April 14 marks the beginning of Passover in the Jewish tradition, and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville presents a unique set of Haggadot on Monday at The Great Reveal, held in correlation with the holiday.

"Passover commemorates the great exodus of the Israelites from ancient Egypt," said Jack Zanerhaft, rabbi of the Congregation Etz Chaim in Bentonville and narrator for the event. "We retell the story of Exodus through the Seder, a very traditional dinner. The Haggadah sets forth the order of the Seder."

The Seder -- or order, arrangement -- is a Jewish ritual feast held on the first night of Passover. The book of Exodus commands those of the Jewish faith to tell the story of the great exodus to future generations.

You shall tell your son on that day: It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.

-- Exodus 13:8

The Haggadah -- or "the telling" in Aramaic -- is a book that leads the service, Zanerhaft said. According to chabad.org, the Haggadah is a sacred book that focuses on the release of the people of Israel from Egyptian bondage and is a celebration of freedom. The Haggadah was first written in the Middle Ages and contains passages dealing with the Exodus and instructions on how to conduct the seder.

"This celebration has the highest percentage rate of participation in the Jewish community," Zanerhaft said. "It is exceptionally significant that we are talking about the Haggadah at this time. Not only is this piece so relevant to our community and our religion, but it is of great artistic value to the whole of Northwest Arkansas."

This rare Haggadah for Passover features original artwork by Lithuanian-born artist Ben Shahn. The 66th of only 228 copies of this first edition, the signed book contains watercolors -- including a two-page Menorah frontispiece -- originally painted in the 1930s and reproduced for the 1965 printing, said Catherine Petersen, the museum's library director.

"These were produced around the same time as his famous Sacco and Vanzetti trial paintings," Petersen said. The paintings -- depicting Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti -- represent the controversial trial of two Italian immigrants and committed anarchists considered wrongfully accused and convicted of murder in 1920 and executed in 1927, she said.

"Shahn identified strongly with these men," Petersen said.

Shahn was a Jewish immigrant and believed these men suffered during a period of fear and hatred of Italians, Jews and other immigrants, known as the Red Scare, she said.

"His focus was a justice commentary," she said. "He presented works on poverty, labor, religious practices, and incorporated religious and Jewish themes in his pieces. They are expressions of his personal views about oppression. These kinds of paintings are featured in the Haggadah. They're stunning. They help us gain understanding of the diverse culture we live in."

"Any opportunity for inclusion, bridging understanding, provides a step of inclusion for the greater Bentonville area," Zanerhaft said. "It is great inclusion for all of us. Jesus's last supper was a seder. It is integral to multiple religious beliefs. It shows how similar we are, how connected we are as a community.

"The Great Reveal is a great platform to highlight a minority in Northwest Arkansas," he continues. "It is from these emerging communities that Bentonville has really been spurred."

The Great Reveal -- held four to six times a year in the Great Hall at Crystal Bridges -- helps present some of the more rare artifacts held in the museum library, Petersen said. The program supports the art in the museum and features unique items otherwise generally unavailable to the public.

"It gives patrons a chance to come learn behind the scenes of an exhibit," she said. "People come to the museum and don't even realize that we have a library. But when they come, they realize that there is a never-ending wealth of information."

"Going to the Great Reveal is a great chance to see some of these items that aren't there all the time," said Emily Douglas, a retired high school teacher and co-sponsor of the Great Reveal. Along with her husband, John, Emily Douglas has been a supporter of The Great Reveal and a volunteer in the library since before the museum opened.

"We received books in boxes," said John Douglas. "Emily helped unbox them and is gone about once a week to help at the library. We're thrilled to death to be part of Crystal Bridges. We feel it is truly worthy of support."

"I greet people, help put up books," Emily Douglas said with a laugh, "But, really, I love it because I have learned so much. I've learned so much from just next week's Great Reveal. This Haggadah is such a great thing for people to see. This is an important time for both Christians and Jews and our cultures."

"So many people don't realize the library is there," she said. "But the Great Reveal is a great way for people to make their way up there and make them more aware of some of the items that aren't on display all the time. I'm very excited about it and can't wait."

"I hope everyone takes an interest in the Haggadah because it is such an interesting piece of art," Petersen said. "Our ultimate goal is to connect with the community and to get people into the library. So come on up to the library, and check it out. We have appointments available to those who wish to see rare books. It's a beautiful place to come learn.

"And it's the best view in the museum."