Review: Ellen Harris, Cleveland Jewish News


Haggadah: A Different Night Short Reviews Long Reviews 4 Children Art of 4 Children Leader's Guide Plagues Bags
	LONG REVIEWS: The Jewish world — from Reform and Reconstructionist to Orthodox — is raving about A DIFFERENT NIGHT *reviews by* Jewish Journal South Moment Magazine Jewish Bulletin of Northern CA Cleveland Jewish News Jerusalem Post
	WHY is this haggadah different from others?
	Noam Zion's lively new Passover guide *uses contemporary idioms to transform tradition.* Ellen Harris City Editor If Noam Sachs Zion has his way, the guests at his seder table won't furtively count the remaining unread pages of their Haggadah while eagerly awaiting the first matzo ball of the evening. After three years of constant revisions, Zion, who is a faculty member at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and a frequent lecturer at the Cleveland College of Jewish Studies, has created a new breed of haggadah. "A Different Night" The Family Participation Haggadah is brimming with techniques for drawing guests into the seder rituals and enlivening traditional readings with contemporary references. Along the way, participants gain a new slant on the holiday taken from unconventional sources, including letters to The New York Times; a cartoon version of Abraham breaking the idols; and 20 artistic renderings of the four sons (in this Haggadah, referred to as four children for gender-neutral purposes), which include drawings of the Marx brothers. Zion wrote it with David Dishon, also on staff at the Shalom Hartman Institute. At its heart is the maggid (storytelling) part of the Exodus. Presented as a dialogue between parent and child, or leader and participant, this section offers provocative (and frequently, humorous) commentaries, activities and historical backgrounds.
		For example, in one section written by David Hartman, the concept of slavery is explained to young participants by telling the story of a child, whose father had been away from home for one year on business. Finally, the father announces he is returning; and the family prepares for the homecoming. At the last minute, the father calls to announce that his boss won't release him from his job. Abba explains to his son, "I can't make my own decisions. The boss decides my movements for me." At that moment, the child realizes love isn't enough to bring his parent home. The storyteller says to children at the seder table, "That's what it means to be a slave: You can't control your life." . . . The authors suggest that participants continue the dialogue by citing their own personal examples of bondage or symbolic imprisonment, or even act out a skit. The Haggadah retains traditional halachic (Jewish legal) passages and transliterated Hebrew text, along with directions for performing the rituals. But even the Four Questions take on a new spin. They shouldn't be an exercise in automatic recitation, claim Zion and Dishon, who emphasize that the Mishna requires that intelligent children ask their own questions. For example, the authors advise that even before the Four Questions are asked, the seder leader begin handing out dessert treats. Automatically, the children ask, "What's going on?" says Zion. "They want to know why this night is so different." Not only is this a sure fire way to spark a lively discussion, it's a tradition which dates back to Maimonides, Zion chuckles.	Although the Haggadah is 180 pages long, it is organized in a user-friendly format, with each page accompanied by a graphic of a wine cup (or more) corresponding to the selection at hand. Bold-line drawings and illustrations drawn from medieval and modern artists serve as visual commentaries. The authors are quick to point out that the erudite material and illustrative commentaries in their Haggadah can't be absorbed in one sitting. Seder leaders should familiarize themselves with various sections, then pick selected passages to use. Zion emphasizes that "A Different Night" offers resources and themes for many years of Passover Seders. Responses have been "very positive," he says. He also "test marketed" it at the Hartman Institute during rabbinical seminars attended by Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist participants. It appears to be "trans-denominational," he observes. "A Different Night" embodies knowledge Zion has acquired during his distinguished academic career and 20 years of taking part in his own family seders. It also incorporates rituals celebrated by other families. "Some sections are inspired by customs like that used by Max Ratner's family," explains Zion, who earlier lived In Cleveland for several years. "The Ratners would reward the kids with money as a prize for finding the afikomen then encourage them to give a percentage to charity and announce their choice (of charity)."