adapting the seder so that it feels personal and unique, and both translations and transliterations of the included blessings. This book has all the elements needed to explain this home-based holiday service to those who may be intimidated by heavier or more foreign versions, yet wish to come away with a substantive experience in which they deeply feel the holiday's overarching theme of freedom.

The seder, as presented here, is greatly abridged but leaves plenty of room for additional discussion, perfect for those who are exploring new ways to celebrate the holiday or are trying out this observance for the first time. Explanations throughout are simply and clearly stated. Parallel ideas from other religions are contrasted.

The accompanying color art is lively and appealing, showing Jews of all colors (including blue) sitting around a seder table, spring themes, and vignettes from Jewish history, fancifully imagined, which seem to make the Jews' escape from slavery in Egypt come alive with meaning.

Some recipes, including one for matzah, are included. Recommended for families and groups of friends of all ages." --Michal Malen, Jewish Book Council

"If you are searching for an inclusive, beautiful, and easy-to-use creative haggadah for Passover, look no further than Welcome to the Seder: A Passover Haggadah for Everyone. Rabbi Kerry Olitzky offers a fresh take on the traditional ritual, and Rinat Gilboa's artwork is delightful. A great choice for your seder table!" --Dr. Ron Wolfson, Fingerhut Professor of Education, American Jewish University

"The Haggadah is like a multihued tapestry because it contains material from many eras and places. Rabbi Olitzky has created a version of the Haggadah that includes some traditional elements such as Kiddush, the four questions, and the hallel, and he has added many new and interesting modern elements. These include an interpretive translation, directions, and marginal commentaries. Discussion topics are provided in question form to encourage everyone to participate.

While this version is shorter than most traditional Haggadot, some of the additional blessings provided here are far lengthier than in the standard text; for example, the motzi matzah and marror span over four pages. Nevertheless, I learned many new ideas from this Haggadah that will even influence my own approach to editing a Haggadah. This book is recommended for all libraries. --Daniel D. Stuhlman, City Colleges of Chicago for the Association of Jewish Libraries