# Recommend a Haggadah ! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 12, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-haggadah/160873 "2003-03-12T17:28:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-haggadah/160873/1 "2003-03-12T17:28:40Z")
So my wife and I have decided it’s time to host our first seder this year. As a nominal Jew I have been to many of them, but not in a long time. Can anyone recommend a good, easy to use haggadah that will guide my forgetful self, as well as my non-jewish wife and friends, through a fun evening of wine and horseradish? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-haggadah/160873/2 "2003-03-12T18:47:47Z")
There’s one that I use often, making a few of my own changes, that I’d be happy to e-mail you a copy of. It’s actually from a Unitarian Universalist church I used to attend, which hosted a seder every year. It wouldn’t pass muster with orthodox Jews, but for someone like me, who is, as you say, a nominal Jew, it’s great. Contains all the significant elements, and then some. It’s got the prayers in English, a phonetic version of the Hebrew, and (I think, I’ll have to go look), the Hebrew itself, though not for the whole seder, just the prayers (baruch-atah adoni, etc, etc…) Let me know if you’d like a copy. Fell free to e-mail me (address is in my profile). ---
**Author:** ![available\_light](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@available\_light](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/available_light)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-haggadah/160873/3 "2003-03-14T09:15:48Z")
I’m only half a nominal Jew (my mom is a non-practicing Jew, dad is a non-practicing Christian) and when I got into college I started hosting a seder each year for my friends (all of whom were not Jewish). Having never even attended a seder, clearly I needed help! I got The Concise Family Seder from a bookstore in town, and it was great. It’s more like a booklet than a book, only 48 pages long, includes everything in English and in phoenetic Hebrew, and in Hebrew letters. Also has background information, like the symbolism of everything on the seder plate, and explanations of what to do at each step along the way. Anyway, I have used it for about 5 or 6 years now, and really like it. It is prepared by Rabbi Alfred J. Kolach, published by Jonathan David Publishers, ISBN 0-8246-0318-4. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![RedNaxela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ad7895/32.png) [@RedNaxela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedNaxela)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-haggadah/160873/4 "2003-03-14T15:22:00Z")
Another good one - also with everything transliterated and translated - is the [Passover Seder Table Companion](http://jewishlearninggroup.com/product.php?cat=&id=341), by Rabbi Zalman Goldstein, published by the Jewish Learning Group (ISBN 1-891293-17-6). ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-haggadah/160873/5 "2003-03-14T20:35:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by available light \* > **I got The Concise Family Seder from a bookstore in town, and it was great.** I concur. Of course, I’m biased, since I’m your husband. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-haggadah/160873/6 "2003-03-16T16:40:57Z")
**Emilio** , I don’t have a particular _hagaddah_ to recommend to you. However, I did want to offer some advice. Firstly, read through the _hagaddah_ in advance. This way you will be familiar with the major rituals of the night before the _seder_. Look at the text and try to come up with questions and answers on the text. As you will see in the _hagaddah_, it says that it is meretorious to expand the discussion of the Exodus beyond the simple reading of the text. Secondly, make sure that you have enough wine and _matzah_ beforehand. 4 cups of wine for each person for each night, plus enough _matzah_. Lastly, if you have any questions about the _seder_, please feel free to email me. I’ll try to provide whatever answers I can for you. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-haggadah/160873/7 "2003-03-16T17:32:43Z")
Our family always sticks to shot glasses for Seder wine, otherwise we’d never make it through 4 glasses. We’d all be snoozing in the charoset. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-haggadah/160873/8 "2003-03-17T02:57:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eva Luna \* > \*\*Our family always sticks to shot glasses for Seder wine, otherwise we’d never make it through 4 glasses. We’d all be snoozing in the charoset. \*\* It’s not that bad, especially since the last two come after a full meal. In any event, according to _halacha_, there is a minimum size that the cups have to be. IIRC, it’s about 4 oz. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![AnnaLivia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@AnnaLivia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnnaLivia)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-haggadah/160873/9 "2003-03-17T03:25:52Z")
Ooh! The yellow and brown one! I’ve had it drilled into me over many years of Hebrew school and over years of leading the family seder (being the only person in the house who can read Hebrew). I think it’s put out by K’Tav. On the other hand, tomorrow is St. Patrick’s day _and_ Purim- after sundown. I am in heaven. AL ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-haggadah/160873/10 "2003-03-17T03:42:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eva Luna \* > \*\*Our family always sticks to shot glasses for Seder wine, otherwise we’d never make it through 4 glasses. We’d all be snoozing in the charoset. \*\* In fact, the more I think about it, **Eva Luna** , you’d be in better shape (as far as _halacha_ is concerned) with four full cups of grape juice (which is acceptable) rather than four shot glasses of wine. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-haggadah/160873/11 "2003-03-17T04:02:32Z")
Ah \*\*Zev, \*\* not to disappoint you, but trust me, the 4 oz. rule is the least of the rules we break, Seder-wise. We’re about as Reform as they come. ---
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-haggadah/160873/12 "2003-03-17T22:08:17Z")
Thanks to everyone for the help and advice. **Zev** , I know the ceremony fairly well, but I will be sure to review the particular haggadah that we choose. Should I have any questions I will certainly contact you. The Lizardo household always has between 4 and 6 cases of wine on hand so that’s not an issue, and matzoh bri is one of my comfort foods, so we’re good to go with the whole unleavened bread thing. Now all we need to do is flip to see who gets to grate the horeradish for the maror…