'Passover Around the World'

"Why is this night different from all other nights?" The question is asked every year at the Passover meal known as the seder.

On the first night of Passover, Jewish people all around the world commemorate the exodus from Egypt, over 3,000 years ago, when Moses led the Israelites from slavery to freedom. The seder is a symbolic reenactment of this defining event in Jewish history, a dramatic way of passing the story down from generation to generation.

The book "Passover Around the World" begins with a brief summary of the Biblical story, then defines the essential elements of a seder table: the symbolic foods, the special seder plate and Elijah's cup, and the Haggadah or book telling the story of Passover.

Following this introduction, eight chapters set in places from Turkey to Ethiopia and from America to India feature short stories in which families observe Passover, showing variations among the traditions of different countries and cultures.

In Gibralter, for example, the charoset, a paste of spiced fruits and nuts reminiscent of the mortar used by bricklayers in Egypt, includes a strange ingredient: finely ground powder from a real brick. In Iran, a bowl of scallions is passed around the table before the singing of a special song, "Dayenu," but the scallions are not to eat; they're a prop used during the song.

Within each chapter, a boxed sidebar provides background information on the Jewish community in that location, and a second sidebar gives a related recipe simple enough for children to make with minimal adult assistance.

Each story is enhanced by a full-page painting showing a scene from the narrative, as well as a two-color sketch that illustrates an accompanying food or artifact. The artist is not only a book illustrator but also a cartographer, and in each chapter a full-age map pinpoints where that family lives, adding color and interest. A well-designed layout manages to integrate all of the textual and pictorial elements smoothly.

A bonus "Passover Potpourri" at the end of the book mentions additional traditions and gives several more recipes. Hebrew terms (and a few from other languages) are defined in a glossary.