Every once in a while, a rare gem of a book surfaces, offering not just a window into Jewish history but an unforgettable look at the spirit of our people under duress. One such discovery recently landed on my desk, a slim yet profound volume entitled Hitler’s Haggadah. This remarkable text, penned by Nissim ben Shimon (also known as Simon Coiffeur), was first published in Rabat, Morocco, in 1943.
This Haggadah, composed in Judeo-Arabic during the height of the North African campaign, offers a strikingly original retelling of the Exodus story – a narrative woven with the horrors of the Holocaust and the courage of North African Jewry in the face of Nazi occupation. Unlike any other Haggadah in existence, this one doesn’t just recount the exodus from Egypt but aligns the historical liberation of the Jewish people with the equally significant liberation of North African Jews from the Vichy-controlled regime.
The Hitler Haggadah takes the traditional Passover narrative and reimagines it through the lens of wartime realities, framing the Allied victory over the Nazis as Divine intervention. The familiar image of Pharaoh is replaced by the cruel figures of Hitler and Mussolini, the former an embodiment of evil, the latter a bumbling figure unfit to lead, humorously cast as the “son who doesn’t know how to ask” in the Haggadah’s playful yet pointed retelling.
As we read the Haggadah’s tale, we are not simply transported back to the Exodus, but to a parallel struggle, one that North African Jews fought in real-time. The Vichy regime, with its cruel racial laws, forced labor camps, and the brutality of occupation, loomed large over the lives of Jews in Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. And yet, this Haggadah is not one of despair. On the contrary, it pulses with the rhythm of liberation, recounting the courage of the Jewish people and their eventual freedom through the intervention of the Allied forces – mirroring the Red Sea’s miraculous parting.
The blend of gravity and levity in the Hitler Haggadah is striking. It reflects the sharp wit and resilience of Jews who, despite their suffering, managed to laugh in the face of tyranny. The inclusion of figures such as “Rabbi Josef Stalin” reveals the absurdities of wartime alliances, while Mussolini’s role as the “son who doesn’t know how to ask” underscores the ridiculousness of fascist authority.
But beyond the historical context, the Haggadah is a testament to the endurance of Jewish identity. It offers a rare, yet invaluable, perspective on the plight of North African Jewry – a story often overlooked in the broader narrative of the Holocaust. This is not simply a retelling of their suffering, but a vibrant affirmation of Jewish unity, pride, and resistance. The Hitler Haggadah celebrates the triumph of freedom, just as the Exodus did centuries earlier.
This bilingual edition, complete with English and Hebrew translations and scholarly commentary by Avishai Bar-Asher, Adi Schnytzer, and Jonnie Schnytzer, enriches the text, providing historical context to those less familiar with the wartime experiences of North African Jewry. As a document of history and a work of folk literature, it enriches both the Passover seder and our collective memory, bridging the ancient and modern struggles for Jewish survival and dignity.
As we recite the traditional Haggadah at our Seder tables this year, let us remember the Hitler Haggadah not as an anomaly, but as a reminder. A reminder of the unyielding spirit of the Jewish people, whose resilience and faith are not mere relics of history but living forces that continue to shape our future. In a time of darkness, it is works like these that remind us of the light that always burns, even when it seems that all hope is lost.
