Obj. ID: 39694  Gufo shel Pesach o Haggadat-Pesach le-Tinokot Yisrael by Shlomo be Menachem Hadarshan, Berlin, 1830

This text was prepared by William Gross:

Missionary Haggadah, with Hebrew text and Yiddish commentary, designed as an explanatory Haggadah for children but in reality a missionary tract. The Haggadah, entitled Gufo shel Pesah - Pesah Haggadot for Jewish Children (The Essence of Passover or a Haggadah for Jewish Tots) is primarily in Yiddish set in vayberteitsch. Although it purports to be a three part explanation of Haggadah and Passover story it is, in reality, a missionary tract "published . . . to rouse the hearts of Jewish children to seek the path of salvation."
There were, in Germany in the nineteenth century, three societies for missions among Jews. The Gesellschaft zur Verbreitung des Christentums unter den Juden was established in 1822 at Berlin under the influence of Lewis Way and Tholuck. It had stations in Berlin, Posen, Czernowicz, and Stanislau. Since its existence about 713 baptisms have taken place. Its official organ was the Nathanael. Independently of this missionary society Prof. H. L. Strack managed the Institutum Judaicum, an association formed for the purpose of acquainting theological students at the university with the mission among the Jews. The Evangelisch-lutherischer Centralverein for Mission unter Israel was established in 1871 at Leipsic. It attmpted to unite all Lutheran missions among the Jews to uniform activity and employed three laborers in Leipsic and in Galicia; its organ was the Saat auf Hoffnung. In connection with it ProFezsor Delitzsch founded in 1880 the first Institutum Judaicum. There was also a seminary for missionaries among the Jews. The Westdeutscher Verein for Israel was established in 1843 in Cologne. It had stations at Cologne, Frankfurt, and Strasburg. Its organ is the Missionsblatt des westdeutschen Vereins for Israel.