Linda Leopold Strauss

The book now known as the Sarajevo Haggadah was given as a wedding gift to a Jewish couple in Spain around 1350. During the Spanish Inquisition, the book left Spain, and was passed from generation to generation, moving from Italy to Bosnia, acquiring wear and tear along the way. In 1894, the haggadah was sold to the National Museum in Sarajevo, but conflict in that area of the world endangered its existence; a brave museum curator, a Muslim, saved it from the Nazis, and it was hidden in a mosque for the rest of the war. During the Bosnian War, in 1995, the book was saved again, and made a brief appearance at a Passover seder. At last, Sarajevo was peaceful again, the book - over 650 years old - was restored and placed in the Bosnian National Museum.

Back matter includes an author's note and photos of the Haggadah.

See also: Nour's Secret Library… (more)