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Haggadot

On the first night of Passover, generations of Jewish families gather together in their homes or with other community members to perform the Passover seder. This ritual consists of reading the Haggadah, which is essentially a retelling of the story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt, and the consumption of symbolic foods. The word 'Haggadah' is derived from the Hebrew root 'to tell'. The Haggadah also contains benedictions, prayers, commentary, psalms, and songs relating to the exodus.

Some Haggadot (pl.), like the one donated by the Price family, are annotated with personal family traditions and show which parts of the Haggadah a family might choose to emphasize or omit. Haggadot have been produced around the world – with accompanying translations in a multitude of languages. They range from sumptuously illustrated Haggadot in manuscript to Haggadot produced by a specific community or Jewish group or to reach a particular audience, such as children.

The Price Library of Judaica holds hundreds of Haggadot for Passover. In addition to rare and special editions like the ones exhibited here, the Library holds a wide range of specimens from around the world and from many time periods.


Seder Hagadah shel Pesah Seder Hagadah shel Pesah Seder Hagadah shel Pesah Seder Hagadah shel Pesah

Seder Haggadah shel Pesah
1712
31 [i.e. 62] p., 1 folded leaf of plates : ill., map ; 33 cm.

This is a rare second edition of a Passover Haggadah originally produced in 1695 following the Venetian prototype. The illustrations were produced by Abraham ben Jacob, a convert to Judaism, using copper engraving. A fold-out map of the Land of Israel (above) at the back of the book was the first map of its kind to be included in a Jewish publication. This Amsterdam Haggadah was so popular that it had a lasting influence on the Haggadot produced in the Ashkenazi world.

The Agam Haggadah The Agam Haggadah The Agam Haggadah

The Agam Haggadah
Yaakov Agam
1993
120 p.

The Agam Haggadah comprises color reproductions of works by the Israeli artist Yaakov Agam. Agam has gained an international reputation for his contributions to optical and kinetic art. He is best known for his sculpture in Dizengoff Square, Tel Aviv: the kinetic fountain entitled 'Fire and Water'.