Rewrite the HaggadahWhat the kibbutzim understood—and why it matters more after October 7 than ever before
 Most people think the Haggadah is a book you read. In the past two years, the Kibbutzim have not forgotten their tradition… An Archive of a Living JudaismI have been infatuated with the Kibbutz Haggadah for many years and this is not the first time I have prepared for seder with these Haggadot (which I collect) spread before us. But this year I was actually able to catch up with Eran Yarkoni, CEO and Anton Marks of the Shittim Institute at the JCC of Manhattan during their multi-state traveling exhibition Haggadah of Hope.
Shittim has an archive of over a million cultural artifacts—texts, songs, rituals, and Haggadot—created by Israeli communities over the last century. Founded to preserve and cultivate Jewish-Israeli culture, the Shittim Institute does something rare: And nowhere is that more evident than in the kibbutz Haggadah. A Judaism That Writes ItselfIn this week’s episode of Madlik, we explore what I’ve come to call Yahadut Yisraelit—a homegrown, organic Judaism that emerged in the kibbutzim of the 1920s and 30s. These were not traditionalists. They were pioneers—halutzim—building a society from scratch. And they understood something radical: If you are building a new world, you don’t just inherit rituals. As Eran Yarkoni, CEO of the institute explains:
In Every Generation—LiterallyThe traditional Haggadah tells us:
But the kibbutzim didn’t just read that line. They illustrated it. In Miriam Bartov’s illustration from Kibbutz Gvaram (1950)— (above) —we see figures holding matzah, bridging eras. Biblical figures become pioneers. This is not commentary. This is visual theology. They Didn’t Just Rewrite the Text—They Redrew It
One of the quiet revolutions of the kibbutz Haggadah is this: They didn’t just rewrite the text. Hand-drawn. Local. Communal. In one of your exhibition panels, a single illustration connects:
No explanation needed. The message is unmistakable: There wasn’t one Exodus. Exodus Is Happening NowAs Anton Marks puts it:
In Kibbutz Urim (1949):
Ancient myth becomes modern history. And then, something even more expansive. In Kibbutz Nir Am (1964):
The story becomes universal.
What Is Different This Night?The Mah Nishtana becomes something entirely new. In Kibbutz Erez (2024):
No abstraction. Just reality.
Blessed Are You… the Farmer… and the DoerThe blessings of the Seder, revealing how kibbutz communities reimagined traditional brachot as opportunities to express their own values, labor, and lived reality. Rather than only blessing God in abstract terms, early kibbutzim chose to honor human action and contribution. Blessings shift from heaven…
After October 7—Everything ConvergesThis is where the exhibition becomes something else entirely. Not history. But testimony.
From Kibbutz Erez (2024):
From Kibbutz Nir Oz (2024):
The Illustrations Hit Differently NowGo back to the images. The chains. They are no longer symbolic. They are lived. What once connected: Egypt → Babylon → Israel Now connects: Home → displacement → return Next YearThe exhibition ends where every Seder ends: Next Year. But even that is rewritten.
The Final InsightThe kibbutzim didn’t reject tradition. They did something far more powerful. They made it responsive. They turned the Haggadah into:
So this year, the question isn’t:What happened in Egypt? The question is:What story are you writing now?For a link to all previous Madlik Passover related content click here. Click here for this episode’s Sefaria Source Sheet where I include bonus audio of Eran Yarkoni and Anton Marks providing a guided tour. To donate to The Shittim Institute and to support their efforts click here.
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Wednesday, 25 March 2026
Rewrite the Haggadah
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