This year, Passover begins on the eve of Wednesday, April 5^th marking a celebration of freedom commemorating the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, as told in the Exodus story of the Bible.  It is also a time of “teaching” in the form of a Haggadah or guide, when everyone gathers around a seder table and becomes a sacred storyteller.  The Haggadah is used for telling the Exodus story each year, as is commanded in the Bible. But how that story is told comes in many shapes, sizes and genres. Here are a few new Haggadahs and Haggadah supplements for 2023.

“The Shakespeare Haggadah”

From the author who brought us “The Coronovirus Haggadah,” “The Emoji Haggadah” and “The Festivus Haggadah, Martin Bodek now has come with “The Shakespeare Haggadah,” published by Wicked Son Books. (Of course!)

So how is this Haggadah different from all other Haggadahs?

“The Shakespeare Haggadah” contains at least one quote from each of the Bard’s play (although some plays get as many as four). Unlike some modernized or parody haggadot, this one displays the full ritual text in Hebrew, as well as the English translation (here in faux-Elizabethan style, peppered with copious and relevant Shakespeare quotes). There are even funny stage directions for the leader of the seder.

Bodek’s favorite Shakespeare-quote/Haggadah-text mashup in the book?

“I love—LOVE!—that I found something relevant for each of the Four Cups,” he said in a statement. “There’s a lot of drinking going on in Shakespeare’s plays, and that was no problem whatsoever. I had a lot of fun with that!” He was also pleased that it was easy to find a reference to every one of the Ten Plagues.

Pesach approacheth! Make haste and if interested, you can order this Haggadah at amazon.com for roughly $15.

Yeshiva University’s 2023 Passover Haggadah: A Guide for Multi-Generational Sacred Storytelling

Given that multi-generations within the same family from very young children to seniors are often present, YU’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration published its fourth Haggadah companion, entitled “On This Night We Are All Teachers” to bring age-appropriate exercises and games that can help relay the Passover story to everyone.

For preschoolers, the 2023 Haggadah asks the child to imagine what it is like to be a slave and engage in various activities, such as “Race to Freedom,” in which they are told to quickly collect five items that they would take if they had to leave quickly.  They are then asked to explain why they choose the items they choose and understand that freedom requires moving quickly and choosing wisely.

Elementary school children are told they are going to make a difference by caring for others and making the world a better place.  In this activity, children are asked how they would care for others by paying attention to their feelings and needs.

Teens are asked to consider a family story, such as their grandparents coming to America, how their parents met or a family trip.   They are then asked to reflect on how the telling of that story may relate to the stories in the Haggadah.

For adults, the story is about personalization and redemption. Every generation has a responsibility for seeing themselves as if they had left Egypt. Egypt was only the beginning and the Jewish people continue to be guided each day through their faith and religion.

The 2023 Haggadah entitled: “On This Night we are All Teachers,” is free and can be viewed Here.  For more information visit Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education & Administration | Yeshiva University (yu.edu).

Chabad.org’s Offline Passover Haggadah for an Online World

The Chabad.org Haggadah, the product of years of work in reimagining how the Passover Seder experience could be made easier to follow and more inspiring, is available for the first time in hardcover this year, as well as in its popular downloadable and paperback versions.

Now in its third edition, the Haggadah has once again been improved in design, layout and content, based on feedback from its enthusiastic users. It was first published on Chabad.org in the spring of 2021, just weeks before what would be many people’s second Passover in isolation, and has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times and used at Passover seders around the world.

Replete with a user-friendly English translation, original artwork, and timeless insights from The Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—thousands of Haggadahs in paperback were ordered , and hundreds of thousands more were downloaded as a free PDF from Chabad.org.