Kol. Ha- Kavod!! and WOW!This is so wonderful...the kids in my classes
will make more dashes to classes
because of this stuff
there isn't enough!I will let you know in a knowledgeable way
how the kids react today.Love this effort and you for making it happen!!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. It's great!
Dear Uncle Eli:You are wonderful!!! What an inspirational haggadah. I will share this address with our Religious School Leader. We live in a small community in North Carolina. Our temple has about 150 families from about 10 surrounding counties. What a joy it is to read your haggadah. I am taking my 9 year old son to NYC for his first big family seder with lots of other kids. My sister and her friends so a communal seder, so this will be our special contribution. Thank you. What else do you do? (ie, other pages, books, etc.) Shalom.
Magnificent! You've done here exactly what a website should be. My son had more fun than you can imagine exploring Uncle Eli's. Thank you.
Thank you for introducing me to such a fun haggadah for kids. In this, my first year of marriage, my husband, who is not Jewish -- Catholic, invited his sister and her husband and 3 children, all under the age of 9, all of whom are Catholic, to our house for Passover. I have been searching the Internet for days looking for a haggadah that might be fun for the kids and easy to understand, since they don't know the first thing about Passover, and your Haggadah was a welcome surprise! Very creative!
Thanks!! It is superb
THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH!
I've just printed your Haggadah, and plan on using it with our family and guests this year........I'm going to produce it, with the help of my nephew, niece, and daughter!
This is just what I was looking for, when perusing through the web! Have a very happy and Kosher Pesach,
Hi:I publish an "outreach" webzine and would like to know if we can reprint part of your "haggadah." I've seen people e-mailing it back and forth and wanted to make sure my actions would be 1000% "kosher for Passover."
Of course, we'd credit you with a copyright and all of that.
Dear Mr. Segal,My name is Ari Hirsch. I'm the associate editor of a
free weekly publication that comes out in Brooklyn, NY. I have recently visited your site and I was wondering if we can copy parts of it. We will definitely write on the bottom where we took it from. We do this a lot with other sites such as Torahtots and Chabad sites and they ask us to print parts of their sites all the time. Thanks and have a Chag Kusher V'Sameach.
Sincerely,
Ari Hirsch
I logged on to find "Passover lyrics set to show tunes or folk tunes" for our "all Gentile" seder this year. (How do goyim who've never been to a seder before know how to sing Had Gadya??) I was rather frustrated not to find any--but did get a chuckle from parts of your Haggadah.Hope I hear from you soon!!
Dear Eli:Your brilliant website on Passover has been a delight. My nephew ..., a computer whiz for works for the State Department here in the USA, sent it to me. At first I thought that surely [he] created it. But as I got into it I realized that there are other brilliant people in the world besides [him] and my two daughters and my 4 grandchildren who are going to enjoy your gift with me at Sedar night.
Eli, you are indeed a genius. You have a combination of being scholarly on Jewish tradition, along with a sense of humor, and if all this were not enough you have the gift of creativity and computer knowhow. A blessing. Your mother, wife and family I'm sure are very proud of you.
And Eli, when I tell you all this, don't take it lightly because I know of what I speak. I had a comprehensive Hebrew educational background. As a child I went to Hebrew School, sang in the choir, went on to ... Hebrew High School, so I am very knowledgeable and appreciative of Hebrew/Jewish music, tradition, et al.
In addition, in today's world I'm a VP of Sales & Marketing at a US Medical publishing house and conference organizer. Among other things, I have been involved in the work of getting our web pages up on the net. During this exercise I have worked with some creative people, and a lot of klutzes. You are a gem. I wish you weren't so busy, and were closer to New York.
Keep up your good work. A Zeisen Pesach.
With two youngsters coming to dinner who have never been exposed to a seder, I needed something to keep them busy while I was working in the kitchen. I think your book will do the trick.Thanks
...One of my congregants stumbled upon your page and was sincerely impressed with your cleverness re the Haggadah.We are having an intro to Pesach in our congregation this coming Shabbat and will be prominently featuring your opus.
You should start a full holiday cycle of creative works...
Dear Eli,I just wanted you to know that in all my years of "community service" (some served as President), none has given me so little pain and such great pleasure as being "President" of the "Uncle Eli Fan Club" :>) I can tell from the letters you've received that membership is increasing by leaps and bounds - and I didn't even have to make a phone call! What more could a President ask?!
And thank you for giving my "published" comments pretty close to top billing! I had stopped doing the column about a year ago (and the webification a year before that!); but the WJB (formerly known as the JWB) recently approached me and asked me to start doing the column again (and now they're even going to **pay** me!!) so I've come out of retirement! Maybe I'll finally get around to webifying the others, too!
