Haggadah

The Haggadah (meaning “telling”) is the script for conducting the Seder ritual on the first evening(s) of Passover. Originating in the ritual described in Mishnah Pesachim (“Passovers”), the text took on an increasingly fixed form through the sages. Due to the popularity of the seder ritual and the relative brevity of the Haggadah, the Haggadah is the most frequently copied and produced Jewish book of all time.  

Because of its popularity, and due to the lack of halakhic restrictions, the Haggadah is also the most frequently decorated or illustrated Jewish book. One will typically find, in illustrated Haggadot, images of the Matzah and Maror, the Four Sons, the enslavement of the Jews in Egypt, and others. The JTS library’s collection of manuscript Haggadot and rare prints preserves many outstanding examples of this artistic tradition.