How a coffee company and a marketing maven brewed up a Passover tradition: A brief history of the Maxwell House Haggadah

A collaboration between advertiser Joseph Jacobs and the famous coffee company produced the classic U.S. haggadah. The book sets out the ceremony for the Seder meal.

By: Kerri Steinberg, Otis College of Art and Design, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 28, 2026

Words: 1,022

Last Updated: 4 months ago

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By Kerri Steinberg, Otis College of Art and Design

For more than a millennium, the haggadah has been the centerpiece of the Jewish holiday of Passover. The book sets out the ceremony for the Seder meal, when families tell the biblical Exodus story of God delivering the ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

Today, thousands of different haggadahs exist, with prayers, rituals and readings tailored to every type of Seder – from LGBTQ+-affirming …

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