A Reflection on Ha Lahma Anya

(This is the Bread of Affliction)
The Second New York Haggadah (MS 8279)

Throughout the supplement, we have included highlights from historic haggadot from the collection of The JTS Library. The Library is home to over 2000 haggadot, including roughly 700 rare manuscripts and books. The earliest dates to the year 1050 and was found in the Cairo Geniza. Exploring these texts offers ways to build bridges to our Jewish past, while understanding the evolving ritual of the seder.

The Second New York Haggadah, part of The JTS Library collection, is a gem from 1454. It’s the handiwork of Joel ben Simeon, a talented scribe and artist. Joel’s life took him from the Rhine Valley, where he was born, to Italy, where he spent much of his career. He’s one of the few Jewish artists we know who worked in such different regions, and his art reflects both German and Italian styles.

This Haggadah isn’t packed with narrative illustrations, but it’s still bursting with creativity. Joel loved decorating his work, and here he filled the pages with lively human faces and figures. The Ha Lahma Anya passage comes to life with an extraordinary illustration that reflects Joel ben Simeon’s creativity. On this page, the text declares, “This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat.” Joel fills the margins with faces that seem to represent the community gathered around the seder table. These faces are incredibly diverse—men, women, young, old, rich, poor, knights, jesters, and even some surprising figures like a veiled woman and a figure who might be a court performer.

The illustration feels like a tapestry of human experience. It invites us to reflect on the call to welcome others into our homes and hearts during Passover. The lively, red-backed panel of faces reminds us that the seder isn’t just a ritual; it’s a moment to connect with others, to share stories, and to embrace the spirit of inclusion that the Haggadah teaches.

Joel’s choice to include these faces—each unique and full of personality—suggests his own deep
curiosity about the world around him. By adding these images to the page of Ha Lahma Anya, he
turns a call to action into a visual reminder of our shared humanity and the power of welcoming
those in need.

Questions to Consider

• How do the diverse faces in the Ha Lahma Anya illustration—spanning age, class, and identity—challenge or expand our understanding of who should be included at the seder table, both historically and in our lives today?
• If we were to update the illustration, who would you include in the “tapestry of human experience” at your seder?