Bar Ilan University unveils four rare Haggadot

Bar Ilan University's has granted “Inside Israel” exclusive access to four, rare Haggadot among its Rare Book and Manuscript Collection.

The Haggadot, presented in the following audio slideshow, were chosen by David Benayem, the collection's curator.

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“It was very hard to choose four Haggadot from our vast collection,” said Benayem. “There are hundreds, each with its own unique presentation and historical context.”

The four selections shown are from Venice, Italy (1716); Poona, India (1874); a Haggada published in Munich, Germany, for Holocaust survivors (1946); and a miniature, two-inch Haggada meant to serve as an amulet, published in London (1979).

The Haggadot are among the 20,000 rare and special books and more than 1,200 hand-written manuscripts in the university's collection, from the time of the discovery of the printing press until the present. It is considered the second most important collection in Israel, after Israel's own National Library collection.