Printer's proofs of a Passover Hagadah for use by U.S. servicemen in the European Theater. Hebrew and English translation face `a face. Two uncut folio leaves. Prepared by US Army Chaplain Max A. Braude.

(HAGADAH)

March

Somewhere in France

1945

* Typewritten Letter Signed from Chaplain Braude to his wife explaining the peculiarity of the Hagadah. 23rd March, 1945. * Photograph of Chaplain Braude conducting the Passover Seder in France, 1945. * Chaplain's woolen pennant with Star-of-David and Ten Commandments embroidered in cloth (as seen in the above photograph) “Property of Lt. Col. M.A. Braude.” 23 x 36 inches.

"First Hebrew Printing on the Continent since its liberation." Ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Chicago, Rabbi Max A. Braude (1913-82) was the highest-ranking Jewish chaplain with the American armed services in Europe. In charge of the welfare of the Jewish DP's, it was Braude who liberated the late Klausenberger Rebbe, Jekuthiel Judah Halberstam, and arranged to transfer him to Feldafing. See EJ, Vol. IV, col. 1315 and Brenner & Harshav, After the Holocaust: Rebuilding Jewish Lives in Postwar Germany (1999) p. 81. In his letter to his wife, Chaplain Braude explains the unusual circumstances of the present Hagadah: "Several days ago we had not as yet received Haggadahs for Passover, so yours truly ingeniously decided to photostat the haggadah portion of the abridged prayer book - except that there was no one to do offset printing and so a cut was made which should have been perfect, except as you see, no one could read Hebrew - so the Hebrew text is upside down - yet I think - in fact I am almost certain that it represents the first Hebrew Printing on the Continent since its liberation."