(HAGADAH)

M. Tzederbaum

Piotrkow

1904

Hagadah shel Pesach. With translation into the Tatar language spoken in the Crimea for the benefit of the Krimchaks by Nissim (Nathan) Halevi Tzachtzir. Complete with Laws of Passover. Appended: Millin De’Agadeta [Hebrew-Judeo-Tatar lexicon] and Zikaron Tov [list of subscribers]

Yudlov 2282; Ya'ari 1673

Hagadah in Judeo-Tatar. The translator, known by his Hebrew acronym "Netzach," was the son-in-law of one of the greatest Rabbinic scholars of the day, Haim Hezekiah Medini ("Haham"), who edited the monumental Talmudic encyclopedia, Sdei Chemed. Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Hebron, Medini earlier served for many years as Rabbi of Karasubazar in the Crimea. From 1867 to 1900, Medini was recognized as Chief Rabbi of Crimean Jewry. The Judeo-Tatar dialect preserved in our Hagadah bears a remarkable resemblance to Turkish - which stands to reason, as the Crimea is right across the Black Sea from Turkey, and was formerly Ottoman territory before its loss to Russian conquest. The list of subscribers is an important historical source for hard to come by knowledge of this exotic Jewish community. Represented are the following Crimean cities: Feodosiya, Yalta, Sevastopol, Yevpatoriya (Eupatoria), Simferopol, Karasubazar, Kerch, etc. For the Jews of the Crimea, see EJ, Vol. V, cols.1103-08.