These are two postcards that illustrate Seder night in a Jewish house in Western Europe (probably Austria) at the end of the nineteenth century.
In the first postcard, there are a number of signs of the family's integration into Austrian society. The older man in the drawing wears what seems to be a traditional hat, but the other members of the family are dressed in more modern clothes. In addition, the picture of the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef hangs on the wall. This loyalty to the Empire is further emphasized by the fact that one of the family members is wearing army uniform. The Hebrew writing on the top of the postcard describes the scene as Seder night. At the bottom of the first postcard, there are captions in both Hebrew and German. The Hebrew is the quote HaLachma Anya (This is the bread of affliction) from the Haggadah. The German inscription reads "Happy Holidays."
The second postcard depicts Tzafun – the part of the Seder when a piece of matzah is hidden and the children are sent to search for it. The Hebrew underneath the picture is the quote, How is this night different from all other nights?" and the German reads, "Whole-hearted greetings for Easter." Eastern was the term German-speaking Jews gave to Pesach due to its close proximity to Easter.
These postcards were part of a collection of postcards illustrating the Jewish festivals that were issued as New Year's greeting cards.
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Seder – Seder night is a special evening on the first night of Pesach (and the second night in the Diaspora). The Seder is often celebrated in large groups and with extended families and involves the telling of the story of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and their delivery from slavery. The story is detailed in the Haggadah which includes quotes from the biblical narration of the Exodus and from other Jewish sources, many of which are sung using traditional melodies. The Seder includes drinking four cups of wine, eating traditional symbolic foods such as matzah and charoset, and playing games that are directed to helping the children present understand the story. Towards the end of the Seder a festive meal is served, usually with foods that are kosher for Pesach and do not include hametz (leavened foods). The Seder has evolved throughout history, and many new traditions have been added, for example, keeping a seat empty for persecuted Jews, interfaith Seders, and special feminist Seders.
Jewish Community of Austria – Jews have lived in Austria since the times of the Roman Empire. In the early Middle Ages Jews were permitted to participate in commerce, but in the fifteenth century all of the community were arrested, murdered, or expelled. Around the beginning of the eighteenth century Jews slowly returned to Austria, and by 1781, when Emperor Joseph II issued the Edict of Tolerance, more than one and a half million Jews were living in the Habsburg Empire. The situation for the Jews improved significantly in the nineteenth century: a chief rabbi served in Vienna, a synagogue was consecrated in 1826, and Emperor Franz Josef granted equal rights to the Jews in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This was also a time of many prominent Austrian Jews including Sigmund Freud, Arnold Schoenberg, Gustav Mahler (who converted to Christianity), and Stefan Zweig. Two Jewish politicians, Victor Adler and Otto Bauer, served as foreign ministers after World War I. The prosperity of Austrian Jews also attracted many Jewish immigrants from eastern parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and by the mid 1930s more than 200,000 Jews lived in Austria. However, anti-Semitism also intensified during this time, and young people, such as Adolph Hitler himself, grew up under this anti-Jewish atmosphere. Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, and around 65,000 Austrian Jews were murdered in death camps during the Holocaust. After the war, the Jewish community was slowly rebuilt. In 2015 approximately 9000 Jews lived in Austria, primarily Vienna; most are of Austrian origin with some originally from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. The community has a number of synagogues, schools, and other organisations.
