Dear Friends,

In 1975, the Sholom Aleichem Club of Philadelphia published a Haggadah. Outsiders found it odd that a group of Jewish agnostics had held an annual Passover seder since its founding in 1954. The same critics were even more dumbfounded to review the Haggadah—a project that had overwhelmed the Club for two years—and observe that its authors had retained most of the traditional elements of the Passover ritual script. 

The Sholom Aleichem folks leaned into it. “The only difference between this and a ‘traditional’ Haggadah,” suggested one Sholom Aleichem leader, “is we don’t have blessings before drinking the four cups of wine.” To be sure, there were other modifications. For example, the new Haggadah for a Secular Celebration of Pesach (yes, Pesach, not Passover) was more tolerant of the Wicked Child and augmented the section that proclaims “Next Year in Jerusalem” with Zionist cultural cues. But it was certainly the case that the Sholom Aleichem Club’s Haggadah shared many similarities with the traditional Haggadah text.   

Historical hindsight makes this less surprising. The Munich Olympic massacre (1972), the trauma of the Yom Kippur War (1973) and festering debate within the United Nations whether “Zionism is a form of racism” compelled many American Jews to disregard their differences and close ranks. It wasn’t all about antisemitism. Discussions about the “Vanishing American Jew” sparked new interest in Jewish education to the delight of “religious” Jews and “cultural” Jews such as the Sholom Aleichem Club that sought “greater knowledge and understanding of the Jewish people, from an historic and contemporary viewpoint.” 

My sense is that our present moment shares many features with the circumstances of the mid-1970s. Jews of all types are eager to join and learn more about their myriad texts and traditions. 

I certainly hope so. This fall, when we open the doors to Gratz Commonspace, the College’s new Bala Cynwyd campus, our wider community will find a welcoming place for all. I encourage you to learn more about our vision for Gratz Commonspace. Together, we will build a place to bridge Jewish tradition with modern perspective and create a vibrant home for all who seek connection, learning, and shared experiences. 

I invite you to visit our Next Chapter Campaign.

In the meantime, best wishes for a meaningful Passover—no matter your Haggadah of choice, 

Zev Eleff