The Jewish community of Frankfurt on the Main was one of the oldest and most important in Germany. A Jewish community was already in existence there in the twelfth century. In 1241 the populace attacked the Jews. All who refused baptism—and they were the great majority of the circa 200 Jews then living in the city—were murdered or died by their own hand. Several decades later there was again a Jewish community in Frankfurt. However, it was wiped out in 1349, when most of the Jews were killed by the populace and the rest fled. Not many years later Jews settled once more in the city. In 1462 they were confined to a Ghetto. In 1520 there were 250 Jews in Frankfurt; in 1580, 1200, and by 1600 their number had increased to 2200. In 1614, during the insurrection led by Vincent Fettmilch, the Ghetto was pillaged by the mob and the Jews were expelled. After the revolt had died down, the Jews were invited to come back and their official return took place in February 1616. In 1711 a fire, which originated in the house of Rabbi Naphtali Katz, the rabbi of the community, destroyed almost the entire Ghetto. In 1796 the Ghetto was again destroyed by fire when the French bombarded the city. Until their homes were rebuilt the Jews had to seek shelter at the houses of their gentile neighbors or in the environs of the city. Ten years later, another fire devastated the northern part of the rebuilt Ghetto. In 1796 the Ghetto was again destroyed by fire when the French bombarded the city.
The Jews of Frankfurt suffered from many legal disabilities and paid various taxes to the king and city council. Their situation began to improve after Frankfurt, which since early in the 13th century had been a free imperial city, became part of the Napolean-sponsored ״Confederation of the Rhine״ (1806) and later the capital of the ״Grand Duchy of Frankfurt״ (1810). In 1811 the Ghetto was finally abolished and the Jews were declared equal citizens. But when following the fall of Napoleon, Frankfurt once again became a free city, many of the old restrictions against the Jews were reintroduced. In 1849 full citizenship was granted to Frankfurt’s Jews, but this was later repealed and it was not until 1864 that their last disabilities were removed.
The Frankfurt Ghetto was a citadel of Jewish learning. Leading rabbis served in the city and their Yeshivas attracted large numbers of students. Rabbis active in the city included: Isaiah Horowitz, Shabbetai Sheftel Horowitz, Aaron Samuel Koidanover (17th century), Naphtali Katz, Abraham Broda, Jacob Joshua Falk and Pinhas Horowitz (18th century). Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch was the spiritual leader of the ״Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft״ from 1851 until his death in 1888.
Mayer Amschel Rothschild and his five sons, founders and leaders of the banking firm which for a long time was regarded as the most powerful in the world, were born in the Frankfurt Ghetto.
Beginning with their emergence from the Ghetto until the advent of the Hitler regime, the Jews of Frankfurt made great contributions to the economic life of the city. Jewish philanthropists endowed a variety of cultural and social institutions.
In 1817 there were in Frankfurt about 3300 Jews, in 1871, 10,000 and in 1900, 22,000, comprising 7.5% of the general population.
In 1933, the year the Nazis rose to power, there were about 26,000 Jews in Frankfurt. Until 1941 it was possible to emigrate. In that year the deportation of the city’s remaining Jews, who numbered about 15,000, was begun.
After World War II a new Jewish community was established in the city.
There were several Hebrew printing presses active in Frankfurt. Until the nineteenth century the city did not license Jewish printing establishments; therefore until then the Hebrew print shops were owned by non-Jews.
Many editions of the Haggadah were printed in Frankfurt. The first was the ״Matteh Aharon״ Haggadah which appeared in 1678. It was named for the commentary by Rabbi Aaron Teomim, which accompanied the text. Rabbi Aaron Teomim, who had been a preacher in Prague, was then rabbi of Worms. Later he became rabbi of Cracow. He was murdered in 1690.
The second Haggadah to appear in Frankfurt also featured the commentary by Rabbi Aaron Teomim. It was printed in 1710 and was published by Rabbi Aryeh Judah Leib Teomim (Schnapper), a son of Rabbi Aaron Teomim and a member of the Frankfurt rabbinical court.
A new Haggadah edition with illustrations printed from copper engravings had appeared in Amsterdam in 1695. This Haggadah was widely copied throughout the Jewish world.
The 1710 edition of the ״Matteh Aharon״ Haggadah is almost a complete replica of the 1695 Amsterdam Haggadah. It displays the same features as the Amsterdam Haggadah—the Order of the Seder and the instructions for its observance in Hebrew, Judeo-German and Judeo-Spanish: both the Ashkenazi and the Sefardi versions of the Grace after Meals, the Judeo-German versions of the hymns ״Adir Hu״, ״Ehad Mi Yode’a״ and ״Had Gadya״, as well as the short esoteric commentary ״Perush Al Pi HaSod״. The Haggadah also contains the same pictures—very faithful imitations—as the Amsterdam Haggadah, and like those of the latter Hagaddah they were printed from copper plates.
The various parts of the 1710 edition of the Haggadah are printed in the same type as in the Amsterdam Haggadah. Even the layout of the text and the position of the illustrations are the same.
But the Haggadoth differ in the illustrations on their title pages. The Frankfurt Haggadah also does not contain the map of the Land of Israel found in the Amsterdam Haggadah.
However the main distinction between the two Haggadoth is that they do not offer the same principal commentaries. In the Amsterdam Haggadah the text is accompanied by the commentary of Don Isaac Abravanel. The Frankfurt Haggadah contains instead the ״Matteh Aharon״ commentary.
The 1710 edition of the ״Matteh Aharon״ Haggadah does not indicate the name of the printer who produced it. It may be assumed that it was printed by Johann Koellner who was then active as a printer in Frankfurt. In the same year—171—Koellner also printed another work by Rabbi Aaron Teomim, a volume of sermons, entitled ״Bigdei Aharon״.
This facsimile edition of the 1710 edition of the Matteh Aharon Haggadah is published by the Diskin Orphan Home of Jerusalem to grace the Seder table of its friends and supporters. We are all indebted to Rabbi Munish Weintraub, the director of the worthy institution, for his efforts in having this Haggadah reproduced.