The Passover seder is a combination of meal, ritual, and storytelling. The biblical tale of the Jews’ liberation from slavery is recounted, along with prayers, songs, and Talmudic commentaries, all collected in the ancient text of the Haggadah. Artworks depicting seders often show its main symbolic foods, set on a special plate, the Haggadah, the glasses of wine that are drunk, and—most important—the group of family and friends who are celebrating.

Arnold Eagle’s photographs capture a family seder, with its mix of seriousness and humor. Eagle documented the scene around 1934, noting, “I felt at that time that this interesting culture was disappearing in the United States.” Each image records a key moment in the evening: the seder leader breaks a matzah to recall that in poverty people must eat only a part of what they have; the participants wash their hands; the family listens to the youngest child recite the Four Questions that explain why Passover is different from other nights of the year. In the foreground of one photograph, a young girl cradles her head on her arms.