THE JOANNA S. & DANIEL ROSE ILLUMINATED HAGGADAH

The creation of the Rose Haggadah grew from Joanna and Daniel Rose's wish to create something memorable, unique, and enduring with which to honor past generations and their own journey from the old world to the new. It is a Haggadah that unites the artistry of medieval and Renaissance masters with an ancient text and a vision of today.

This new illuminated Haggadah was created in the tradition of those great Hebrew manuscript Haggadahs which have survived the vicissitudes of time—the Barcelona, Sarajevo,

Golden, Sassoon, and Prato. It is fashioned on their pattern, its age-old texts written in elegant Hebrew calligraphy on fine calfskin vellum and illuminated with precious metals—gold, silver and platinum. While its materials and techniques are those of the 14th century, the illuminations were conceived with a 21st century sensibility and awareness of the history, archeology, geography, and customs of the region in which the ancient story is set. The Rose Illuminated Haggadah is now in the permanent collection of The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City.

The pictorial concepts for the illuminations were drawn primarily from research into the historical, archeological,and botanical background of the ancient Middle East.

A beautifully carved greenstone seal from the presumed era of Abraham's migration from Ur provided figures of the gods he left "across the river." A stylized sun from a Babylonian stele shines on the Children of Israel during their 40 year wandering in the Sinai desert. Ornamental patterns surrounding the large gilded words were taken from Egyptian paintings. Under the word Maror are depictions of the three bitter herbs described by the Rabbis in the Mishna—Tamcha, Charchavina, and Chazeret. In the flames of the anguished prayer "Shefoch" are some of the many European synagogues burned on Kristalnacht.

Click to see enlarged page

p.7 Kiddush

p.7 Kiddush, close-up

p.9 Ma Nishtanah

p.9 Ma Nishtanah, close-up

p.10 Slaves

p.10 Slaves, close-up

p.13 The Beginning

p.13 The Beginning,
close-up

p.19 Gods of Egypt

p.19 Gods of Egypt,
close-up

p.23 Dayenu

p.23 Dayenu, close-up

p.26 Three Essentials

p.26 Three Essentials, close-up

p.38 In Remembrance

p.38 In Remembrance, close-up

p.47 Exodus

p.47 Exodus, close-up

p.61 Chad Gadyah

p.61 Chad Gadyah,
close-up