I do love the bells and whistles you've added, btw - particularly the enchanting Bonnie Gordon Lucas illustration on the first page! Sounds as if prospects for print publication are pretty promising! That's wonderful!
Incidentally, I don't know if she sent you a letter or not, but what precipitated this particular re-visit of mine, was an e-mail I received from one of the other "good guys" who frequent that den of iniquity and denial (alt.revisionism). She had discovered your Haggadah - and found me there too! Her initials, btw, are J.C. (not very kosher, eh?!). But she was as enchanted as I. She told me that her "grandchildren are bringing over a couple of their friends whose parents are alienated from their Jewish heritage, and I think this will be a delightful introduction for them to experience." I agree, wholeheartedly.
I see from Alta Vista that you now have a "mirror" site at Brock! Wow, talk about the power of positive linking :>)
Thank you for the 4 questions. I can't wait to use them with my children.
Bracha V'Shalom!Wow! What a treat your Hagadah I mean.
I'll use it at the Seder & make such a scene.
They'll whistle they'll laugh. They'll hoot & they'll holler.
If it wasn't for Yom Tov - they'd give me a dollar!
As a writer I thought I'd steal this book.
But then at the Halacha I gave a quick look.
It said better watch out - you might turn to jelly
If you take what belongs to dear Uncle Eli
May we use it oh please - I'll quote your name often
When they're awake and when they're all shloffen!
AH! Uncle Eli - You've done a gr8 thing!
To combine Dr. Seuss, Yiddishkeit - Oh I'll sing!
I'll dance & I'll leap -- three stories or more
My Seders will shine & the kids won't be bored.
They'll stay & they'll listen - every word every letter
They'll read & I'll eat undisturbed -- what could be better?
Kol Hakoved! and Yasher Koach -
as they say in Z business---
what rhymes with koach?!?!
hmmmm.... moach or shmizness?
Your Haggadah is great! I'm going to use it with my 7 kidguests--ages 3-13--at the Seder.
Thanks
Your story and site are wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing the story; but I'm only familiar with the song "Dayanu", what are the other songs that accompany the story as I was reading each chapter? Write back soon -
Dear Mr Segal,I am a primary school teacher in the U.K. whose first session surfing the internert was wonderfully enlivened by finding your "Uncle Eli's Haggadah". For part of a Masters degree Course I had to dip my toes in the hitherto-for-me, uncharted waters of the internet.
I teach 'Year Three' children, (seven and eight year olds)... but am also my school's Religious Education Coordinator. In Britain, unike in Canada, 'R.E.' is taught in state schools. We study the beliefs, festivals, rites of passage, holy books etc... of the major religions. With this hat on I am always searching for stimulating resources. I have traditional Haggadah texts and will be so very pleased to use your fabulous contribution to enliven and augment our resources can't wain untill our Mr. Blair's plans to get all of Britain's schools on the internet come to pass, so that my little darlings can have the full benifit of your work.
In a personal note, I was born in the U.K. in a charming little town: Lewes in East Sussex where I live now, but my father is Canadian and we immigrated to Canada in 1966. I lived in Toronto for 18 years and visited my then boyfriend, now ex-husband, in Calgary in 1982. I thought it was a great city, and even experience a Chinook!
Again, thank you for enliven my searches an cheering up a rainy spring afternoon. I hope all my sessions on the web will be so fruitfull.
Todah Rabbah. My niece (4) and my nephew (6) will have the best seder ever.
Hi. .. I enjoyed reading your version of the haggada. I am an artist and graphic designer. I have designed several web sites if you are ever interested in a artistically unified, designed look to your site. More exciting to me, however, is your idea to some day print your haggada. Please keep me in mind! I would love to work on such a project.
What a nice thing you have done for those of us with special needs (live in foreign country with few Jews). Your hagaddah is a wonderful resource. How do I get the illustrations you have done????
Hello Eli,Thanks for your brilliant Haggadah site. It must have taken alot of work. I was searching 'Pesach' for our own shule site in Sydney, Australia (www.doverheightsshule.com) and stumbled across your website. Great.
And, what a coincidence! I've been researching some 'lost' ancestors in Calgary for years, and have never been able to find any info. maybe you can help? (Then, again, maybe you can't!) I'll try, anyway...
I hope I haven't taken up too much of your time. Thank you. Hag Sameach,
...
ps Your matza background is great.
We were so pleased to find your hagada on the web. We received "Dr. Seuss's Four Questions" - uncredited - from a synagogue list last year. It is great fun to have the whole text, and to know where it came from!Chag sameach v'kasher
Hi...I was looking for just the right Passover story for my 3 1/2 year old.This looks like it. I'd like to give a copy to her pre-school to read to the class. There seem to be quite a few Jewish kids in it.
