Non-traditional Haggadah – First Garrison Company, Egypt, 1943

Passover haggadah. Garrison Company, First Platoon. Illustrations and decorations: M. Zisselman and Y. Shapira. [Cairo?], 1943.
Non-traditional haggadah, with illustrations. Divided into three parts: non-traditional haggadah text, "Comrades’ Chronicles," "Second Order of the Exiles." The latter two parts have separate title pages printed on light blue paper. The second part, "Comrades’ Chronicles," contains a long text entitled "The House of the Divine Presence," which contains encouraging remarks addressed to the troops of the brigade, including the following: "Then the Divine Presence turned its pure gaze upon the entire camp and surveyed it, counting each and every one, and unending grief entered her heart…. With a silent sigh, she said: Why are you so few in number? Where are your tranquil brethren in Zion? Is this any time for them to sit sheltered in their homes while my children in the Exile are being destroyed and annihilated, led like sheep to the slaughter, with none to save them, none to rescue them!… And you, who have willingly offered yourselves from among the people, be not discouraged…." The third portion contains many humorous texts in the spirit of the haggadah.
[1] leaf (front cover), 32 pages, [14] leaves, 17X21 cm. No back cover. Good condition. Minor stains. Creases. A few open tears, reinforced with acid-free tape. Restored tears on the front cover. Non-uniform page size. Bound with a transparent plastic cover.
Provenance: Rimon Family Collection.