WASHINGTON — Ahead of Passover, Museum of the Bible invites guests to engage via artifacts, events and award-winning experiences.
“Passover is a biblical holiday that celebrates the Israelite exodus from slavery in Egypt. It’s a story of freedom and redemption,” said Rena Opert, director of exhibits at Museum of the Bible. “Our exhibits and artifacts bring this narrative to life for our visitors and encourage reflection on what these themes mean to us today.”
For Passover, the museum invites guests to engage with:
The Prague Haggadah of 1526 is the earliest fully illustrated printed Haggadah, the Jewish text central to the Seder meal that takes place at the beginning of Passover. The Prague Haggadah’s woodcuts had an enormous influence on the history of Haggadah illustration. Printed by Gershom Cohen in the Czech Republic, the text is written in Hebrew and Aramaic, with notes in Hebrew, Yiddish and English. Currently on view in The Impact of the Bible, The Bible in America.
In the early 1920s, Maxwell House began a campaign to promote their coffee as kosher. They also introduced their own version of the Haggadah, the text for the Seder.
How to Live a Happier Life: Lessons from the Haggadah
More than a guidebook for the celebration of Passover, the Haggadah (Hebrew for “telling”) contains Jewish teachings, ideas, and principles that entrepreneur and philanthropist Mark Gerson believes can help everyone, regardless of religious belief, live a happier, more meaningful life. Museum of the Bible hosted an event on March 15 with Gerson and Dr. Paul Osteen. Their discussion will be featured on the Museum of the Bible podcast airing Tuesday, March 23.
This THEA award-winning, immersive exhibit is a 30-minute walk-through of the dramatic events of the Hebrew Bible. An entire room dedicated to the exodus from Egypt recounts the ten plagues and the events of Passover before ushering guests to flee through the Red Sea. The Hebrew Bible Experience is on Floor 3.
Living history interpreters will perform a live retelling of the Passover story. Guests will learn the history of the holiday and the time-honored story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt through live dialogue and storytelling. Shows can be experienced in The World of Jesus of Nazareth gallery on Floor 3.
Impact of the Bible Floor
Guests can visit the Family Table exhibit to observe some of the readings and rituals at a Passover meal.
Activities
Guests can play “spot the difference” with an image from a Haggadah, write their name in Hebrew and make their own cross out of a palm leaf.
