From Publishers Weekly
From the opening pages, in which Rabbi Laufer shares a bit of his family's own history of enslavement and eventual liberation during the Holocaust, this book captures the emotional resonance of the Passover festival with its themes of exile, triumph and freedom. Laufer, who lectures widely in North America and Israel, suggests that readers take up the book thirty days before Passover as a way of gaining entry into the seder's traditions and understanding the spiritual issues behind them. Short chapters address "chametz" (the leavened bread that observant Jews eschew during the holiday), the order of the meal, sacred time and space, the symbolism of the various food items on the seder table, the nature of freedom and enslavement, and other issues. At the heart of the book is a long and thought-provoking chapter on the oral nature of seder storytelling, with Laufer walking readers through the Four Questions and the other parts of the "Maggid," or verbal narrative. This book is for anyone who wants to understand the seder in a more spiritual way, or to connect the diverse pieces of the ritual into "a single, meaningful, cohesive story."
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From the Inside Flap
Everyone Can Rediscover the Meaning of the Seder
In this intriguing and enlightening exploration of the Passover Seder, Rabbi Nathan Laufer uncovers the hidden meaning of the Seder’s rituals and customs for everyone interested in or participating in a Seder. He insightfully brings an original, accessible, yet scholarly perspective to understanding the Haggadah text. Unlike other books on the Seder that offer only fragmentary insights into the Seder and the Haggadah, Leading the Passover Journey reveals a unifying theory connecting the fifteen pieces of the Seder and our own contemporary experiencing of the Passover story.
Explaining the background and spiritual meaning of many customs and rituals we may have otherwise thought little about—from kadesh (the first cup of wine) to nirtzah (acceptance)—Rabbi Laufer helps you to develop a deeper understanding and a more passionate appreciation of the Passover Seder experience.
Leading the Passover Journey will transform your family and friends from reluctant bystanders at the Passover Seder who repeatedly ask "When are we going to eat already?" to enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and active participants in our people’s journey toward redemption.
"Over and over, I found myself saying, ‘Wow! How could I have missed that point all these years?’ There is so much new material here, so many innovative and creative interpretations!" —Blu Greenberg, author, How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household
