Handwritten 18th-Century Haggadah Found in British Garage
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
A handwritten 18th century Haggadah found at a home being cleared out in England is expected to fetch more than $200,000.
The Haggadah, which dates to 1726 and is written on goat skin, was discovered in a cardboard box in a garage in Bury, a town in Greater Manchester, the BBC reported.
A Jewish couple had lived in the home.
It is believed to have been smuggled out of Belgium during World War II.
According to the BBC, the Haggadah is expected to sell at auction in late November for up to $240,000.
Rabbi Yehuda Brodie, of Manchester Beth Din, told the BBC that the document offered a fascinating window on history.
“I think one of the fascinations of Haggadah art is that the illustrations are very often not necessarily depicting what a Jew in Egypt would have looked like, but what a local Jew would have looked like.
He added: “I very much hope it finds a good home – certainly better than a soup box in a garage.”
"Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief"
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
