The departure of the Mahzor from France raised broader questions about the in the country. While the sale secured the AIU's operations until roughly 2030, critics lamented the loss of public access to a "jewel" of medieval Jewish history.
In late 2021, the AIU decided to sell the manuscript at to alleviate financial debt and ensure the survival of its library and schools. The departure of the Mahzor from France raised
: The petition failed, and on October 19, 2021, the Mahzor sold for $8.3 million —a record price for a Hebrew manuscript at the time—to an anonymous American private collector. Cultural Impact : The petition failed, and on October 19,
: Named after its 19th-century owner, the scholar Samuel David Luzzatto , it was later acquired in 1870 by the Alliance Israélite Universelle (AIU) in Paris. The Controversy of the Sale : The petition failed