The end of the haggadah is naturally dominated by Had Gadya with three illuminations set on a page surrounded by the familiar song. Each animal is realistically depicted in a forested mountain landscape reminiscent of the artist's Russian roots. The young scruffy goat is followed by a fluffy kitten and then chased by a playful collie. In the next set this innocent fun sours when the mood turns dark and ominous; a threatening stick is mysteriously ignited into a forest fire and finally dowsed by a pail of water appearing out of the smoky sky.

The final set shifts the mood again as a peaceful cow drinks from the edge of a lake, stands face to face with the pious slaughterer who in turn is laid to rest by a fearsome Angel of Death. The angel, in his turn, is conquered by the pure light of the Holy One, Blessed is He. This unique series, shifting mood from image to image, upsets our expectations, provides a visual delight for children and sly insights into the complex nature of the real world for adults.

One the more startling illuminations is the depiction of Pesach, Matzah, Maror. In counter intuitive fashion it depicts not the objects but rather the explanation of each. Pesach is depicted as a lamb tied to a fantastical bed, framing the narrative as a kind of ancient fable. Three maidens seen in the middle image are preparing to bake Matzah in the open air evoking the rushed preparation preceding our redemption. Finally the bitter concept of Maror is encapsulated with two Hebrews laboring in Pharaonic Egypt, struggling to pull unseen stones. Each image unlocks the text with an image that tickles the imagination to elaborate on even further.

The nature of images in this and many other haggadahs are two-fold. Images concretize the text rendering it specific to time and place. Simultaneously they can excite our imagination to compare the image with our own experiences and concepts. The images feed our imagination because we intuitively understand that they are only metaphors. Metaphors are open to our personal interpretation and therefore ready-made to facilitate our creativity as we personalize the haggadah. It is up to us to reinvent the experience of the Exodus each time we encounter it on Seder night. The illuminated haggadah is a handmaiden to our mitzvah of creativity.