Passover Survival Kit: Revised Edition

Still well done. On balance, I liked this book because it explains the Seder well and pithily. Apisdorf uses symbolic explanations to make sense of seemingly archaic parts of the Seder - for example, Apisdorf's explanation of what "Next Year in Jerusalem" means. (He points out that "Jerusalem" means "city of peace"; thus, the goal of being in Jerusalem next year means being at peace with ourselves next year, not necessarily physically moving to Israel). As a practical guide to the Seder I didn't like it as much; I didn't see how I could use this book as a Seder guide unless I wanted a ten-hour Seder.

So here it is, Pesach time again. Sure you'll be hiding the afikoman and you have provided all the food and wine. This year, though, after you prepare yourself for the four traditional questions, ask yourself the really big question. "How is this year's Seder going to be different for me than other sedorim in the past. How can I make it more meaningful, spiritual, and exciting so that I can recapture the enthusiasm I once had for it as a child?" Reading the Passover Survival Kit is a very good start. Rabbi Apisdorf, a Baltimore yeshiva educator who authored this book notes that the ultimate success and quality of any Seder will be directly proportional to the effort put into making it so. He states that the three keys to surviving the Seder are 1) educational preparedness, 2) creativity, and 3) a commitment to making it a meaningful experience for everyone involved. He promises, with a 100 % money-back, no questions asked guarantee, that if you accept the challenge of developing your Seder in the ways which this book suggests, that, as the years go by, you will find that your dining room is no longer large enough to hold all the people who will want to be a part of your Seder. First, the Seder host must prepare himself in advance, suggests the author. The Passover Survival Kit is a great start with the book suggesting novel, insightful, and inspirational ways to interpret the events of the Seder. The main theme of the Seder is freedom. "The freedom to grasp our potential as a people, and as a Jewish people. To harness that potential and to creatively direct it towards a fulfillment of our inner most aspirations. Passover is not only the anniversary of our exodus, it is a spiritual rendezvous with freedom. The holiday is a guide, the Seder and the Haggadah a map. and together it is all a fabulous opportunity and adventure." Second, give out assignments in advance of the Seder to your family and guests. Give each person a particular paragraph in the Haggadah and ask them to study up on it. What ideas contained in the paragraph would people find interesting, thought-provoking and insightful. Third, give everyone at the Seder a different Haggadah. Today, there are so many different interpretive versions of the Haggadah, each with its own commentaries and angles. Perhaps this can spark discussions on the different interpretations of the paragraphs you might be reading. Fourth, encourage questions, even dumb ones. Create an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable to ask questions about what is being said in the Haggadah. Questions of identity are especially appropriate. Since Passover marks the birth of the Jewish nation, ask questions that reflect on the meaning, value and implications of being Jewish. Some examples might be as follows: How important is being Jewish to you? If a relative of yours told you that they plan to raise their child without any Jewish education or identity, how would you react? Is it important for yo