Title
The Transformation of the Haggadah's Preface as Influenced by the Development of Public Education in Europe and the United States
Abstract
The seder (Passover ritual meal) and haggadah (text used during the meal) were codified in early medieval times. With the decline ofwomen's Jewish literacy and their role in Jewish society beginning with the Industrial Revolution, the prefatory material in haggadot became more common. Since medieval times prefaces have often been added to the haggadah; yet, in the last two hunded years, the preface has changed considerably from an occasional comment to a standard set ofinformation concerning holiday preparation. Why this change in the preface occurred is under examination in this paper. The change in Jewish educational patterns, which happened through the creation offree public education in both Europe and the United States and resulted in the need for the prefaces primarily among Jewish women, is illustrated.
Department(s)
English
Document Type
Article
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1353/sho.2000.0054
Publication Date
2000
Recommended Citation
Ioannides, Mara W. Cohen, and Stephen M. Cohen. "The Transformation of the Haggadah's Preface as Influenced by the Development of Public Education in Europe and the United States." Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies 18, no. 2 (2000): 27-44.
Journal Title
Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies
