This beautiful Mahzor for the High Holidays (Rosh ha-Shana and Yom Kippur) of the Jewish liturgical year, according to the north French rite (Nussaḥ Tsarfat) is accompanied by a great deal of liturgical poems (piyyutim). This manuscript preserves the liturgy recited by the once flourishing communities of medieval northern France. Several catchwords are surrounded by figurative ink drawings. The volume entered the Bibliothèque de Genève at an unknown date between 1667 and the end of the 17th century, having been previously owned by the physician of Andrea Doria, Condottiere of Charles Quint (1500-1558). (iss)

Online Since: 06/18/2020

This small mahzor according to the Roman rite was written in Italy during the 14th century. It contains a first section with abridged prayers for the festivals of the Jewish liturgical year (Pessah, Shavuot, Rosh ha-Shanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atseret) and a second section, enclosing many liturgical poems accompanying the prayers. This prayer ritual was not only written for personal use, due to its size, but may have also been destined for a woman, since a word, found in the vidui (confession), situated in the manuscript at the end of the Yom Kippur afternoon prayers, ends with a feminine suffix. (iss)

Online Since: 06/13/2019

This obviously much-used manuscript is in good overall condition; it is written in an elegant square and semi-cursive Ashkenazic script. It contains daily prayers and piyyutim for holidays and special occasions. In addition, it contains the entire text of the Haggadah, which at this time already tended to be copied out separately. The manuscript contains interesting evidence of the influence of censorship. During the Middle Ages, the prayer Alenu le-shabbeah was believed to contain an insult to Christianity. As in many other cases, here, too, the controversial passage was omitted by the copyist (f. 19r-v). In the 16th century, the entire manuscript was inspected by Dominico Irosolimitano in Mantua, one of the most active censors of Jewish writings in Italy. However, he did not expurgate a single passage, but merely signed the last page of the manuscript (f. 112v), thus confirming his inspection. (red)

Online Since: 12/18/2014

Beautifully illuminated Maḥzor for Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur according to the Ashkenazi rite. It is however possible to surmise that this manuscript was produced in Poland during the 14th century, as its script resembles that of contemporary Hebrew manuscript fragments of maḥzorim produced in Poland. This manuscript of middle-sized format, enclosing several ornate initial words and illuminated frames, contains the liturgy for the High Holidays of Rosh ha-Shana and Yom Kippur, including many liturgical poems (piyyutim) displayed in several columns, and was destined for public use by the precentor (ḥazan) at the synagogue. However, the particularity of this maḥzor lies in the presence of a woman's name, גננא כהנת (Jeanne Kohenet), inserted within the painted letters of a decorated monumental initial word. She was probably the patron of this manuscript and either the daughter or wife of a cohen. The manuscript is incomplete at the beginning and at the end. (iss)

Online Since: 12/10/2020