Seder Under Siege – Seder in Jerusalem 1948

As the sun set on the British Mandate and rose over the new State of Israel, civil war raged between Arabs and Jews. Jerusalem’s hundred thousand Jewish residents prepared to celebrate Pesach under siege, unsure whether they were headed for redemption or for exodus from another kind of Egypt

Waiting for Elijah – Elijah in the Haggadah

When the Pesach Seder took shape almost two thousand years ago, it made no mention of Elijah the prophet. How did the biblical zealot find his way into the haggadah? Medieval Ashkenazic traditions may hold the key

Sacrifice in Samaria – Samaritans

The paschal lambs are bleating on the road to Nablus. The community elders are decked out in white and the final preparations for the sacrifice on Mt. Gerizim are nearing completion. Is this what the Temple Mount is waiting for?