The National Library of Israel, home to the largest collection of Hebrew and Jewish manuscripts and artifacts in the world, including the most extensive collection of , will now proudly house the original Moss Haggadah within its notable collection. Created by famous Judaica artist , the Haggadah is a large, handwritten version of the traditional Passover Seder. It was the main highlight at Sotheby’s recent auction of important Judaica.
David Moss, a world renowned illuminator and transformer of Jewish texts, worked tirelessly between the years of 1980 and 1984 to create a handmade haggadah. The National Library of Israel now holds the original manuscript, featuring calligraphy, micrography, painted miniatures, and various artistic techniques like gouaches, acrylics, and gold leaf. Moss originally designed the manuscript to be unique, with handcrafted details like delicate cut-outs made using a surgical scalpel.
Rabbi Irving Greenberg praised the Moss Haggadah as "a magnificent work of art, possibly the most beautiful Haggadah of all time," in his book “The Jewish Way.” Bible scholar Rabbi Moshe Greenberg admired it as well, describing the drawings as a “stunning reflection of Jewish history and noting the pleasure it brings with every single page.” In 1992, Moss received the Israel Museum’s Jesselson Prize for Contemporary Judaica, mainly for this Haggadah.
It has been displayed at major institutions including the New York Public Library and the Library of Congre.