Passover is coming up, and this year as you ponder celebrating the Seder meal, perhaps you should consider making it a quick one and use the “30 Minute-Seder: The Haggadah that Blends Brevity with Tradition.”

I was flipping through the New York Times Magazine on the train yesterday afternoon when I came upon an advertisement selling this little 30 Minute-Seder book and laughed out loud. The copy reads:

“This Rabbinically approved Haggadah is refreshingly brief, yet maintains the high points of the traditional Seder. Well-written and beautifully illustrated. . . . 30 Minute-Seder is perfect for the entire family and makes Passover a joy to celebrate!”

Very amusing. I suppose the implication is that if your Seder takes more than 30 minutes to celebrate, then it will be rather less than joyful. Hmmm.

And never fear: if you are super, super busy and you leave your Haggadah text to the last minute, you can “download it now!” according to the 30-Minute Seder’s website. It will show up formatted and ready to print from your computer, to pass out to all your guests. Nothing like revising our significant religious rituals to reflect the fact that today we are so over-scheduled we don’t even have time for one long meal once a year! We can squeeze in Passover just like we squeeze in the schlep to soccer practice and the quick trip to the grocery store to buy milk.

Is it just me, or do you too feel a little depressed when you read about this sort of thing?