Can this Jersey guy save the Seder? Teaneck author has Seinfeld, Shakespeare on the case – NorthJersey.com

Posted By on March 26, 2022

Teaneck author releases Shakespeare Haggadah

Martin Bodek, of Teaneck, talks about his Haggadahs, Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Kevin R. Wexler, NorthJersey.com

Martin Bodek was intense as a bowl of bitter herbs as he proclaimed his Passover primacy.

"Most people just write one Haggadah and move on," Bodeksaid in a recent interview. "Nobody writes this many."

For the 46-year-old Teaneck author, the Passover Haggadah is serious business, even if his specialty is quirky takes on the ancient Jewish text.

The Haggadah, Hebrew for "telling," is the 3,000-year old collection of story, song and ritualthat guidesparticipants though the Seder, the meal that marks the beginning of the Passover holiday commemorating Jews' exodus from slavery in Egypt. The eight-day holiday begins on April 15 this year.

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For many Jews, the Haggadah isthe framework for cherished memories of big family gatherings around a full table. But for youngsters, it can be a notorious chore,a manual for an hours-long ceremony that can seem as stale and dry as old matzo.

That's where Bodek comes in. TheIT-specialist and father of three has sold thousands of copies of his alternatetakes on the Haggadah, usingemojis, Jerry Seinfeld and the coronavirus pandemic to make the hallowed tradition relevant to a modern audience.

His latest, "The Shakespeare Haggadah," borrows from Othello, King Lear and other works of the Bard of Avon. It was published March 15 (appropriately enough, the Ides of March) by Wicked Son, a Jewish-themed imprint of Post Hill Press.A fifthHaggadah is in the works for next year, though Bodek won't reveal its theme.

"We are an ADHD society," he said, explaining his devotion to new interpretations of the old text. "We are desperate to set aside our phones and focus for a second onthe next thing that willinspire us spiritually and entertain. This whole holiday is designed to get children to ask questions. The more they are engaged and atthe table, the better chance there is that they'll bepulled in."

Writing is Bodek's hobby. Along with the Haggadot, he has published six other novels and nonfiction books on topics ranging from theologyto running to politics. His seventh, "Zaidy's War" will be released in October and recounts the experiences of his grandfather, a Romanian Jew who was conscripted into four different national armies over the course of World War II. The book will be released by Amsterdam Publishers, the largest publisher of Holocaust memoirs in Europe.

Bodek wanted to honor his grandfather's"extraordinary life," he said. He felt a responsibility "to make sure every voice that emerges from theHolocaustis properly heard, no matter how many yearsdistant from the catastrophe." The book "fulfils my moral obligation to bearwitness, for my generation and future generations."

The Haggadah is among the most widely published Jewish texts, with at least 4,000 variations, according to scholars. Many are serious, educational or artistic. But in recent years, a growing crop of humorous and lighthearted versions have offered a creative take on a tale that's been retold annually in Jewish homes for millennia.

Bodek grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Brooklyn where Passover was celebrated in a house packed with guests at Seders that lasted well into the night. His favorite Haggadah was a traditional Hebrew version that he received as a bar mitzvah gift when he turned 13.

He recalled his grandfather "singing beautiful songs," which he would go on to share with his three children. "It keeps them awake for just a bit longer."

When he began to host his own Seders, Bodek had to muster all of his creativity to keep younger participants at the dinner table. Eventually, that blossomed into his own whimsical versions of the Passover tradition.

Bodek created the "Emoji Haggadah," published by Brooklyn-based KTAV Publishing House, in 2019 as a way to engage young people as they deciphered the symbols. Written entirely in colorful digital hieroglyphs, it has sold more than 3,000 copies.

In 2020, Bodek penned "The Festivus Haggadah," which combines the canon of "Seinfeld," the famous "show about nothing," with the tale of the Jews' escape from existential danger. That was followed by thepandemic-themed "Coronavirus Haggadah."

Bodek's Haggadot [the plural of Haggadah] are illustrated andaverage 135 pages. They havetaken him anywhere from several weeks to several years to complete, he said. They are available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Judaica stores.

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His newest effortputs a Shakespearean twist on the Exodus story.

Act I of "The Shakespeare Haggadah" begins on an ominous tone, much like one of the playwright's tragedies. "The husband enters, following synagogue," explain the stage directions. "The wife is harried, beautiful, upset her husband is late. The four sons are squabbling. The in-laws are quiet, as ordered."

"This is the bitter bread of Banishment," Bodek writes, quoting from "Richard II" to describe the matzoeaten aspart of the Passover meal.

At another moment, he riffs on "As You Like It" to modify the Four Questions asked during the Seder: "Tonight we only chew the food of sweet and bitter fancy."

"There's plenty in common," Bodek said of Shakespeare and the Haggadah story, which both have their share of heroes and villains. "We're always eating and drinking wine, people are angry with each other and trying to free themselves from oppression."

Bodek's other works offer ablend of whimsical, topical and theological themes. "A Conversation on the Way" is a discussion between friends with different religious views. "Extracts from Noah's Diary" is a humorous account of the Biblical figure, and "54 Runners, 54 Stories" recountsa grand relay from Brooklyn to the Catskills.

"Bush II, Book I" is about the first term of George W. Bush's presidency written in Old Testament style and "Donald J. Trump Will You Please Go Now!" is a Dr. Seuss-liketake on the most recent occupant of the White House.

Avrohom Biderman, a longtime editor at Artscroll/Mesorah Publications in Rahway, said his Jewish publishing house has released approximately 60 Haggadot since publishing its first in 1977. It'snot unusual for people to buy a new Haggadah annually, he said.

"The Seder is a significant event in Jewish life. People are looking for new insights they can share with their families each year."

There's nothing heretical with a parody of the great text, as long as it remains faithful to the message of the original, Biderman added.

"It's a mitzvah to retell the story of the Exodus," he said, using the Hebrew word for "good deed."

"We want to make it fresh."

Deena Yellin covers religion for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to her work covering how the spiritual intersects with our daily lives,please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email:yellin@northjersey.com

Twitter:@deenayellin

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Can this Jersey guy save the Seder? Teaneck author has Seinfeld, Shakespeare on the case - NorthJersey.com

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