Beautiful. The Promise of the Land will reopen the wonder of Passover, adding a deep layer of connection to the planet making the old rituals new for the 21st century.
—Bill McKibben, Co-founder of 350.org, author of Falter: Has the Human Game begun to Play Itself Out?
For the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Rabbi Bernstein has created a new haggadah that connects the Passover story to the understanding that our freedom and our lives are dependent upon the planet's well-being. "The Promise of the Land" builds a seamless connection between the Seder as we know it and the Seder as a window into the ecology of our lives.
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE PROMISE OF THE LAND
“A must for every Jewish household. The Promise of the Land takes us on a journey from the narrowness of Egypt to the spaciousness of Gaia, teaching us the true meaning of freedom.”
─ Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Author, Surrendered─The Sacred Art
“Original and fascinating. . . A knowledgeable and heartfelt piece of work. Includes traditional liturgy with beautiful translations and wide-ranging commentary.”
─ Rabbi Jill Hammer, Author, Jewish Book of Days, A Companion for all Seasons
Unique, insightful, mind-liberating!
—Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Author of the original Freedom Seder (1969), Founder and Director, The Shalom Center
“Glorious, earthy, provocative, profound, moving and relevant.”
─ Yoni Stadlin, Founding Director, Eden Village Camp
“One of the most beautiful haggadot I have ever seen - both in words and illustrations. Weaves a deep ecological consciousness back into this sacred ritual.”
─ Mary Evelyn Tucker, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology
Ellen Bernstein has given the Jewish world a precious gift by reweaving the story of our peoples’ liberation from Egypt back into Judaism’s cosmic story of creation. This haggadah will engage and delight everyone: young and old, secular and religious, the knowledgeable and the new-comer.
—Rabbi David Ingber, Founder, Senior Rabbi, Romemu, NYC
Dubbed the birth-mother of the Jewish environmental movement, Rabbi Ellen Bernstein founded Shomrei Adamah, Keepers of the Earth, the first national. Jewish environmental organization in 1988. She graduated one of the country’s first Environmental Studies programs at U.C. Berkeley; co-directed Turtle River, a wilderness river company; helped pioneer the field of religion and ecology; and authored numerous articles and books on Judaism, Bible and ecology. Today she is the rabbi at Hampshire College and continues to write, teach and consult on the ecological dimensions of Judaism and the Hebrew Bible.