Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?

March 1, 2008
A notable feature of modern Judaism, especially in America, is its inventivenessits many variations within its long-standing traditions. As Passover approaches, some families will bring out a variety of Haggadahs; others will revise the old or write new ones for the events of this year. These two books illustrate different facets of that ongoing ingenuity in Jewish American lifeneither of them, shockingly enough, a true Haggadah.

Kurshan takes the traditional "Four Questions" that drive the retelling of the story of the Exodus into 23 languages and gives a short account of the fate of the Jews in the country where each of these languages is spoken. This touchingly illustrated book is ideal for demonstrating the global reach of the Jewish Diaspora. Rips, a bookseller and longtime Seder host, collects anecdotes, observations, memories, and jokesmany of them irreverently hilariousfrom the likes of Rita Rudner and Rabbi Harold Kushner. The book underscores the humor, the unpredictability, and the love that have shaped so many Seders for so many generations and includes a helpful glossary of terms for the Passover-unenlightened. For most collections.

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