Yocheved's Bookshelf

The Gurs Haggadah: Passover in Perdition
Reviewed by Yocheved Golani

By editing the Gurs Haggadah, Bella Gutterman (Director of Publications for Yad Vashem) and Naomi Morgenstern enabled the Jewish world to learn of two noteworthy facts: the existence of a detention camp in southwestern France, and the revival of Jewish dignity despite conditions of abject misery.
Prepared for Passover 1941, this handwritten haggadah testifies to the allegiance to halachah of the Jewish prisoners at Gurs. It was first viewed by the public at Yad Vashem in 1998. Former inmate Pinchas Rothschild's brief essay vividly portrays the spirited seder, presided over by a unique rabbi and an inspired kehilla. Decades later, one can almost hear Rabbi Leo Ansbacher mourning the dead and inspiring the living in the camp.
Interspersed with artwork, poetry, photos and biographical information about the inmates, the Gurs Haggadah is an historical document and keepsake. The rich details keep the voices of the dead alive, and stoke the fire of Jewish passion. The original haggadah was never finished due to the harsh conditions under which it was prepared. Although it cannot serve as a text for the entire seder, it is nonetheless complete as a portrayal of a unique Holocaust experience. Holocaust haggadot are often depressing, but this one fills the contemporary reader with inspiring insights into spiritual victories. Released by Devorah Publishing in cooperation with Yad Vashem, the hardcover book is appropriately sized to convey depth to the life depicted there.