A non-traditional Haggadah. Kibbutz Givat HaShlosha, 1939 - Filled with sections addressing the challenges of the period

A non-traditional Haggadah. Kibbutz Givat HaShlosha, 1939 - Filled with sections addressing the challenges of the period

"The sword that turns and the horrors of a world war threaten to destroy and annihilate everything..." A non-traditional Haggadah, Kibbutz Givat HaShlosha, Passover 1939 - Numerous sections dealing with the struggles and challenges faced by the kibbutz members in its establishment, the fight against the Arab enemy, the persecuted Jews of Europe under Nazi Germany, the struggle to open the gates of the land for Jewish immigration, the efforts to revive the desolate land, the founding of the kibbutz, and more. Stencil print with illustrations. Rare.

At the beginning of the Haggadah: "Passover! A day that has been preserved for thousands of years as the day of our departure from the house of bondage, and the path through the ravages of labor, persecution, the Inquisition, destruction, and pogroms...", Following this, the text continues: "For thus says the one who awakens:...Today is a day unlike any other. A day worse than the day we went into exile; we went out to change the face of the world. How can I mourn, and not mourn, the man whose heart was shattered by disaster?" A lament of Čapek.

The Haggadah then includes a full section discussing the collaboration between Nazi Germany and Czechoslovakia (an event that occurred shortly before the publication of the Haggadah): "But it is absurd to believe that victory can be achieved in a war in the situation to which the German people have been brought. But the fascist barbarians sharpen their swords. They played a game of degradation with the Czechoslovak Republic. We want to tell the Czechs that we are ashamed of this game, that hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens are ashamed of it, and that many more Germans would be ashamed of it. If only a portion of the energy spent to fool them had been invested in their education. The incitement by the men who call themselves 'representatives of Germany' against the people of Hoskomansky and Masaryk cannot harm the Czechs. This incitement only brings shame upon the Germans."

There is also a section beginning with: "32 months and 9 days the battle in Spain lasted, " which talks about the 1.3 million casualties in the fighting and the immense destruction caused by General Franco: "Even the dead and the tortured will stir, they will stir and never calm down, " followed by a call of support to the freedom fighters in Spain.

Next, there is a segment titled "Darkness with no escape for the Jews, " describing the suffering of Jews in Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Romania, who "live lives of despair only, " compared to the Jews in the Land of Israel, whose lives are "a manifestation of the efforts of a great Jewish force." Later, the section titled "In times of siege and constraint" describes the difficulties faced by the Jewish immigrants to Palestine and the "passion for rooting and stability" that drives and accompanies the new settlements upon their arrival on the land. It concludes with "a sign and testimony that we have not despaired, nor have our hands weakened."

This Haggadah reflects the profound struggles and aspirations of the Jewish people during a time of intense global and local turmoil, weaving historical events and the challenges faced by Jews in Europe with the hope and determination of those building a future in the Land of Israel.

Following this, a strong declaration appears against the closing of the gates of the land by the British and the continued struggle for immigration: "Even if we are faced with murder upon our ascent, we will fortify and cling to every piece of Jewish land in the country. We will not leave barren land purchased by us. It is better for the land to be occupied by Jews who will want to expel them, than for it to remain uncultivated...".

The text continues with a section titled "To the Hebrew People, " calling for the Jewish people to rise up and join the struggle for Jewish existence worldwide, especially in the Land of Israel: "We are the children of our homeland, together... We will build our future correctly together, old and young, until the day of our victory and our justice will shine like the sun..."

The last six pages of the Haggadah, under the heading "The Scroll of Giv'at HaShlosha", narrate the challenges and difficulties faced by the founders of Kibbutz Givat HaShlosha starting in 1923. They describe how, during the difficult times for the Jewish settlement, a small group of believers left behind the "devastation of despair" and resolutely rebuilt their settlement, facing all the challenges before them, with help from immigration from Germany and Poland, their battle against the Arab enemy, and the heavy losses the kibbutz endured in its early years. It ends with the words: "The turning sword and the horrors of a world war threaten to destroy and annihilate everything..." and a call for the urgent absorption of Jewish refugees into the Land of Israel for its salvation.

Kibbutz "Givat HaShlosha" was founded on May 1, 1925, by groups from the HaShomer HaTzair movement: the Achva group, a group from Ein Harod, and the Ma'avar group (most of whom were also from Achva). In the late 1920s and early 1930s, a large group of workers from the Kibbutz Chotzvei Ha'avanim in Kluszowa, Poland, joined the kibbutz. It was one of the most active kibbutzim in the struggle for Israeli independence, and before the establishment of the state, Palmach training groups worked and trained there. Weapons of the Hagana were hidden in the kibbutz’s arms caches. (The British raided it, along with other kibbutzim, during the "Black Saturday" events).

38 pages. A stain runs through the pages of the Haggadah. Light tears at the upper part of the cover edges, stains on the cover. The back cover is missing. Condition: Good - Moderate.