If you’ve read Faith Briefs lately, you may be wondering what is
a Haggadah? Last Friday, April 6, Jews all over the world
gathered together to celebrate Erev Pesach, the Eve of Passover.
It is an evening rich in symbolism and symbolic foods — one
where the Haggadah is read before the meal. Passover, the most
universally observed event among Jews worldwide, ends at sundown
Saturday and the Haggadah is the heart of the celebration. The
word Haggadah means, “the telling” and the word Seder means,
“order.” The Haggadah contains the narrative of the Jewish
exodus from Egypt, blessings, poems, commentaries and songs; it
is a guide for both prayer and discussion. Versions have been
around for more than a 1,000 years. If affection for a book were
to be measured by the number of versions, then the Passover
Haggadah is the most popular Jewish book of all time. “The
Haggadah says he who elaborates on the story is praiseworthy,”
said the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island’s Rabbi Edward
Maline. “We do not merely go thr