The color and artwork of Ismar David's The Family Haggadah for Passover reflect the joyful atmosphere and deep spirituality of Passover. Using the complete traditional Hebrew text with a clear and effective English translation, this distinguished graphic designer and calligraphy teacher integrates his unique contemporary sensibility with an awareness of the cultural richness of centuries of Jewish history. Exceptional visual appeal, practical design and economical price make The Family Haggadah for Passover a stimulating and helpful guide for each participant at a Seder whether in the home or Synagogue.
* ILLUSTRATION Drawings and text are intimately interwoven. Mr. David's evocative illustrations form a visual commentary on the cherished story, engaging the imagination of children and adults alike.
* DESIGN Inventive graphic devices, color and layout indicate the ritual procedures and present them in a straightforward, concise manner. The full Hebrew and English texts are side by side and clearly relate to each other.
* CALLIGRAPHY The Hebrew text is rendered in its entirety in calligraphy. The style, based on writing from the time of the Dead Sea Scrolls, retains a contemporary spirit and expresses the timelessness and vigor of the Jewish heritage.
* BILINGUAL TEXT The complete traditional Hebrew text, fully vocalized and carefully proofread, partners a readable, accurate English translation.
* HELPING HAND Phillip Rothman's brief introduction details the essential preparations for the Seder and explores the symbolism and meaning of Passover. The 6" x 9" format is convenient for use at the table and the durable Smythsewn construction ensures that it may be used for years to come.
One of Ismar David's great pleasures was conducting his own Seder each year at Passover. As an artist, he naturally had ideas about the Haggadah. His background gave him a deep affection for and understanding of Jewish tradition. His experience and abilities as a book designer and his commitment to the use of calligraphy as a form of cultural expression, gave him the resources to create a Haggadah as beautiful as it is usable.
Born into an Orthodox family in Breslau, Germany in 1910, Mr. David went to Berlin in 1928 to study at the Municipal Arts and Crafts School. In 1932, after winning a design competition for the Jewish National Fund, the young man traveled to Jerusalem to supervise construction of the project. That city remained his home for the next 20 years. There, Mr. David worked in many aspects of graphic and architectural design. He developed the typeface David Hebrew, which broke new ground when it was issued by Intertype in 1954 and is influential and ubiquitous today.
After settling in New York in 1953, Mr. David worked in the book field, designing well over 200 book jackets and covers. The beauty of his illustrations and decorations for Pascal's Les Pensees (1971) is unsurpassed. In 1973 he designed a bilingual edition of The Psalms. Perhaps his most personal work, it incorporates his beliefs about illustration and book and type design. Many years as a calligraphy teacher at the Pratt Institute and at The Cooper Union, both in New York, helped Mr. David develop his two instructional works, Our Calligraphic Heritage (1979) and The Hebrew Letter: Calligraphic Variations (1990). Architectural work absorbed much of his attention in later years, but Mr. David always made time for graphics. He developed The Family Haggadah for Passover with his partner Helen Brandshaft who rendered the calligraphy for the Hebrew text and prepared the work for publication. Ismar David died in 1996
