Why On This Night?: A Passover Haggadah for Family Celebration

by Rahel Musleah, Louise August (Illustrator)

Overview

The rich traditions of Passover come alive in this contemporary family haggadah. Updated from the original 2000 edition, this holiday favorite is available again for families to treasure. As children and adults gather at the seder dinner to remember the Israelites' journey from slavery to freedom, this creative, yet authentic haggadah will guide and engage them. Lushly illustrated, with blessings and text of every major section of the haggadah in Hebrew, English translation, and transliteration, the welcoming and accessible style of Why On This Night? will make it a treasured seder companion year after year.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798986396552
Publisher:	Endless Mountain Publishing
Publication date:	02/13/2024
Edition description:	Revised and Updated
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	9.25(w) x 9.95(h) x 0.45(d)
Age Range:	7 - 11 Years

About the Author

Rahel Musleah is an award-winning journalist, author, singer, storyteller and educator. Her articles have appeared in The New York Times, Hadassah magazine, and numerous other publications. She was born in Calcutta and leads Jewish heritage tours of India. She is the author of several books including Apples and Pomegranates: A Family Seder for Rosh Hashanah, and has recorded a CD of Shabbat and holiday melodies, Hodu: Jewish Rhythms from Baghdad to India. She lives in New York. Visit her website, explorejewishindia.com.

Illustrator LOUISE AUGUST, was a painter, printmaker, and muralist whose works have been acquired by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Yale University Art Gallery, and the Butler Institute of American Art. She illustrated several children's books, including The Way Meat Loves Salt.

Editorial Reviews

Teaming their considerable talents, Musleah and August offer a stop-and-take-notice version of the book used to lead families through the seder, the home service, and the festive meal that opens the eight-day Passover celebration. Subtle reminders of the holiday's celebration of freedom are enfolded into Musleah's poetic explanations of the symbolic foods and traditions, as well as questions that encourage participation in the celebration. The Hebrew prayers are gender neutral and written with transliterations and English translations so everyone can be involved in the service. The scores and lyrics of traditional songs, as well as illuminating comments about their meanings, are included, and songs set to melodies such as "Yankee Doodle," add a lighthearted touch for children. There are also folk stories and a brief, four-act play. August's jubilant, signature linocuts, printed in oils on rice paper, bloom in the colors and stylized images of spring and the Middle East's flowers and fruits. Their luminous colors and rich textures lend a radiance to the majestic depiction of the seder plate and wrap the images of God's intervention to free the Israelites in spirituality. The vibrant writing and artistic creativity of this memorable collaboration vitalize an ancient Jewish tradition for contemporary children

Booklist - Ellen Mandel