Museum of the Bible to close Passover Haggadah exhibit with special event
WASHINGTON — On Aug. 30, Museum of the Bible will close its exhibit “With a Mighty Hand: The Art and History of the Passover Haggadah,” that explored and celebrated the Haggadah, a guidebook used to conduct the Passover seder. On Aug. 27, Sharon Mintz, an expert in illuminated Hebrew manuscripts and the curator of Jewish art at The Library of Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, and Elka Deitsch, the curator of “With a Might Hand” and a founding curator of the Bernard Museum of Judaica at Temple Emanu-El in New York, will lead a special program called “Illuminating the Passover Haggadah” ahead of the exhibit’s closing on Aug. 30.
“We are delighted to have Sharon and Elka share their expertise,” said Rena Opert, director of exhibits and collections specialist at Museum of the Bible. “They are passionate and brilliant curators who will bring decades of experience to further illuminate both the beauty and the significance of the Haggadahs on display.”
Mintz and Deitschwill share the rich history of the Haggadah during the Middle Ages and beyond. After the program guests will be able to join the speakers in the gallery to view the Haggadahs on display.
“Hebrew for ‘the telling,’ the Passover Haggadah brings to life the story of the Exodus and the imperative to pass it from one generation to the next. While the text of the Haggadah remained largely unchanged for many centuries, the illustrations in them created a lens for each generation to picture itself within that story,” said Opert. “The incredible books in this exhibition are reflections of the time, place, and traditions of the diverse communities in which they were produced and used. They provide us with a beautiful glimpse into the worlds that have shaped the interpretation of this most powerful thread of Jewish experience.”
The program will be held Aug. 27 from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. ET. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for students. Reserve tickets for the program here.
More information on Museum of the Bible is available here.