Yeshivat Frisch Republishes Classic Rav Kahn Haggadah

March 8, 2018

When Yeshivat Frisch’s Halacha Department Chair Rabbi Asher Bush was relatively new to the school, he ended up with a special task. Three or four times a week, Rabbi Bush would drive Rabbi Shlomo Kahn, his senior colleague and a beloved rebbe at Frisch, over the George Washington Bridge back to Washington Heights, where Rabbi Kahn lived and served as rabbi of Congregation Beth Hillel and Beth Israel. It was not long before Rabbi Kahn, renowned to generations of students for his wisdom, patience, and lucid explanations of Torah and Yiddishkeit, became a mentor, rebbe, confidant and friend to Bush as well.

Rabbi Kahn zt”l passed away in 2001, having taught at Frisch since the 1970s. He was treasured equally by students in the Mechina program, for whom he was their introduction to the sweetness of Torah, as well as those with a yeshiva background, for whom he served as a living example of all they had learned. One of his enduring contributions to Torah learning is his classic Passover Haggadah commentary, “From Twilight to Dawn.” First published in the 1960s, when original, English-language commentaries were more difficult to come by, Rabbi Kahn’s insights— unique commentaries for each seder night—remain as relevant and inspiring as ever to today’s reader.

Frisch is delighted to have republished “From Twilight to Dawn” in time for this year’s sedarim, making Rabbi Kahn’s magnificent synthesis of Haggadah literature accessible to a new generation. The initiative was spearheaded by Frisch alumnus and President of the Board of Trustees Paul Rolnick ‘87 and Alumni Coordinator Cheryl Leiser. It was made possible by the generosity and outpouring of support from members of the Frisch community, many of whom were talmidim of Rabbi Kahn, as well as Rabbi Kahn’s family.

Copies of the Haggadah are available for purchase for $30 at the Frisch main office, or online at www.frisch.org (“Support Frisch”).

To celebrate the Haggadah’s release, Rabbi Bush will delivering a presentation on Monday, March, 12, titled “‘From Twilight to Dawn’: Commentaries on the Haggadah from the Teachings of Rabbi Shlomo Kahn” at 11:30 a.m. RSVP’s are required. To reserve a space or for more information, please email alumni@frisch.org.