From the Publisher
"An absorbing story that will engage readers in the study of history."―Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal
12/01/2023
Gr 2–4—The Sarajevo Haggadah is a stunning 14th-century illuminated manuscript that includes the traditional text used during the Passover Seder, along with elaborate illustrations depicting scenes from the Bible. Strauss traces its miraculous story of survival from the first owners, a Jewish bride and groom in Spain whose descendants were forced to flee from the Spanish Inquisition, to its purchase by the National Museum in Sarajevo, Bosnia in 1894. A Muslim scholar hid the precious book from the Nazis during World War II, and another professor saved it from destruction during the Bosnian War in 1991. It has since been restored and is safe again in the Bosnian National Museum. The sophisticated, textured illustrations use pencil and watercolor to help tell the story of the Haggadah's journey. Colorful, detailed borders also give readers a sense of the artwork contained within its pages. An author's note and a contemporary photograph of the Haggadah is appended. VERDICT An important story that illuminates how people of different faiths recognized the value and significance of this manuscript, one of the oldest of its kind in the world, and worked together to keep it safe.—Rachel Kamin
Kirkus Reviews
2023-10-07
One object travels through several countries over centuries.
That object is a haggadah, read at Passover seders. The beautifully illustrated book was a 14th-century Jewish wedding gift. Handed down through generations, it left Spain in the late-15th century, when the Inquisition forced Jews into exile. It was taken to Italy and then Bosnia, but its pages stayed intact even when wine stains and a child’s Hebrew writing marred its appearance. In 1894, the National Museum in Bosnia purchased the book, now known as the Sarajevo Haggadah. People of many faiths—including Catholicism, Christian Orthodoxy, Islam, and Judaism—coexisted in Sarajevo, “sometimes in peace, sometimes quarreling.” When World War II broke out and a Nazi general wanted to steal the haggadah, the curator of the museum, a Muslim scholar, hid the book in his pants and took it to a village, where it was concealed by an imam. After the war, the curator brought the haggadah back to the museum, but other misfortunes befell the book. With colorful, naïve illustrations highlighting different eras, the appealing narrative emphasizes that people of different religions and cultures saved the book, still on view. This tale is based on stories told over the years; throughout, the strong message of the importance of caring for such a rare volume shines through, making this unusual selection useful in religious and secular settings alike.
An absorbing story that will engage readers in the study of history. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 7-10)
