"This is a book of praise and song in this holy Jewish community of Possano on the miracle our Great G-d has performed for us… the fourth night of Pesach". [Italy, 1797].
In 1796, Napoleon conquered Northern Italy. During the battle between the French and the Austrians, the Jews of that region were attacked by their non-Jewish neighbors and their property was plundered. This happened also in Possano, when the city residents raided the Jewish ghetto in the course of the French siege. The Jews closed themselves in the synagogue waiting for salvation, which came at dawn, when a French shell landed on the synagogue steps chasing away the rioters. In memory of this event, a poem (of 36 stanzas) was printed with a description of the miracle. ["In 1797, during the war, this place was filled with terror… the fourth night of Pesach… was changed to dread… while outside the French were battling to enter the city… armed men gathered, thieves of various sorts.. The whole community was trembling lest the enemy enter the Coveted House… The morning dawned and all the plunderers ran away petrified…"]. Mentioned in the introduction, which has additional details of the event, is the community regulation to read this poem every year in memory of the miracle. In the last line of the poem, the word Avraham is emboldened hinting to the name of the composer [maybe the rabbi of the place]. This copy has several handwritten corrections.
[6] leaves. 17 cm. Good condition, stains. Library stamps. Nice binding.
Rare. This booklet, printed on coarse paper with fragmented lettering, had apparentlya few copiesprinted, only for the members of the Possano community.