Page 25 - Centrum Dialogu im. Marka Edelmana w Łodzi. Artur Szyk, Man of Dialogue.
P. 25
Album-ksi„¿ka_ASzyk_wANGIELSKA.qxd 2012-05-27 20:00 Page 25
5
In 1937, the artist went to London. There, he
worked on a book edition of the Seder tales for
inscription above: "semper fidelis" (always faithful)
with the coat of arms of Lviv.
the Passover evening, called the feast of freedom
by Jews, as it commemorates the liberation of
Jews from Egyptian captivity. with the Ten Commandments and a Latin 2 25 BIOGRAPHY
Artur Szyk's self−portrait inscribed in the initial
The dedication to Poland and to the Jews of which he is painting. The initial on the side with
Lviv did not appear in the edition of 1940, but it text in Yiddish is presented in the form of the
was preserved in the family archives. Lion of Judah, with the letter shin on the shield –
first letter of the name of God, meaning Almighty.
"To Poland, my homeland, the eternal seat of
my ancestors, I offer this book of the liberation of Artur Szyk was working on the illuminations for
my nation as a tribute of love and in honor of the Hebrew text of the Haggadah for two years.
distinguished Jews of Lviv, the initiators of my Persecutors of the Jewish were marked by the artist
work, I give this book the title of the Lviv with swastikas – thus, he equated the Egyptian
Haggadah. Artur Szyk, Polish illuminator." enemies of Israel with the Nazis of his times.
The text in Yiddish also gives the place and year Exclusive copies of the book were printed after
of creation, Łódź 1936. In the middle of the image the outbreak of World War Two in England. It
the white eagle of the Polish Republic is featured was ready for sale at the beginning of 1940.
A page from the Haggadah dedicated
to "our brothers from Germany and Austria
who are persecuted for their nationality
and religion, and who gave their lives
in the name of God." It was not included
in the book edition published in 1940