Obj. ID: 39675  Siddur Me-Brachah, Ferrara, 1693

This text was prepared by William Gross:

A book of blessings for the entire year, according to the Italian rite. It is one of only two Hebrew works printed in Ferrara during the entire 17th century. The book contains blessings and prayers that are not featured in other prayer books, including many rare hymns by Italian rabbis, cf. one in honor of Shabbat by kabbalist Rabbi Mordechai Dato. It also contains a Haggadah.
The book was printed in Ferrara at a time when it was prohibited to print any Hebrew books in that city. While Hebrew presses operated in Ferrara in the 16th and 18th centuries, during the 17th C a prohibition against the printing of Hebrew volumes was in place. In 1692 permission was granted to print two Hebrew items: this prayer book and an aleph-bet chart that was printed in the same year. This short-lived attempt to revive Hebrew printing in Ferrara was made at the press of Girolamo Filoni from Ficarolo. Little came of his efforts, however, for after printing this siddur Filoni melted down his Hebrew fonts to make Latin letters.
Each page is outlined with double printed lines. The Haggadah contains two illustrations: a hand holding Matzah and a hand holding Maror (pp. 75-76).

Editor: Avraham Chaim Tepano