A Lost Prayerbook Reveals the Forgotten Liturgy of Crimean Jewry
The Kaffa mahzor.
October 1, 2025
A Lost Prayerbook Reveals the Forgotten Liturgy of Crimean Jewry
The Kaffa mahzor.
Most Jews today follow some form of the Ashkenazi or Sephardi rite when they pray, although a few communities still preserve liturgies that are neither. Almost all these variants reflect the standardization process that began in the early Middle Ages. But the National Library of Israel has recently come into possession of a mahzor, or High Holy Day prayerbook, that does not fit that mold:
October 1, 2025
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