OWN CORRESPONDENT
Could you describe your haggadah and why it is unofficial?
The haggadah contains the full Hebrew text of a traditional Ashkenazi haggadah, an English translation, and sections throughout of Harry Potter-themed commentary and divrei Torah. I wanted it to be a fully functional haggadah that could easily be used at a seder in many denominations.
At the end there is a cute parody of Chad Gadya illustrating the cause and effect narrative of the Harry Potter series, and an English section with some longer essays, one of which can be found in Tablet Magazine. It also contains some discussion questions and student answers, which can be used as great conversation starters.
It is unofficial for legal reasons, at the suggestion of a top copyright lawyer – legally, the word “unofficial” is not required, but we wanted to be clear that we aren’t in any way affiliated with JK Rowling and are merely building on her wonderful universe with our own commentary, within the realm of fair usage.
Why did you decide to write this book, pairing tradition with magic?
There are so many parallels between Harry Potter’s journey from unwanted orphan to the saviour of wizardkind, that I’m surprised this is the first major haggadah to be written about it. The Harry Potter books contain many of the key elements and lessons of the Exodus story – uplifting the downtrodden, sharing our current wealth and prosperity with others, education, different learning styles, parent-child relationships, unconditional love and kinship with one another, and so on.
What is your feeling and relationship to Harry Potter and how far back does it go?
It has always been a gift to have a common language, with which to communicate with anyone that you’re teaching, and Harry Potter has been exactly that. I can make references and illustrate points though the story or through the characters and instantly everyone knows what I’m talking about. It’s like a shorthand and a code that almost everyone understands.
I wrote my first book, Morality for Muggles on that basis. For years, I’ve hosted Harry Potter Nights for my students, where we sort into Houses, make HP-themed carnival booths, and play Quidditch. Almost 20 years back, I created a Harry Potter writing club for my sixth graders.
Are you a Muggle or Wizard and just how can you prove it?
I think that one of the messages of both Torah and Harry Potter is that every Muggle is, in truth, a wizard who simply hasn’t received his or her letter yet – and we have magical gifts inside of us and a contribution to make to saving the world, and only we, through our living a meaningful life, can sort ourselves into the company of the House of our choice.
How have you combined the hagaddah and the world of Hogwarts?
Harry Potter themed divrei Torah are sprinkled throughout. It was very important to me to have some commentary in every major section of the seder. I was also careful not to portray the wizarding world in a way that could seem demeaning to Jewish tradition.
I did not replace traditional recitations with parodies from the world of magic. My point is to show that both of these streams of wisdom, without needing to rank them, can teach us eternal lessons on how to live a meaningful life.
What is it about magic, Potter, Hogwarts and Judaism that can be aligned?
I don’t actually focus so much on the magical aspects of the Harry Potter books – to me, what makes these books resonate with so many people across so many walks of life, are the human themes infused in the stories: parent-child relationships, student-teacher relationships, friendship, class differences, and so on. JK Rowling is so skilled at illustrating these ideas, and in my writings I seek to highlight the parallels between the Harry Potter themes and Jewish themes. It’s a natural fit.
In 2011, you published Morality for Muggles – what was that about and what made you write that?
Morality for Muggles, or M4M, was a natural outgrowth of the work I had been doing with my students, as outlined above. In fact, one chapter is devoted to student writing connecting Harry Potter, Judaism, and an examined life. The book enabled me to flesh out the sporadic lessons and comparisons with which I had sprinkled my classes for years.
What kind of response have you had to your haggadah and ‘Morality for Muggles’ from your family, community, and the Jewish world?
The response has been overwhelmingly positive. My family has of course been supportive and enthusiastic from the get-go, with my children taking on very real editorial and promotional roles; it’s thanks to them and their social media skills that this has become such a widespread phenomenon.
I’ve been overwhelmed by the generous expressions of well-wishes from colleagues at the Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy and members of my community. I am especially gratified when I hear that kids are reading the haggadah from cover to cover, even before the holiday. That means it is serving its purpose. People from all over and from all denominations of Judaism are sending in pictures of their haggadahs. Everyone is talking about it and how it will enhance their Passover this year. It’s been incredible to watch.
Where can we – in South Africa – get hold of your haggadah?
I have not heard of any specific stores in South Africa that are carrying it. But if any would like to, please tell them to feel free to contact our distributor, Alef to Tav (info@aleftotav.com), and see if any arrangements can be made in time for Passover.
This haggadah is also available in South Africa through amazon.com
