The World's Oldest Haggadah
Plus, Hot Take: You should eat charoset all Passover long
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Hello The Jewish Table Readers,
I hope you all had glorious seders filled with joy, connection, and great food. This year, I learned something new (and fascinating) at the seder from my brother-in-law, Daniel, that I immediately wanted to share with you.
As we raised our first cup of wine, he announced that he wanted to read a piyyut (liturgical poem) found in the world’s oldest-known Jewish book—an 8th century tome unearthed in Afghanistan that belonged to a community of Jews who traded spices along the Silk Road. According to the Jewish Theological Seminary: “The manuscript was found in a cave in the Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan along the Silk Roads and has been scientifically dated to circa 700 CE.”
And get this: “The medieval manuscript is comprised of prayers, poems, and pages of the oldest discovered Passover Haggadah, which was mysteriously written upside down.”
An upside-down Haggadah?! How curious. But even more curious was the piyyut Daniel read at our family’s seder, which is essentially an ode to the soothing and delightful qualities of wine:
Blessed are You, our God, Sovereign of eternity, who created sweet wine and good aged wine from the grape plants, for it is pleasant for the soul and good for the human, makes the heart rejoice and the face shine, and is comforting to the mourners, and lets the embittered of soul forget their poverty and heals all who drink it (at least, who drink it within reason and sound mind), and is happiness to the heart, joy, and much mirth to those who drink it.
Our God created it of old, to please the works primally established, that all who drink it bless the Deity, and praise the Creator of Understanding, Who established the land’s delicacies, and made the earth’s sweets.
This is our God, Who created aged wine from the vine, and established sweet wine from the grapes, to satiate the hungry soul, and to fill the parched soul. Drinker’s heart will rejoice, over the fruits of God’s works they will bless their Creator. Blessed are You, Sovereign alone exalted, the holy Deity, creator of the vine-fruit.
This ancient liturgical poem has everything: Sweet wine and aged wine! An appreciation for wine’s ability to provide comfort and inspire mirth! A call to drink responsibly! The satiation of hungry and parched souls! A divine Creator that fills our world with delicacies!
From the four cups of wine that anchor the Passover seder’s choreography, to the seder’s other structural echos of wine-heavy Greco-Roman symposiums, Passover’s rituals are already pretty vino-philic. But this ode brings things to the next level—a blessing for holiday bacchanal.
Recitation of the poem on Passover has fallen out of use over the centuries, or perhaps was squelched by rabbinic authorities along the way. But at our seder in Philadelphia in 2025, we raised the first cup and Daniel recited the ancient poem—inviting a new layer of Jewish history to the table. I think it might just become an annual tradition.
Hot Take: You Should Eat Charoset All Passover Long
Yes, I am that person. You know, the one who makes sure to sit as close as possible to the bowl of charoset at the Passover seder, and who looks forward to the leftovers the next morning. I find the fruit and nut mixture—which represents the mortar and bricks used by the Israelites when they were enslaved in ancient Egypt—utterly irresistible. And while I know not everyone shares my affection, I would like to make the case that charoset should not be confined to the seder. It should be a Passover hero all week long.
My family makes Ashkenazi-style charoset, which combines chopped or grated apples with chopped walnuts, cinnamon, and a bit of sweet wine or grape juice to bring everything together. Heaped onto matzo, sprinkled over yogurt, or spooned straight from the container, it is always a winner.
But for all-week charoset eating, I prefer Moroccan-style charoset. The recipe for Moroccan charoset varies from home to home, but most include a base of squishy-sweet dates, jammy raisins, and nuts. And instead of being served as a chunky spread or relish, the fruit and nuts get pulsed in a food processor until the mixture reaches a thick, fruit paste consistency that is then rolled into small, single serving-sized balls. The charoset balls are sweet, toasty, filling, nutrient-dense, and perfectly pop-able. I can’t think of a better cure for the mid-week Passover hangries.
Moroccan charoset balls store well for a week or longer in the fridge, and can be tucked into a Tupperware for on-the-go snacking. If you have ever eaten a packaged Lärabar, you can understand the appeal of charoset as a power snack. I’ve shared my recipe for Moroccan Charoset Balls below. Feel free to modify it by switching up the nuts or dried fruit (just make sure to keep the dates), or by rolling the balls in shredded coconut or cocoa powder.
And let me know:
Fight the Darkness: Run for Something
It remains dark out there beyond the cozy home of the Jewish table. The Trump administration is refusing to follow the unanimous Supreme Court ruling to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia—a man abducted and wrongfully deported (without any due process or evidence against him) to a super prison in El Salvador. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Governor, Josh Shapiro’s home was set on fire in a purposeful arson attack shortly after his family’s Passover seder. And America is becoming increasingly isolated (and losing billions of dollars) as tourists from other countries cancel their trips in light of Trump’s chaos.
I don’t have words of comfort other than that if you are afraid and overwhelmed, you are not alone. And also that, amidst the darkness there are glimmers of light—including the organization Run for Something, which recruits, trains, and supports progressive candidates running for state and local office.
With an impressive success rate of getting candidates elected, and tens of thousands of people who have stepped forward to learn more about running since the 2024 election, Run for Something is helping to build a bench of future leaders who can make positive change on the local and state level—regardless of the garbage coming out of the White House.
Have you ever considered running for local or statewide office? Maybe your local school board? City council? County commissioner? Mayor? State senate? Or do you know someone who would be perfect for it? Sign up with Run for Something. You don’t commit to anything by signing up, and you never know what good you might do.
If elected office isn’t for you, consider donating to Run for Something to support their crucial work.
Moroccan Charoset Balls
Serves 6
