Illustrated Passover Haggada. Acording to the Haggada owner it was Handwritten in a Siberian labor camp by Rabbi [Abraham] Lubanov, rabbi of Leningrad, about 1940
32 leaves with nice illustrations from other haggadot. Large format, 28 cm. Original, paper binding. Quality paper. Excellent condition.
Rabbi Lubanov was born in Orsza, Belorussia. From 1937 through 1947, he was imprisoned in the Vorkuta Labor Camp in northern Siberia. There were no Passover Haggadas in the camp, so in furtive ways he obtained paper to and wrote the Haggada text in large beautiful, black letters.
Each segment begins with a large initial letter in red ink, done on small pieces of parchment. These parchment pieces decorate the entire Haggadah. Yiddish instructions for the seder leader.
The author included dozens of copies of pictures from old Haggadot – manuscript and prints from the 14th – 16th centuries, along with their bibliographical source. It remains a mystery as to where he obtained these pictures. The copies are styled as was common in the 40s, in black and white. The pictures are sharp, clear and very beautiful. The writer was obviously a Torah scholar and well versed in all areas of Jewish study.
The last illustration shows a Jew sitting in a [spice] tower, that is closed on all sides. This clearly alludes to the author’s imprisoned state. The Haggadah was confiscated by the K.G.B. and placed in their cellars. In 1993, it was purchased from a KGB agent by Dr. Juniberg of Moscow.
Unicom. Very rare.