Yudlov 2675 Haggadah Mitau and Seder Program 1917

Yudlov 2675 Haggadah Mitau and Seder Program 1917

The Mitau (Jelgava) Passover Haggadah and Seder Program, 1917

This rare and historically significant Passover Haggadah and accompanying Seder program originate from a communal Passover celebration held during World War I for Jewish soldiers of the German army in Mitau (today Jelgava, Latvia) in April 1917.

At the time, Mitau was part of the German-occupied Eastern Front under the military administration known as Ober Ost. Thousands of German Jewish soldiers—many serving in reserve and Landsturm units—were stationed throughout the region. Despite the hardships of war, efforts were made to provide these soldiers with religious support and the opportunity to observe Jewish life-cycle events and holidays.

One of the most notable figures involved in these efforts was the German-Jewish field rabbi Dr. Jacob Sonderling, who organized and officiated at Passover Seders for Jewish troops. The Mitau Seder is among the best-documented of these wartime celebrations, with surviving photographs showing hundreds of uniformed soldiers gathered in a theater hall, participating in a formal and communal ritual that connected them to their heritage even in the midst of war.

The Haggadah used for this occasion was specially prepared for military use. Such editions were often simplified, portable, adapted to the circumstances of army life. The accompanying Seder program provides further insight into the structure of the event.

These artifacts are more than ritual objects, they reflect a unique convergence of identities: Jewish soldiers serving the German Empire, maintaining religious observance while participating in a global conflict. They also testify to the cooperation between German military authorities and Jewish religious leadership in facilitating these observances.

Tragically, the world represented by this Haggadah and program would be irrevocably shattered within a generation. Many of the soldiers who participated in these Seders, or their families, would later face persecution and destruction during the Holocaust.

Today, the Mitau Haggadah and Seder program stand as poignant reminders of resilience, faith, and the complexity of Jewish life in early 20th-century Europe. They offer a rare and tangible connection to a moment when tradition endured even under the most extraordinary circumstances.

SPECIAL

WWI

SOLDIERS

HOLOCAUST

IRONID