Hagadah

The Jewish holiday of Passover (Pesach) commemorates and celebrates the exodus of the Jews from ancient Egypt. During the traditional Passover meal, the family reads, chants, and sings from the Hagadah, a Seder “guidebook” first formally compiled in the Middle Ages. Every family has its own traditions, however, and this recording documents the Seder as it was celebrated in Jerusalem by a family of Yemenite Jews in the 1950s. Arabic influence is pronounced, and the Yemeni-Jewish Hagadah includes some sections and songs not found in European and American versions, particularly during the final segment of the service.

Liner notes provide background information about the lives of the Yemeni Jews, their Seder, and the Yemeni Hagadah, along with original Hebrew texts and translations.

Track Listing

101	Kiddish / In Haste Went We / Four Questions	Yemeni singers	09:02
102	Reply / The Plagues / Litany of Wonders	Yemeni singers	04:03
103	Litany of Wonders	Yemeni singers	01:04
201	Hallel / Psalms 113-118	Yemeni singers	02:58
202	Hallel / Psalms 113-118 and 136th Psalm	Yemeni singers	04:24
203	Nishmat Kol Hai	Yemeni singers	00:31
204	Song of Songs	Yemeni singers	00:56
205	Ayymah Hemshi	Yemeni singers	03:05