cover image PREPARING YOUR HEART FOR PASSOVER

PREPARING YOUR HEART FOR PASSOVER

Kerry M. Olitzky, . . Jewish Publication Society, $19.95 (144pp) ISBN 978-0-8276-0705-7

Countless Passover haggadot guide readers through the seder, explaining ancient rituals and customs. This one goes a step further by asking readers to first prepare their hearts for Passover, recovering the spiritual nature of the holiday. In the same way that Jews clean their houses from attic to basement before Passover, Olitzky advocates a rigorous cleansing of the soul, as followers rid themselves of spiritual hametz and make themselves holy. The guidance doesn't stop when the seder meal has been cleared away; the closing chapter provides suggestions on the transition between Passover and Shavuot, helping readers to move from redemption to revelation. (Mar.)