Leading The Passover Journey: The Seder's Meaning Revealed, The Haggadah's Story Retold (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: chad gadya, verbal telling, kinesthetic action, Jewish People, The Narrative of Redemption, Book of Exodus (more...)

Editorial Reviews

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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Product Description

Enrich Your Passover Seder with Renewed Meaning and Significance

Whether you are planning to participate in, contribute to, or lead a Passover Seder, Leading the Passover Journey will help you relive the Jewish People’s legacy of survival, hope, and redemption, and reconnect with the rich heritage celebrated in this special event.

Reclaim the hidden meaning of the Passover Seder. Connect the pieces of the Haggadah narrative into one meaningful, cohesive story. From preparing for Passover to understanding the order of the Seder, from eating the meal of freedom in the house of slavery to reenacting the saga at the sea, this fascinating exploration of the texts and traditions surrounding the most celebrated event in the Jewish calendar will awaken latent knowledge and provide new understanding. It will empower you to fully understand and identify with the complete story of the Jewish People’s journey of liberation.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 185 pages
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing (February 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580232116
• ISBN-13: 978-1580232111
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #690,254 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best in years, April 12, 2005

By	Joseph Rackman (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Put an end to boring Seders. This is a great Haggadah, the best in years, perfect for anyone who wants to have intelligent comments to make at their Seder. Even for those who are familiar with the text of the Haggadah, there are many, many original thoughts that seem so obvious that you wonder why you didn't think of them yourself. The layout of the book makes it easy for those who use a non-traditional text at their Seder to find the texts relevant to their Seder and to use them.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterful addition to the Hagaddot we own, April 1, 2005

By	Selwyn Gerber (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Rabbi Laufer shows his talent as a master-teacher. He explores the traditional Hagaddah giving it a fresh meaning and relevance to our lives, while linking it even more closely to the biblical text in a unique and coherent manner.
This book will surely become a classic work.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brings the fifteen pieces of the traditional Seder into plain-terms, contemporary rendition of the Passover story, July 4, 2005

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Rabbi Nathan Laufer presents Leading The Passover Journey: The Seder's Meaning Revealed, The Haggadah's Story Retold, brings the fifteen pieces of the traditional Seder into plain-terms, contemporary rendition of the Passover story. Combining scholarly insight with an uplifting conviction in the power and meaning of the Passover journey to reinforce one's Jewish identity and relationship with God, Leading The Passover Journey transforms the experience and the history behind it into a message readily accessible to readers of all backgrounds and levels of familiarity with Jewish tradition. Highly recommended particularly as an introductory to lay readers and novice scholars striving to better understand the Seder and the Haggadah's story.