Every year with the approach of Passover new Haggadah editions make their appearance.
In recent years the Diskin Orphan Home of Israel — the oldest charitable institution of the Holy City, which takes care of hundreds of youngsters– has presented its friends and supporters, on the occasion of Passover, with a facsimile edition of an old interesting Haggadah.
This year Rabbi Munish Weintraub, the director of the institution, has put out a reproduction of an illustrated Sefardi Haggadah with Judeo-Spanish translation, which appeared in Livorno (Leghorn) Italy, in 1825.
Nowadays, only about 500 Jews reside in Livorno. Two hundred years ago, this city boasted a large prosperous Jewish community. It was also a center of Torah studies and was known as “Little Jerusalem.”
The beginnings of the community go back to the end of the 16th century, when Ferdinand I, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, intent on developing the port of Livorno (Leghorn), called on people from various countries to settle there. His call was particularly addressed to Marranos of Spain and Portugal, as is evident from his promise to the prospective settlers that they and their families would be shielded from inquiries into their past religious practices.
Attracted by the promise of full religious freedom, communal autonomy and a variety of commercial and tax privileges, many Marranos from the Iberian Peninsula and Jews from the Sefardi diaspora as well as other Jews settled in Livorno. The Sefardi Ritual was officially observed and for a long period Spanish and Portugues were the main languages of the community. The second half of the 17th century and the 18th century were the golden age of Livorno Jewry. Livorno’s Jews engaged in trade and manufacturing. It was a wealthy and charitable community. Famous rabbis who then resided or served in the city included Rabbi Hezekiah de Silva, author of Peri Hadash; Rabbi Ya’akov Sasportas and Rabbi Hayyim Yosef David Azulai. During this period the number of Jews grew from 1200 to about 4500.
The community declined during the last century, chiefly because Livorno lost much of its economic importance due to the unification of Italy.
In 1938 when anti-Jewish legislation was introduced in Italy there were about 2500 Jews in the city. The community suffered greatly under the German occupation. After the war about 1000 resided in Livorno. Since then, their number has further declined.
The first Hebrew print shop was established in the city in the middle of the 17th century. It was active for about 20 years.
Hebrew printing was resumed in Livorno about 80 years later. In the second half of the 18th century and in the 19th century several print shops were operating, producing books. including numerous editions of Haggadoth, for Jewish communities in various countries.
The Livorno Haggadah, 1825 was printed in the print shop of Nahman Saadun. Several members of the Saadun family were engaged in Hebrew printing in Livorno. The first of these was Eliezer Saadun who opened a print shop with Abraham I. Catello in 1780.
According to a note on the title page, this Haggadah edition was printed at the request of Abraham Belforte. He was, apparently, a dealer and exporter of books who commissioned these Haggadoth, and probably a relative of Solomon Belforte. The latter opened a printed shop with a partner in 1834. Their print shop developed into a large and flourishing enterprise. It was in existence for more than a century and provided numerous communities with books of liturgy.
The many large woodcuts of our Haggadah portray the preparations for Passover, and scenes from the Bible and the Haggadah. In addition to illuminated initial letters, the Haggadah also features two series of smaller illustrations; The various stages of the Seder and the ten plagues.
The illustrations are not original. The appeared first in the illustrated Haggadah, printed in Venice in 1609 in three editions (with a Judeo-Italian, Judeo-German and Judeo-Spanish translation, respectively). The illustrations of the Venice 1609 Haggadah were widely reproduced and copied.
Likewise, the Judeo-Spanish translation in our Haggadah as well as the Hebrew and Judeo-Spanish Seder instructions are essentially those of the Venice 1609 Judeo-Spanish edition.
The version of the Grace of Meals in our Haggadah is of course that of the Sefardi ritual.
The Jewish Press, Friday, April 3, 1992
The introduction to the Livorno Haggadah