The Seder is crucial to celebrating Passover, which begins at sundown on April 10. It’s a ritual meal in which those around the dinner table retell the story of the Jews’ escape from slavery in Egypt. It’s an important family gathering, and unfortunately it’s … got a bad reputation. The Internet is full of sites suggesting ways to make the Seder less boring, less long-winded, more inclusive and more appealing to fidgety kids. To that end, modern Haggadahs – the booklet of readings and prayers used in the Seder – have gotten some makeovers.
Whatever your concern or focus, there’s a Haggadah out there for your particular Seder. See below for a few examples of updated versions of the classic text. Bonus: Some of them are free downloads, or have a nominal fee, making it easier to get a copy for everyone at the table.
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“A Night to Remember: The Haggadah of Contemporary Voices”
Mishael Zion and Noam Zion add intellectual discussions, poems, activities and skits to the original text, drawing comparisons between the events in the Haggadah and more current world events, in order to engage adults and children and encourage everyone to participate. Find online here.
“30 Minute Seder: The Haggadah That Blends Brevity With Tradition”
This version by Robert Kopman delivers on its promise – a short-but-sweet seder that still gives the essentials of the holiday to people young or old who are unfamiliar with Jewish tradition. It’s also available in large-print version or in Braille. Find online here.
“The Hyper-Modern Ancient With-It Traditional Haggadah” 
Tzvi Freeman, a rabbi and contributor to Chabad.org, self-published this book to offer families a streamlined version of the Haggadah, using plain language and illustrated with entertaining cartoons throughout. Find online here.
“Internet Haggadah”
“Why is this Haggadah different from every other Haggadah?” asks the download site for this version, written by Rabbi William Blank of California, who earns a living as a technical writer in addition to his spiritual works. He created this edited, shortened version to be clearly written and easily understood without added preachiness. Find online here.
“Oranges and Olives: A Modern, Interfaith Family Passover Haggadah”
Nancy Cronk, religious education director at a Unitarian-Universalist church in Colorado, created this Haggadah to be inclusive of interfaith, atheist, humanist, feminist and vegetarian guests, and it’s designed to take about an hour to read aloud. Her version also includes shopping lists and explanations for those new to the tradition. Find online here.
“Richard Codor’s Joyous Haggadah: A Children and Family Cartoon Haggadah for Passover Seder”
The cartoonist and animator teamed with his wife, photographer and painter Liora Codor, to create this child-friendly, light-hearted Haggadah, which is designed to appeal to first-timers at the Seder table. The illustrated, simplified text also contains a few recipes. Find online here.
“The Velveteen Rabbi’s Haggadah for Pesach” 
The Velveteen Rabbi – aka Rabbi Rachel Barenblat of Massachusetts – first created a Haggadah for home use, then began sharing it online for anyone to use. The traditional text is interspersed with poetry and contemporary teachings with a feminist leaning and an emphasis on community participation. To date, it’s been downloaded all over the U.S. and in countries such as Niger and Australia. Find online here.
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