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KAGANOFF/ RABBINIC LITERATURE IN THE U.S.
81
earlier also written a commentary on the Aggadah in the Tal
mud.
At least fifteen editions o f the Haggadah appeared which
were published by commercial establishments o r schools. This
practice was in troduced in the pre-war period. The Haggadah
was the most popu lar publication in American Jewish life. Wom
en purchased additional groceries and provisions for the hol
idays and in most instances the Haggadah was provided free
by the grocer. The business establishments used the Haggadah
as a means o f advertising. T h e schools were involved in ano ther
m anner. Generally they would send copies o f the Haggadah
to Jewish households soliciting a donation for the institution.
T h e following businesses were responsible for Haggadot that
appeared : the Bank o f the United States, the State Bank and
T ru s t Company, and the General Foods Corporation which is
sued at least six editions o f the Haggadah. The following schools
also were responsible for publishing Haggadot: the Beth Jacob
Teachers Seminary o f America, the Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Ber
lin, the Yeshiva Rabbi Israel Salanter, and the Rabbi Solomon
Kluger School.
One o f the most interesting editions o f the Haggadah that
appeared at this time was produced by Ju d ah David Eisenstein.
Eisenstein, who has been mentioned previously, was born in
Poland in 1854 and em igrated to America in 1872. He was a
successful coat m anufacturer, bu t his claim to fame rests on
the large num ber o f works he produced in Hebrew. Although
he also published original research and translations, he was re
sponsible for a large num ber o f anthologies, all o f which bear
the title
Otsar
(treasure). Because o f that, he was known as the
“master o f treasures.” As far as the Haggadah which he pub
lished in 1920 is concerned, it includes in addition to the text
a collection o f classic commentaries and illustrations which has
become very popu lar and has gone th rough at least two o ther
editions, one in 1947, and one in the 1980s. Eisenstein also pub
lished a Haggadah with a Hebrew introduction and English and
Hebrew captions in 1928 and an English translation with an
notations in 1933.