Hagadah shel Pesah/ Hagadah. Passover Seder Service: The First Illustrated post-war haggadah for Survivor's published by the Vaad Hatzala.
Munich: Vaad Hatzala, 1948. First edition. Hardcover. Duodecimo. 4 1/2 x6 3/4". 84pp. Re-bound in green cloth over green marbled paper boards. Black lettering in Hebrew on the spine. Original tan paper wrappers with blue lettering bound-in.
This now scarce Passover haggadah was issued and compiled in Munich by the Vaad Hatzala organization. The American-Jewish organization was originally founded by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada, in 1939, with its mission being the rescuing of European Jews from the Nazis. In the wake of the Holocaust, the organization found its new goal as providing provide material support for the remaining Jewish community of Europe that had survived the war. As stated in the initial preface, the Haggadah was published to mark the third Passover since the end of the Holocaust, and expresses the hope, as the traditional Jewish saying goes, that next year those survivors would be celebrating in the Land of Israel. The haggadah was issued under the auspices of Rabbi Nathan (Naftali) Baruch (director of Vaad Hatzala in Germany from 1946-1948) and Rabbi Aviezer Burstin (deputy director, b.1918), and seems to have been meant as continued promotion of the Vaad Haztala's work to their American-Jewish supporters and to facilitate the survivors learning English. The preface in English at the front of the book is addressed to "our American brethren, for their generous aid in assisting in the task of the spiritual and physical rehabilitation, the Sherith Hapleita extends its sincerest blessings and holiday greetings". This Haggadah was printed in the same year as an all Hebrew edition-by the Vaad- with a Rabbinic commentary that is not illustrated.
All text throughout printed in a two-column format in Hebrew and English. Introduction in English. Illustrated throughout with photographic reproductions after images from numerous different historical haggadahs (in black). The final section from p.65-84 is comprised of captioned images showing Jewish life in the DP camps and he activities of the Vaad Hatzala organization in the post-war period (in blue).
Binding with minor rubbing to corners. Interior with a small chip to the top corner of the original front wrapper, which is lightly sunned, smudged, and with the ink stamp of a previous owner, Harry J. Hirschhorn (1922-2004). A few light stains and smudges to some pages throughout but overall quite clean. Binding in near fine, interior in very good to very good+ condition overall. Scarce. vg to near fine. Item #50439
Hebrew title: הגדה של פסח
Publication: מינכן, יצא לאור ע"י הועד להוצאת ספרים אצל ועד ההצלה, תש"ח
Responsibility: הרב נפתלי בארוך, הרב אביעזר בורשטין
Alternate transliteration: Aviezer Burstein
Bibliographic reference: Yaari 2362, Yudlov 4093, not in Yerushalmi
*This publication is not to be confused with the similar haggadah issued by the Vaad Hatzalah in Munich the same year, a shorter work, containing a Rabbinic commentary by Jacob Lisser taken from his work "Derech Chaim" (21 leaves, Yaari 2361, Yudlov 4092).
Price: $3,000.00