The Bronfman Haggadah

Book excerpt: A beautifully illustrated contemporary Haggadah for the Passover Seder, as interpreted by the world-renowned philanthropist and Jewish leader Edgar M. Bronfman. This Haggadah will inspire and delight all ages. Designed to foster Jewish pride, Edgar Bronfman’s text continues the traditional commandment to retell the Exodus story of slavery and freedom for future generations. The Haggadah teaches people of all ages about Judaism with a fresh perspective while helping to define Passover for everyone at the Seder table. The author’s creative approach weaves together meaningful readings, from the nineteenth-century abolitionist Frederick Douglas to a lesser-known poet, Marge Piercy. Bronfman captures the young reader’s imagination when each child, teenager, and adult assumes the role of a character in the Exodus story, or perhaps to become one of the story’s narrators. Watercolor paintings, created specially for this book, illustrate its main parts: the Seder plate’s symbolic foods, the parting of the Red Sea, the forty-year journey, the giving of the ten commandments on Mount Sinai, to name a few. The Bronfman Haggadah is a welcome addition for the avid collector, as well as to be used as the Haggadah of choice to enrich the Passover Seder experience with its refreshing interactive approach.