“A Seder Night”

Heinrich Heine

ca. 1824

In the large room of his house sat Rabbi Abraham and commenced the celebration of the Passover Eve, in company with his relatives and pupils and other guests. Everything in the room was brighter than usual. The table was covered with a silk-embroidered cloth, with golden fringe trailing to the ground. The little plates glittered pleasantly with…

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From the Curator

One of the most enduring tropes of European antisemitism is the blood libel—the false claims starting as early as the twelfth century that Jews use Christian blood for their rituals, especially on the Passover holiday. The famous German Jewish writer Heinreich Heine sets this story in a German town that was the site of Jewish pogroms inflamed by blood libel claims during the Crusades. Written hundreds of years later as the promise of citizenship gave German Jews new opportunities and hopes, the story offers a jarring reminder of deeply ingrained attitudes toward Jews that would continue to clash with the ideals of a cosmopolitan and inclusive Germany.

Discussion Questions

What might have inspired Heine to write this story as revolutionary liberal ideas brought new political and cultural opportunities for German Jews?
What stands out to you about Heine’s portrayal of this medieval Jewish Passover celebration?
Do you see any clues in this story that might explain why Heine decided to convert to Christianity one year after its publication?

Creator Bio

Heinrich Heine

1797–1856

A German romantic poet and essayist, Heinrich Heine was born in Düsseldorf. Unsuccessful in his early business career, he studied law, and settled in Berlin in 1821. There he met with success as a poet and was influenced by the founders of Wissenschaft des Judentums; he became acquainted with Rahel Varnhagen, Moses Mendelssohn, and Leopold Zunz. In 1825, Heine converted to Christianity, apparently for the career opportunities that such a conversion might have afforded. Heine’s life was dominated by enthusiasm for the French Revolutionary ideals and Napoleon in their liberal treatment of Jews; he spent the last twenty-five years of his life in Paris. (Several of Heine’s poetry and prose works appear in this volume.)

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“A Seder Night”

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“A Seder Night”

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