Israel’s yetziat mitzrayim (exodus from Egypt/the narrow space) is a cornerstone of Judaism and the foundation for our celebration of Pesach (Passover). One of the four names for Pesach is Hag ha-Herut (The Feast of Freedom). Jews in different historical contexts have understood mitzrayim (the narrow space) differently and therefore freedom has looked different in different generations. We will explore the evolution of these themes from the Torah narratives into the self-conscious construction of the Passover seder by the rabbis. We will look at visual and liturgical representations of slavery and freedom in haggadot (the book we use at the seder) from the last 600 years. One focus will be on the liberation of gender, which has been a hallmark of the last 40 years of some creative Jewish seders.

Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Please RSVP by March 2.

Apologies, this class has been canceled.