On the first night of Passover, Jews the world over will read from the Haggadah as they gather around the seder table. The book serves as a guide, relating the story of the exodus from Egypt and setting the order for the seder.
While the text of each Haggadah is essentially the same, the book comes in many sizes and styles. Some are simple and others are elaborately illustrated.
Rabbi Jack Zanerhaft will discuss one such Haggadah, a rare first edition, at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Haggadah for Passover, illustrated by artist Ben Shahn, features 21 color pictorial borders and line drawings, including a double-page Menorah frontispiece. The book is number 66 of 228 signed copies.
Museum library director Catherine Petersen will begin the presentation by talking about Shahn,who created many of the book’s illustrations around 1930. More than 30 years passed before Shahn reproduced the watercolors for this limited-edition Haggadah, which was published in 1965.
Zanerhaft, rabbi at Congregation Etz Chaim in Bentonville, said the word Haggadah means “the story” or “the telling.” The telling is to fulfill the commandment in Exodus 13:8: “And you shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’”
“It’s actually a guidebook to help those conducting a Passover seder, to help them retell the story of the exodus in an accurate way,” he said. “It’s meant to guide and inspire and to encourage and engage us in conversation and dialogue about the meaning of Passover.”
Jews celebrate Passover, or Pesach, to remember their es-cape from slavery. This year, Passover begins at sunset on April 14.
The story of Passover is told in the Book of Exodus. According to the text, the Jewish people were slaves to the ruling pharaohs for more than 200 years until God called on Moses to save them.
Moses tried to persuade Pharaoh to free them but he steadfastly refused, even when he was confronted with a series of plagues - from swarms of locusts to rivers of blood. The final plague, the death of the first-born children of Egypt, finally convinced him. The children of the Jews were spared because they marked their doorways with lamb’s blood and their houses were “passed over.”
Pharaoh agreed to set the Jews free, but changed his mind and sent soldiers to stop them from leaving. The Jews found themselves trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army, but Moses, with God’s help, parted the waters and they were able to flee out of Egypt to freedom.
Zanerhaft said Shahn’s Haggadah is an artistic, modern example of the book and reflects the artist’s Jewish background.
“He drew from his own personal experience growing up,his family’s seders, to inspire him,” Zanerhaft said. “It’s sort of a hybrid, as with any artist, of his own personal experience and his artistic vision.”
Zanerhaft said during the discussion he’ll describe the illustrations and how they relate to the story of Passover.
“I’m always excited about the opportunity to have these platforms for the inclusion of the Jewish community in Northwest Arkansas, and for the opportunity for cross-cultural, interfaith dialogue,” he said. “The Last Supper was indeed a Passover seder and Easter and Passover coincide intentionally. … There is an inextricable tie between the two.”
Other modern illustrated Haggadot will also be on display. The session is free, with online registration at shop. crystalbridges.org/events.aspx.
Religion, Pages 12 on 04/05/2014