A remarkable Haggadah created by Jewish Brigade fighters for Passover, just weeks before Israel's declaration of independence, has recently come to light and will be auctioned today (Thursday) at the Brand auction house in Bnei Brak, alongside several other historically significant Haggadahs.

The Haggadah, printed in Germany, features powerful messages about the Holocaust and revival, uniquely combining comfort prophecies typically recited after the Ninth of Av with articles reinforcing Zionist ideals.

"We are heroes! The last generation of slavery and the first of redemption," they write. "Into swords, into spears, the mountains will disintegrate, the hills will break. But heaps upon heaps will rise from our granaries – beware," the text states. "Rise, desert wanderers, come out from the desolation. The journey is still long, the battle still great. Let us not be stopped by the corpses of the stragglers who perished in their work – we shall pass over the fallen."

"Remember this day when you came out of Egypt, from the house of slavery," is quoted from the Haggadah, followed by clarification – "From slavery to freedom, this first cup that we raise – what is it for? Because we were commanded to remember this day, the day of going from slavery to freedom, the day of the beginning and birth of a nation. And today – when we stand in the midst of it."

Another significant Haggadah at the auction is among the first to explicitly reference the Holocaust of the Jewish people. Published in 1940 at Kibbutz Shefayim, it contains a rare and early mention of the Holocaust. "Wherever I go I hear the voices of my brothers dragged like herds to slaughter, from burning pyres, from ruins, from cities and towns – altars for burnt offerings. The groaning of their destruction terrifies my nights and my eyes will never cease to see them and my heart will never stop crying abomination."

"Do you know what is happening today?" the writer asks and answers, "In Poland our people are slaughtered like sheep. Do you hear the knocking in the mountains in the silvery air? They are standing in the frost and digging graves for each other," it says. The following page shows a person tearing under a swastika while a town burns in the background.

A third Haggadah being offered for sale is the Haganah Haggadah, also published for Passover 5708 (1948), mere weeks before Israel's declaration of independence. Even then, it appears the fighters anticipated the coming independence, as the Haggadah features distinctly celebratory and Zionist themes. "Today you are going out in the month of spring – we raise the first cup to the king of the Seder, the Hebrew state."

The post Rare Haggadahs up for auction in Bnei Brak appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The Passover Haggadah has seen more editions than any other Jewish book in history. Still, the recently released Chabad.org Haggadah, which is faithful to tradition, has already set a new standard for the times.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Written and designed by the staff, it was created in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic as so many were suddenly tasked with making seders for the first time, and with many Jews still homebound and planning to hold Passover alone or just with immediate family.

The illustrated Haggadah provides extensive notes about the seder and an easy-to-understand English translation with commentary.

Since its launch mid-month, the softcover holiday text has been downloaded nearly 100,000 times and has become the No.1 bestselling Haggadah and No.1 bestselling Jewish book on Amazon.

"The response has been tremendous – well beyond what we anticipated," Rabbi Motti Seligson, associate director of Chabad.org, who led the design concept of the Haggadah, said.

 Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

"It seems that this Haggadah is exactly what so many were waiting for to help guide their Passover seder and make it that much more meaningful."

Plans are in the works for an upgraded, hardcover version to be released in 2022.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

The post New Chabad Haggadah becomes No.1 bestselling Jewish book on Amazon appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has turned daily life into a challenge. The things we used to take for granted are no longer available to us, such as spending holidays together with the whole family.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Passover used to be a festival in which the entire family, along with relatives and friends, gathered around the same table to read the Haggadah.

Last year, the virus caught us unprepared and many Jews all over the world celebrated Passover under lockdown. This year, however, Haggadot.com has created innovative at-home Jewish rituals to help anyone looking to celebrate Passover, which begins the evening of March 28, at home.

"We spent the last year inviting our users to explore new at-home rituals, including home altar making for Rosh Hashanah and designing outdoor light sculptures for Chanukah," Haggadot.com Founder and CEO Eileen Levinson said.

"Our work gives people permission to make the holiday their own. We may feel fatigued, but our site keeps people spiritually nourished," she explained.

The website offers resources for a Haggadah that feels meaningful for a contemporary seder, with content tailored for traditional, Ashkenazi, Sephardi, liberal, feminist, and LGBTQ+ seder meals, as well as classical texts and contemporary explanations about Passover.

 Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Another Passover in quarantine? Try making your own Haggadah appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.