Mini-Course: Singing the Haggadah
Online
Zoom link to be provided
Password required
Tuesdays: March 19, March 26, and April 2, 2024
A certain degree of anxiety is embedded in the Passover Seder: how long is all this Haggadah reading going to last until the festive meal finally starts? And when the hefty meal is over, do we still have the energy to keep reading the Haggadah until its very end? “Singing the Haggadah” shows that over the ages a creative and pedagogical strategy developed to defuse that anxiety: to break up the long readings by singing selected sections of the text, especially toward its end. Such uplifting outbursts of communal singing are the secret behind the effectiveness of the annual performance of one of Judaism’s most ancient family rites.
About Katz Center Mini-Courses
Mini-courses examine special topics in Judaic studies in a setting comparable to a college seminar, taught by international faculty to adult learners online. They are designed to be cumulative and interactive, so registration is for the entire course, not individual meetings.
Enrollment is limited and registration is first come, first served. A small number of scholarships are available; please contact Dajana Denes Walters if cost is a barrier.
Featuring
Edwin Seroussi
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Edwin Seroussi is the Emanuel Alexandre Professor Emeritus of Musicology and former director of the Jewish Music Research Centre at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He researches North African and Eastern Mediterranean Jewish music, Judeo-Islamic relations in music, and Israeli popular music. A pioneer in the study of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern musical cultures and traditions, Seroussi was awarded the 2018 Israel Prize in the musicology category. He has also won the Joel Engel Prize for Life Achievement in Jewish Music Research, Tel Aviv Municipality.
Cosponsors
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Klatt Family and the Harry Stern Family Foundation.
