The Santa Cruz Haggadah - Leader's Edition (Regular) [Paperback]

Karen G.R. Roekard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1992

The Santa Cruz Haggadah is a user-friendly Passover Haggadah based on the concept that we should not only look back in history to when we were slaves and then freed, but that we should also connect in with other groups who are needing freedom or protection now - eg the homeless, the redwoods, those discriminated against because of their age, sex, sexual preferences, etc. - and with the ways in which we enslave ourselves now through the risks we don't take, the words and actions we keep repeating, the questions we don't ask, etc.The Leader's versions (the complete versions) provide the leader with help in tailoring a seder to the expected participants; a ten-minute or ten-hour seder can be designed. The Participant's version provides attendees with all that they need to participate in the seder. The Kids' Passover Fun Book serves as: (1) a haggadah for little kids; (2) an Afikomen present for middle-aged kids (6 - 11); (3) a distraction tool for unruly kids at a s! eder; or (4) a violence-free and God-neutral teaching tool for parents and/or teachers. The Deluxe edition of the Santa Cruz Haggadah makes a wonderful present; the contents are the same as the regular leaders but the paper on which it is printed is a very beautiful heavy-weight purple and the cover is gold-foiled.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Karen G.R.Roekard is a Yeshivah of Flatbush (Brooklyn) educated spiritual leader and community developer in the San Francisco Bay area. In her late adolescence, she abandoned the Orthodoxy for 18 years while she took a grand tour of other spiritual traditions; it was through her connections with Reb Zalman Schacter-Shalomi, the Jewish Renewal Movement and the Aquarian Minyan of Berkeley that she returned. The Santa Cruz Haggadah emerged out of many years of running Seders based on the concept of personal spiritual search; as of February 1999, over 40,000 copies have been sold.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Hineni Consciousness Press (February 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962891347
• ISBN-13: 978-0962891342
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #623,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > Haggadah

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Making the Passover seder mean something again, April 19, 2000

By 

oona mekas (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Santa Cruz Haggadah - Leader's Edition (Regular) (Paperback)

This haggadah brings out the meaning in every part of the Passover seder. In an age where tradition is sometimes looked down upon or misunderstood, Karen G.R. Roekard makes an ancient tradition come to life within a modern framework. The author makes the seder REALLY relevant to anyone who, while living a modern life, wants to keep in touch with a deeper, older, spiritual self.

The leader's edition contains extra insight into the Passover seder. The commentaries and meditations that are included with almost every page of the actual seder are meant to make the participants think about the reality of their lives in the context of the seder and the questions the story raises.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Making Pesach was never more fun!, August 3, 2001

By 

TarotGirl "Gisela" (Springfield, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Santa Cruz Haggadah - Leader's Edition (Regular) (Paperback)

This haggadah is so warm and friendly and welcoming to everyone at the table you feel really inspired! The fact is that it emphasizes the ways that the historical exodus is alive for us today as Jews, even though few of us now live in Egypt. It speaks to our hearts as well as our observances and it encourages our joy. The only complaint I have about the Leader's edition is that it's a little large on a crowded seder table, but that's incidental. Personally I like to use it to plan the add-ins to the seder, and it works very well.

The smaller Participant's version is charming and easy to handle for all the guests. And the kids really do love to color the pictures! As the years go by we've seen the accumulations of color and commentary from our guests, and it enriches the experience. Happily, I find a few copies go home with people each year. I keep replenishing the stock so there's always a mix of new and pre-colored copies at the table, and this enhances the sense of continuity through time, as there's always something from before, and always something new to add.

3 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A perversion of the meaning of Passover, March 28, 2001

By 

David Sabol (Greenfield Park, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Santa Cruz Haggadah - Leader's Edition (Regular) (Paperback)

This is one of the most twisted concepts I have ever seen relating to Jewish Holidays. Passover is a celebration of the miraculous escape from bondage by the Jewish people. By combining that meaning with the authors views of social problems is to blaspheme the word of G-d. This book does not deserve to be called an Hagaddah.