Great story
Dear Uncle Eli,I go to Solomon Schechter in Mass. My Tanakh teacher printed up your haggadah and read it to my class. He then gave us the site. It is absolutely adorable!
SHALOM,AS I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE NET CHECKING FOR SOME COOOOL STUFF I CAN DO THIS YEAR SEDER TO KEEP IT KIDS FRIENDLY, I RUN INTO ELI'S HAGGADAH AND I LOVE IT.
I THINK THE KIDS WOULD LOVE IT TOO, I WILL LET YOU KNOW NEXT WEEK.
IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE SUGESTIONS I WOUL LOVE TO BE ON YOUR MAILING LIST!
HAPPY PESACH
Is your haggadah in book form yet? We'd love to get a few copies for the children in our family as an afikomen gift. If not now, when?
B"SDThanks so very much for putting that wonderful Haggadah online. I have bookmarked it for my nieces and nephew who will be visiting by me for Pesach. I know they will get a kick out of it!
B'Shalom
I came to look at and download your wonderful Hagadah and was thrilled to the sounds of Dayenu! Loved it! God bless. Hope you are having a wonderful Pesach!
Dear Uncle Eli,This is just what I was looking for. My children are 5 1/2 and 3 and each year we invite 1 Jewish family and one non-Jewish (my husband is not Jewish) family to our house for seder. Each year I try to think of ways to make Passover fun and informative for everyone involved and this Haggadah is the Greatest. I can't wait to use it tomorrow night and for many, many years in the future. Please let us know when it is published....I would love to have hard copies.
Thank you again!!
Delightful, original and great addition (or replacement) to the family traditional Seder.
Eli,I just wanted to tell you that you have a great site. My parent's told me about the Kosher Express site. From there I found a link to your site--and I was impressed. As the father of a newborn living the Jewish hinterlands of Boise, Idaho I look forward to teaching him about Pesach with your Hagadah! Keep up the great work!
Happy Pesach!
I've been using Uncle Eli's Under Special for Kids Under the Table Hagaddah since 1996, when grandkid Ricki was 5 and Maxie was 3. Ricki read the 4 questions then, and now she can read the whole thing! Max will read the questions this year. But we have a new addition this year -- the fourth child (our third) -- name of SAM![You're right! As you will find out when you purchase the printed version of Uncle Eli's Haggadah, Simple is in fact a daughter! I did finally correct the Web version accordingly.]By the way, why don't you change "The Four Sons" to the "Four Children."
Dear ?Mr / ? Dr. Segal;Thank-you so much for printing your haggadah. We'll do a third seder now with all the kids ( grade-school) and use your text. I wish I knew how to use the web to see your animated/decorated version. I'm in process of learning the newer technologies from my colleagues' children!!
And enjoy the holiday!
i just want to say that i LOVE your passover page. (so did my parents and other people at my seder
I think this is great! I've got two little sons and lots of little nieces, nephews and young cousins who I think might enjoy this.
Totally cool! I was raised Jewish, and if it weren't for the four glasses of wine (actually, 5 at our house, we never figured that one out), we would have never made it through the sedar. I'm in my 40's now, with 6-year old twins, and plan to use YOUR seder this Passover.We have searched in vain for a fun way to involve the kids -- THIS IT IT!!! I want a print copy when it comes out -- it'll be worth every penny, and you deserve to be paid for really bringing the message to the children.
I thank you, my family thanks you, my kids thank you -- oy, even the Cat in the Hat thanks you.
Thanks for the smiles!
Today a friend sent me the URL for your Passover Haggadah. I loved it. I would like to print it for my son's pre-school class at the Jewish Community Center.
We incorporated some of Uncle Eli's Haggadah into our family Seder - we especially enjoyed your version of the ten plagues.Thanks, and Happy Pesach
I am a Jewish American ex-patriate living in Hong Kong. I just came on-line to find something exciting to bring to my son's first grade class for my Passover presentation at his Lutheran based International School.I am thrilled to include excerpts from this wonderful piece of work. The kids will certainly listen, enjoy and , most important, remember this holiday talk!!!
Thank you
Hag Sameach!I read the Haggadah along with the traditional version at our second seder. Everyone loved it. Thought it was terrific. I felt it really livened up the usual rerun. I'm sending a copy to my sister-in law and have made a few for friends.
Thanks so much for helping us to enjoy our second seder.
We just found Uncle Eli's Haggadah on your website. Marvelous.Anybody who's smart and educated should be able to explain things to adults.
To explain something to children, not only do you need to know the material, but you need to be in touch with the wisdom behind it.
