Passover and Type

new haggadah 2012

In light that this week is Passover, I would like to share with you images from The New American Haggadah published by Little Brown and Company. It’s a gorgeous book with fabulous type as art!
new american haggadah

It’s designed by the Isrealis graphic and type designer, Oded Ezer. He went beyond just typesetting the manuscript. Instead, he took sections of the hebrew text and created works of art to illuminate the pages. He wanted the haggadah to only be typographic, but through his use of a variety of mediums including: wax from Chanukah candles, ink, cut paper, and even a kitchen torch, he created compelling works of art.
new american haggadah
passover prayer book design

I truly love the feel of the traditional mediums to manipulate the hebrew letters. There’s an immediate human connection with the words when they are drawn by hand. Even Ezber said in an interview with Imprint-The Online Community for Graphic Designers, “If I touch the letters, I think and I hope that people will be touched by them.” It’s so true. Well done.