Two Non-Traditional Haggadot – Kibbutz Givat Brener, 1938 and 1939

Two Non-Traditional Haggadot – Kibbutz Givat Brener, 1938 and 1939
Two Passover Haggadot. Givat Brener, 1938 and 1939.
Non-traditional, illustrated Haggadot; mimeographed. Both contain passages of the traditional text alongside Bible quotes and passages of prose and poetry dealing with Passover as the Festival of Spring, the situation of the Jewish people in the Diaspora and the settlement of Palestine.
1. Passover Haggadah. Givat Brener, 1938.
Throughout the Haggadah, the text alternates between passages of the traditional text and bible quotes, passages of Hebrew prose and poetry. At first, the Haggadah relates to Passover as the Festival of Spring and Harvest in poems by Levi Ben Amitai, "Ra'inu Amaleinu K'Amal Nemalim" (We Have Seen Our Labor as the Labor of Ants), and by Rachel, "Safi'ach", alongside a passage from the Song of Songs dealing with spring. In its second part, the Haggadah deals with the troublous times, quoting verses of prayer and comfort, passages of Piyyutim and poetry dealing with the suffering of the people in the Diaspora and in Palestine, with the yearning to return to Zion and with the Yishuv fighting for the revival of Palestine. On leaf [20] is a poem expressing the determination of the Yishuv to settle the land. The Haggadah ends with the "Scroll of the Tenth Year" narrating the history of the Kibbutz, its success and participation in the enterprise of settlement and defense of the country, followed by the piyyut "Chad Gadya".
[1] front cover, [23] leaves, [1] back cover, 28 cm. Good-fair condition. Detached leaves. Stains. Tears and small open tears along the edges of the leaves. Open tears to back cover (blank). Creases. Traces of binding with black tape along the spine.
2. Passover Haggadah. Givat Brener, 1939.
Haggadah composed mostly of passages of the traditional text and Midrashim on the exodus from Egypt. The Haggadah opens with passages of poetry and bible verses dealing with the Festival of Spring and agriculture, then turns to deal with the situation of the Jews and with the hope for revival. Quotes from the writings of Y.H. Brenner and Bialik are used to refer to the worsening plight of the Jewish diaspora in Europe. The Haggadah ends on a hopeful note, with verses expressing the faith in redemption and future independence.
[1] front cover, [30] pp, [1] back cover, 25.5 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains; ink stains on the back cover. Creases. Tears and tiny open tears along edges. The cover is reinforced with a cloth spine.