What is our understanding of the relationship among the blood of circumcision, the blood of the Passover sacrifice, and the blood of childbirth?

Live @ Drisha: Passover

Devorah Zlochower on In Your Blood Live, In Your Blood Live: Understanding the Blood of Circumcision, the Blood of the Pascal Lamb and the Blood of Childbirth

Why do we begin our history as a people with the story of our enslavement? We will explore the role of slavery in the development of our national identity and in our celebration of Passover.

Wendy Amsellem on Israel Unbound: The Legacy of Slavery

The afikoman plays a central role in the celebration of the Passover seder. What is the history of the afikoman and what is its relevance for both children and adults? We will survey the traditional sources for an halakhic and historical study of this beloved tradition.

Adam Mintz on Mystery of the Afikomen

The class will focus on the festival amidah and hallel and the prayers for rain and dew. This is part 1 of a 3 part class. Please go to www.drisha.org/podcast/pesach to listen to the other sessions.

David Silber on Major Prayers of the Jewish Festivals

The biblical account of the Exodus has been utilized for millennia as the source-text for discussions on central dichotomies in the human experience (death versus life, slavery versus freedom, and a life of meaning versus a life without). In this lecture, we will explore some of the richest of these readings, and ask how the Passover narratives of the past answered the question, What is the real Passover story?

Jon Kelsen on Blood, Bread, and Redemption: What is the “True” Story of Pesach?

How do midrashic sources reflect on themes raised by the Passover Haggadah and how does the Haggadah uses such sources to tell its story?

David Arnow on Passover Haggadah: Midrashic Reflections

We will engage in a close reading of Song of Songs and examine how it has been understood over the ages. This is part 1 of a 2 part series. Go to www.drisha.org/podcast/pesach for the second session.

David Silber on Song of Songs

As Jews we are constantly reminded, “Be kind to the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” and the Pesach seder begins with the words, “Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat; whoever is in need, let him come and conduct the Seder of Passover.” Shuli Taubes will focus on developing a definition of the word ger (stranger) in Tanakh and rabbinic Judaism and its implications for how we think of ourselves in relation to the exodus from Egypt.

Shuli Taubes on You Were Strangers in the Land of Egypt: A Redemptive Reflection on ‘Strangers’ in Judaism

Shir HaShirim is at once the most sacred and most profane book of the Tanach, eliciting reverence and fear — and hence interpretation and re-interpretation — throughout history. This podcast explores how it came to thematize Pesach and how reading it closely might shape our experience of the holiday.

Erin Leib Smokler on Love, Longing and Liberty: Reflections on Shir HaShirim

We usually think of the Omer as a commandment to count up to fifty days as a bridge between Passover and Shavuot. What is much less familiar is that in certain post-Biblical works the Omer is considered its own festival. This podcast examines the surprising roots of the Omer. It analyzes passages in rabbinic literature alongside writings from the Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo and the early Church Fathers. Listen and learn about the surprising roots of the Omer Festival!

David Flatto on The Omer Festival: Recovering a Lost Holiday and its Surprising Roots

For many, the songs of the seder are among the evening's true highlights. We will explore the midrashic relationships between the seder and song and focus on the roots and interpretation of three songs: Dayyenu, Echad MiYode'a, and Chad Gadya.

David Arnow on Songs of the Seder

David Silber shares his insights on the Passover haggadah.

David Silber on The Haggadah

The acrimonious international debate that ensued in the mid-nineteenth century, when a machine for baking Passover matzot was invented, touched upon essential questions concerning the development of Jewish law and lent expression to deeply-held convictions regarding the relationship between traditional piety and modernization.

Rachel Furst on The Machine-Made Matzah Controversy: Law and Tradition in Conflict

As modern people living in relation to ancient traditions, how can we conceive of the miracles and wonders that are so tightly woven into the holiday’s fabric? Download this podcast to learn more.

Miriam Udel on Home for the Holiday: The Miraculous Crossings of Passover

David Silber discusses the Passover seder.

David Silber on The Passover Seder

These podcasts were recorded live at Drisha in classes on the topic of Passover. Visit our website for more information: www.drisha.org

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Live @ Drisha: Passover

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