Online extension to the Haggadah

April 8, 2016 by J-Wire Staff
Read on for article

The New Israel Fund Australia has launched “The Other Haggadah”, a unique collection of stories to bring new insight and discussion to the Seder table.

oh400Co-authored by two of NIF Australia’s inaugural Naomi Chazan Fellows, Elysheva Elsass and Eli Oshorov, the supplement includes perspectives from contemporary Israel reflecting on the themes of freedom and justice that are central to the Pesach story.

Five important social, economic and political issues in Israel today are considered in The Other Haggadah: refugees and asylum seekers; freedom of movement for Palestinians in the West Bank; public housing; agunot (women who are chained to their marriages); and Bedouin society.

The New Israel Fund is a leading funder of civil society in Israel, its work focusing on all five of the issues explored in The Other Haggadah.

The Other Haggadah is presented as a website with interactive videos and images, and as a printable PDF file.

The Other Haggadah begins:

Each Pesach, we sit and read the Exodus story. “With an outstretched arm, God took you out of Egypt.” We discuss freedom, equality, oppression, and how these ancient themes reverberate through Jewish history in every generation. As the Haggadah says, “In each and every generation, a person is obligated to regard himself as though he actually left Egypt.”

The Haggadah reminds us that we were strangers in the Land of Egypt. Its authors understood how easy it would be for us to forget that we had also been “the other”, the stranger.

Today, we see these same things affecting society’s most vulnerable. In response, we’ve put together a range of stories from modern day Israel, relating to women, poverty, Palestinians, and people seeking asylum.

As Elysheva Elsass, co­author of The Other Haggadah, commented: “I​srael isn’t alone in facing challenges like marginalisation and poverty. Pesach is a time to reflect on how we can apply our Jewish values to situations we care about. Hopefully, this Pesach, we will see more people engaged in Israeli issues, working together to create a more equitable and just Israel.”​

Eli Oshorov, co­author of The Other Haggadah, said: “Pesach seders are increasingly relevant as we are able to bring in stories of injustice that are present in our modern societies. Given how central Israel is to so many of our Jewish identities, The Other Haggadah is a good opportunity to learn more about those being left behind in Israeli society, spark discussions with family and friends, and learn how we can help shape a more inclusive Israel.”

The Other Haggadah can be accessed at www.TheOtherHaggadah.org

Speak Your Mind

Comments received without a full name will not be considered
Email addresses are NEVER published! All comments are moderated. J-Wire will publish considered comments by people who provide a real name and email address. Comments that are abusive, rude, defamatory or which contain offensive language will not be published

Got something to say about this?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.