Bringing Rare Jewish Manuscripts to the Public

Composed in 1331, the Nuremberg Mahzor is a lavishly illustrated, comprehensive year-round prayerbook representing a snapshot of the Ashkenazi rite as it existed in Austria and other eastern German lands (as opposed to the Rhineland traditions). According to Michelle Maroglis, it “contains the largest known collection of piyyutim [liturgical poems] in a single manuscript.” It was published this year alongside historical essays, thanks to the largess of its owners. Margolis holds the volume up as a model of what can be done for rare Judaica that doesn’t make it into a museum or library: