Customer Reviews

300 Ways to Ask the Four Questions - new edition

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You might argue that getting the four questions asked at the seder is merely a performance moment for the youngest who can articulate them, but that the real business comes afterward. You would be wrong, of course, and nothing proves it more than this absolutely wonderful book. I gave it as a Chanukkah gift (enough lead time to prepare for seder), but having a few of them on the table at Passover is just as good an idea.

If the task of telling of the Exodus is to view ourselves in every generation as if we came out of Egypt, this book enhances the essential experience by making us imagine the many destinations that Exodus did or might produce. What does a Japanese seder taste like (wasabi bitter herbs)? How did my great-great grandparents explain things to a curious Polish neighbor (carefully)? What passes for chametz and matzah on Klingon(don't want to think about it)? If the haggadah is a time trip, Spiegel and Stein are our world-wide travel agents.

And the book is just so much fun, whether I am flipping through the pages or trying to put the sounds in my own mouth. Why is it almost too much fun? Because it might wind up delaying the answer to the fifth question at the seder: when do we eat?

After cooking and cleaning all week, I stayed up late the night before the first seder to read this book. I just couldn't put it down! I brought it to our friends' house for seder, and we spent more than an hour passing the book around, taking turns reading the questions in every language we had even a passing acquaintance with, and many we didn't! We couldn't stop laughing, but it also sparked some interesting discussions of past seders we'd attended and Jewish customs we'd experienced in other countries. I plan to buy several copies for family and friends before next Pesach!

Infused with the great joy the authors take in their subject, 300 Ways to Ask the Four Questions celebrates the universal, liberating message of Passover in unique and wonderful ways. Through 300 languages, plus the puzzles and games, and especially their own absorbing quests into identifying, preserving and enjoying languages and the people who produced the translations, Spiegel and Stein bring us a far greater appreciation of the importance and significance of Passover and its meaning to all the world's peoples.

What an astounding book! The research and presentation are outstanding!! I heartily recommend this book to all who are the least bit interested in language, Judaism, geography, history, human interest, and, life itself. Buy the book!!!!!

Co-authored by Murray Spiegel and Rickey Stein, and featuring an informative foreword by Theodore Bikel, "300 Ways To Ask The Four Questions" provides a fascinating , colorfully illustrated, 368-page examination and presentation of the Sedar (including both the Jewish holiday meal and service) from the perspective of a variety of languages and cultures. This massive reference work is the result of some twenty-five years of research in the collection of translation of the Four Questions that form the basis of the Sedar celebration. Contributions were provided by Jews from Uganda to Uzbekistan, the languages range from Abkhaz to Zulu, and even includes sign language. Of special note are the contributions by experts of ancient languages -- including Egyptian from the time of the Exodus. Substantially enhanced with both a CD and a DVD with language and speaker highlights, "300 Ways To Ask The Four Questions" also features a variety of fun games, puzzles, and parodies., making it a unique and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, family, synagogue, academic, and community library Judaic Studies reference collections.

You might ask that question and the answer would be lots. I've shown the book to several teenaged children and they found the book as fascinating as adults. Whether you're specifically interested in Judaica or foreign language and culture, the book has something for everyone. It's lots of fun to find out where languages are spoken and by how many people or just to see how many of the countries you've heard of or could find on a map. I enjoyed reading about the languages and the individuals that had done the translations. I was especially impressed by the beautiful layout and enjoyed seeing what each written language looks like. This book would make a great gift for anyone attending a Seder or interested in the world in general.

Had a chance the other day to sit with this book for a while. It's really an awe-inspiring accomplishment. I'm so impressed with the amount of information you've gathered, never mind how you managed to gather it, as well as the vibrant and exciting format you've created. You should
hopefully sell zillions of copies (I'll do my best to help).

If you think you have every possible conversation-stimulating haggadah, poem, song, puppet, reading and activity for your seder table, you haven't see this wonderful collection! Engaging and intriquing, I have recommended this to countless friends as the best newest addition for the seder table.

This book is the perfect coffee table book/conversation starter. It's one you can pick up again and again, each time finding something interesting. It's organized beautifully for both reference and for idle flipping.

For each of the three hundred languages (some live, some ancient, and some humorous) you get the Four Questions in translation (and phonetics as well if applicable), a pithy description of the history of that language, and one or two colorful photographs.

Anyone who is interested in words, in languages, or geography would enjoy this book.

The reviews of this book are great and I look forward to buying. The 4 or 5 other websites I found selling the book priced it at $39.95. Amazon's price of $59.95 seems strange.