A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

The cover of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” edition of the Maxwell House Haggadah features an illustration of the hit show’s cast. (Maxwell House)

A “brief” history of the Maxwell House Haggadah

Kerri Steinberg, Otis College of Art and DesignPublished April 13, 2022

For more than a millennium, the haggadah has been the centerpiece of the Jewish holiday of Passover. The book sets out the ceremony for the Seder meal, when families tell the biblical Exodus story of God delivering the ancient Israelites from slavery...

A page from the “Passover Haggadah Graphic Novel” (Koren Publishers)

The Passover Haggadah story, now in graphic novel form

Matt RobinsonPublished April 9, 2019

(JTA) — At Passover each year we are reminded that even though the original story is generations old, we are supposed to engage with the narrative as if we were slaves in Egypt. Unfortunately, most Haggadahs are about as engaging as a Maxwell House...

Add new relevance to your seder with a Haggadah supplement focusing on contemporary issues.

Five seder supplements to consider for Passover this year

By Gabe Friedman, JTAPublished April 21, 2016

We get it: Most Jewish families don’t yearn to make their Passover seders longer.But there’s an entire world of seder upgrades and supplements out there providing myriad creative ways to freshen up the age-old tale of the Jews’ liberation from slavery...

Rabbi Weiman is a speaker, teaches Jewish history at Esther Miller Bais Yaakov, and is author of the new book, “48 Things, 49 Days,” (Targum Press) as well as “A Simple Guide to Happiness,” “A Map of the Universe,” and “the Everything Learning Hebrew Book.”

Between Passover and Shavuot, a time for character improvement

BY RABBI MAX WEIMANPublished March 28, 2013

What’s the most important part of Passover? Matzah? Wine? Haggadah? Aunt Tilly’s gefilte fish? Freedom from slavery is awesome. But despite the lines of the Haggadah song “dayenu,” the freedom would not have meant very much without the Torah....

Rabbi James Stone Goodman leads a seder at the Southeast Correctional Center in Charleston, Mo., about 145 miles southeast of St. Louis.

Why is this seder different from all other seders?

By Ellen Futterman, EditorPublished April 18, 2012

CHARLESTON, Mo.—Ten inmates, all but one part of the prison’s Jewish Worship Group, are seated around a large rectangular table, eagerly waiting. Several wear yarmulkes and have tallits draped over their shoulders while the others gladly accept one...

Rabbi Andy Kastner

Order it your way: On designing the seder

By Rabbi Andy KastnerPublished April 4, 2012

By design, the Passover seder is perhaps the paradigmatic family holiday. Relatives, distant and close, friends, even strangers crowd around the dinner table to laugh, eat and of course to read the Haggadah, telling the story of the Israelites Exodus...

St. Louis Kollel presents women’s and teen’s shopping expo

Published March 14, 2012

St. Louis Kollel’s “Eishes Chayil” Women’s Division will present its second annual pre-Pesach “Princess with Pride” shopping event from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, March 18 at Young Israel Congregation, 8101 Delmar Boulevard.  Event Coordinator...

A detail of P. 46 of Archie Granots ‘The Papercut Haggadah,
shows the intricacy of the artists work. Image from the collection
of Sandra and Max Thurm.

Cutting-edge art

By David Baugher, Special to the Jewish LightPublished February 22, 2012

In many ways, paper may not seem the most enduring medium but it often represents the strength of traditions that were made to last. Such it is with the Haggadah, an aspect of Passover that, thanks to Israeli artist Archie Granot, has now been rendered...

Gail Appleson is a writer for Armstrong Teasdale LLP and freelancer who lives in St. Louis.
“Dor to Dor,” is an intermittent Jewish Light series looking at various aspects of “grown-up” life and generational connections through the lens of Jewish writers living in the St. Louis area.  
   If you are interested in contributing to Dor to Dor, email efutterman@thejewishlight.com.

At Pesach, remembering Debbie Friedman’s legacy

BY GAIL APPLESONPublished April 13, 2011

As Passover approaches, thoughts of singer-songwriter Debbie Friedman flood my mind.Of course, I will always remember Friedman, who died early this year, for her monumental healing prayer "Mi Shebeirach" and other songs that touched a multitude of people...

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