Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?

"For many Jewish children, theMa Nishtanarepresents their first public performance... What is interesting, and characteristically Jewish, is that this first public performance is composed of questions. Questions have played a critical role in Jewish life from the very beginning. In the Bible, they are often directed to God... However, unlike demanding theological questions, the Four Questions of theMa Nishtanaare directed at one's parents. And the queries presuppose that the questioner intends to observe the holiday's rituals but simply wants a greater understanding of how and why to do so. Jewish children have been reciting theMa Nishtanafor about a hundred generations and, as this book makes clear, in many different countries. But of one thing we can be sure: As long as children a chanting these questions, the Jewish people will go on." --From the introduction by Rabbi Joseph TelushkinKurshan, Ilana is the author of 'Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?', published 2008 under ISBN 9780805242522 and ISBN 080524252X.