Handwritten 18th-Century Haggadah Found in British Garage
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.”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.