Mazal Tov.
Although I am not Jewish, I decided to conduct a Seder with my family this year to give my children a different view of things and to complement our own Easter celebrations. As my husband said to one of his Jewish friends, there wasn't a thing about our Seder that was kosher, but we enjoyed it anyway.Since I have never been involved in a Seder before, I did a lot of research on the Web to determine what was to be done and the order in which it was to be done. I discovered that there is a lot of information available, although it would probably have made more sense if I were Jewish. There were a number of things that I discovered were supposed to be mentioned but not when or why. Your site was like a breath of fresh air. I don't know any more about the whens and whys, but it allowed me to relax and put it together in my own way.
I have two boys who are 9 and 5 years old. Both of them quite enjoyed the search for the Afikoman and want to do it again next year. One never knows, however, what will be remembered afterward by small children. One of the sites I looked at suggested placing a sign on the door for children to find when the door was opened for Elijah. The sign was to say "I was here, where were you?". For a couple of days afterward, my 5 year old kept blaming everything that went missing on Elijah, since he had been at our place when we weren't. Then I felt obliged to explain all of this to his kindergarten teacher, since there is a little boy named Elijah in his classroom. I didn't want him to get blamed accidentally for something he didn't do.
Anyway, I enjoyed your site. Thanks very much!
I want to thank you, if belatedly, for your Haggadah. I have printed it and distributed to friend, to great general merriment during this last Seder.
Dear Uncle Eli Just a note to let you know I was at a conference two weeks ago and I met Bonnie Gordon-Lucas. In fact, Bonnie parted me with some of my money.I just love her artwork.
While talking to her, I noticed a sign about "Uncle Eli's Hagaddah." I was so excited because my family used your Hagaddah for Passover in 1996 (I think). Time goes by so fast I could be wrong about the year, but when I found the Hagaddah on the Internet there were no graphics with it. I downloaded it and turned it into a booklet for our family and friends to use.
That year we had 16 people for the sedar, both Jewish and non-Jewish. We used the traditional Hagaddah, your Hagaddah and "The Women's Hagaddah", which is a very sexist Hagaddah. What an fun sedar we had.
(After finishing this note to you I went out to your site (to get your e-mail address) and started looking at the comments people wrote to you about your Hagaddah. What a surprise when I found my e-mail message to you included in the list. By the way, my daughter is no longer the youngest at 27 years, she has a 10 month old son, but she will still have to read the four questions for a few more years!)
Anyway, I am very excited about Bonnie doing the illustrations for your kids Hagaddah. If I may voice my opinion, I do not think you should include the traditional Hagaddah along with your kids one. I think the kids will feel more ownership of the book and be more receptive to reading it if the grown-ups book is not included. Besides, why spoil a perfectly good kids book with grown-up stuff!
Looking forward to seeing the illustrated version in the fall.
Regards
Many thanks for a delightful and wonderful version of the Hagaddah!It certainly brought back memories!
Dear Uncle Eli,I teach religious school... I have used your wonderful haggadah before. I let the kids color pictures relating to Passover on each page. They were kindergartners and so I read parts to them. They took the book home to the family.
It's great that you are coming out with a book. However my suggestion is that you make a video. It would be great for kids of all ages.
To make sure you are busy and not loafing around like a tenured professor, I also suggest that you make a Chanukah story. Thank you and L'shana Tovah!
Dear Professor Segal -What a thoroughly charming man you must be! I just finished downloading the Passover Haggadah for my littlest one and was so enchanted by it that I printed another one for my Cantor. He has lots of little grandchildren. (Yes, of course I know it's the wrong time of year - I was wandering around looking at Jewish Holidays to find High Holiday sites.)
Were it not now 1:30 in the morning I'd be checking out the Babylonian Talmud page. My energy level just can't keep up with my interest level at this hour.
Thank you for such delight and humor. I'm glad you're in the world and that I stumbled upon you.
Regards
Dear Uncle Eli,Thank you for such a wonderful and fun web site! ...I am a senior in the nursing program at the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond VA. Prior to my being a student, I spent 8 years in the United States Marines during which time I was fortunate enough to travel to Israel and cross-train with forces of the Israeli army.
During those visits, I was treated to such hospitality by the people there, even being allowed to visit and stay at a kibbutz for 3 days. It was during these travels that I developed a deep respect and love for the Jewish people, and the unique place they occupy in the world. Would that David had me for a warrior in his army!
I am taking a course on the study of the Hebrew Bible this semester as an elective, and was drawn to your page as the result of a search for a recipe for charoset, which I will prepare for my class as we learn about the Passover. Do you have a recipe I might use?
Thank you, again!
