The Haggadah, the religious text that guides the Passover Seder, recounts the story of the Jews’ liberation from enslavement in Egypt through song, symbolic foods, and the ritual of the Seder meal. The book has been adapted by Jews in every century and culture—and this spring, two music lovers are bringing a contemporary spin, and sound, to the text in The Rock ‘n’ Roll Haggadah (Simon Element, out now). Along with the requisite blessings, prayers, and history, the book, written by Meredith Ochs and illustrated by Kay Miller, points to connections between the Seder and to the music scene of today, from Jack Black to the band Haim, and even includes a playlist. The duo—a musician and former teacher, respectively—spoke with PW about why they decided to rock the Haggadah, the Seder’s ties to musicians as distinct as Lou Reed and Taylor Swift, and more.
Was music an integral part of either of your Seders growing up?
Meredith: It was for me. My parents were very into holidays, so our Seders were always fun. At the kids’ end of the table, especially as we got older, we started doing mashups of the religious stuff with the contemporary music of the time—hip hop, reggae, rock ‘n’ roll, or pop—and we’d have our own little song section with music from artists like AC/DC, Bob Marley, the Clash, Grandmaster Flash, New Order, Ofra Haza, Roy Orbison, and Run DMC.
How do you jazz up the most iconic parts of the Passover Seder? Like singing the song of gratitude “Dayenu,” or the moment when the youngest child present asks “Four Questions” that prompt discussion of key Passover themes?
Kay: It is customary for Persian and Afghan Jews to swat (whip) each other with scallions (playfully mimicking Egyptian slave masters) while singing Dayenu. In the book, we suggest playing Devo's Whip It while breaking out the scallions and having a whip dance fest. And just before “The Four Questions” is an illustration of Harry Styles asking them. Styles said singing “The Four Questions” made him nervous, which shows young readers it’s cool to get nervous!
Do the songs on the playlist you created for this book share a common theme?
Kay: A number of themes exist within the playlist. For example, Let the Mystery Be by Iris Dement, Divine Intervention by Matthew Sweet, and Strange Magic by ELO all relate to that which cannot be logically explained—spirituality and faith.
Your Haggadah offers options, so people around the table may all be on the same page but experience it differently. What made you take that tack?
Meredith: Say somebody’s reading the Hallel, which is a very long prayer about faith, praise, and strength. If you don’t want to read along, you can read our sidebar on “Honorable Menschen” (a play on “mensch”), like the one on Leonard Cohen. It mentions that he once did yoga at a Seder, but also goes into his deep exploration of faith—like studying Lurianic Kabbalah with his rabbi—and how these journeys manifested in his music.
