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Local Rabbinical Students Create The 'Hamilton Haggadah'

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A couple of local rabbinical students have taken a fresh approach to the Passover story by re-writing the traditional "Haggadah" in the theme of the musical Hamilton.

Classmates Jake Adler and Emily Cohen at first started writing their Hamilton Haggadah in a Google Document just for fun.

Eventually, they did it for school credit.

"As we started to write last year, I think Moses became the central character in the songs. A lot of people identified Moses as the Alexander Hamilton character," Adler said.

"While I think there's always relevancy to be found in the story of the Exodus, like that's why we read it every year, I think that finding new glosses on those stories is part of the Jewish endeavor," said Cohen.

They say the Passover story is timeless.

"Tales about freedom and liberation and seeking freedom and liberation continue to be really applicable," said

The Hamilton Haggadah is available for a free download online, but they ask that in exchange folks donate to the immigrant organization the Hebrew Immigrant Aids Society of Pennsylvania.

"I mean, the opening line of the traditional Passover story is: my father was a wandering Aramean."

 

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