Words of Comfort
As we begin a new Hebrew year, the National Library of Israel finds profound significance in reflecting upon the strength of words. Entering into this New Year while still in the midst of one of the most challenging periods our nation has ever faced, let us draw comfort from the words that connect us and inspire us – A special Rosh Hashanah project.
Lives Lost: The Works of the October 7 Fallen
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Michal Admoni: Overcoming Difficulty and Writing a Better Life
Michal Admoni endured a great deal of suffering and difficulty in her life, after a medical procedure left her disabled. Writing became her refuge, a means of self-realization, and a remedy for her pain. She shared her insights and love with others—both her readers and her neighbors in Kfar Aza, who used to come to her porch seeking encouragement and comfort through conversation. On October 7, she was murdered with her son Guy, just before she finished writing her third book.
Tari Kipnis: A Kibutznik and an Artist, to the Very End
Tari Kipnis was born near the sea and sailed around the world – only to settle in Kibbutz Be’eri with his beloved Lilach. He lived and breathed art and never stopped looking for ways to create it. When he was stricken with a chronic neurological disease, he began to paint. On October 7, he was murdered with his wife and his caretaker Paul – but he left behind breathtaking paintings, including those which tell the story of the Gaza border region.
Remembering Dr. Hayim Katsman
He chose an academic career for himself but refused to live in an ivory tower. He financed his studies first by working in a garage, and later through gardening and DJing. He grew up in a religious household in the city of Petah Tikva but decided to dedicate his life to the only place he wanted to call home: Kibbutz Holit in the Negev desert. Dr. Hayim Katsman was a brilliant, special, and generous person whose young life came to an end on that tragic Saturday.
Life After Death: On the Works of Aner Shapira
Aner Shapira never dreamed of becoming a tragic hero. He was a creative artist, a musician, composer, and a writer starting to find his way in the world. In notebooks, on scattered pages, or in computer files – his work filled his home. But he never got to show it to the world. “If I die, publish this,” he wrote to his family, and since his heroic death on October 7, they’ve been doing just that, working to tell not just the story of Aner’s death, but also the story of his life’s work: an album of his songs was released months after his death, and another is on the way.
Top Stories
My White Dress: Why do Jews Wear White on Holidays?
During the holiday season, most of us will likely arrive at synagogue or at the family meal dressed in white, praying that no red wine or beet juice gets sprayed on our dresses and shirts. In fact, some Jewish men will be showing up at synagogue wearing a striking white robe – an introduction to the “kittel”.
Yom Kippur
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My White Dress: Why do Jews Wear White on Holidays?
During the holiday season, most of us will likely arrive at synagogue or at the family meal dressed in white, praying that no red wine or beet juice gets sprayed on our dresses and shirts. In fact, some Jewish men will be showing up at synagogue wearing a striking white robe – an introduction to the “kittel”.
The Mystery of the Jewish Soldier Who Fell on Yom Kippur, 1944
Two prayer books with some oddly intriguing labels have revealed a fascinating story involving an American Jewish soldier killed during a failed WWII operation. This story begins in Manhattan, 81 years ago. It ends at the National Library of Israel…
Flogging as Atonement? An Often-Overlooked Yom Kippur Custom
How a little-known Yom Kippur ritual became a weapon in the hands of antisemites
“And Charity Will Save From Death”: How Rabbi Akiva’s Daughter Saved Her Own Life
The stargazers predicted that Rabbi Akiva’s daughter would be bitten by a poisonous snake on her wedding day. The great sage now faced a cruel question: How to contend with such a prophecy? The Talmud tells of his choice, and how his daughter ultimately saved herself, unlike a certain Sleeping Beauty…
Rosh Hashanah
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When “The Hebrew Hammer” Struck Twice on Rosh Hashanah
Ninety years ago, American baseball star Hank Greenberg played on the Jewish New Year holiday, even hitting two home runs, but later sat out Yom Kippur
“And Charity Will Save From Death”: How Rabbi Akiva’s Daughter Saved Her Own Life
The stargazers predicted that Rabbi Akiva’s daughter would be bitten by a poisonous snake on her wedding day. The great sage now faced a cruel question: How to contend with such a prophecy? The Talmud tells of his choice, and how his daughter ultimately saved herself, unlike a certain Sleeping Beauty…
The Story of Israel Told Through Rosh Hashanah Greeting Cards
There was a time when Israeli greeting cards designed to celebrate the Jewish New Year were the most common mail item in the country. These charming postcards expressed the sentiments of their time in every Jewish home in Israel and in Jewish communities around the world
Once Every Seven Years: Dismissing Debt on Rosh Hashanah
The concept of Shemittah – the Jewish Sabbatical Year – includes among other things a provision to release people from debts owed to others. Though clearly a noble and moral sentiment, such a law can easily lead to problematic situations and even exploitation. Levi Cooper delves into one possible solution to this issue, provided by a 2000 year-old legal loophole…
Life on the Border: A Tribute to the Communities of the Gaza Border Region
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When the Farhud Came to Be’eri: October 7 and the Legacy of an Iraqi Pogrom
“We made Aliyah from Iraq to Israel so that Arabs wouldn’t be able to enter Jewish homes and murder us,” said Kibbutz Be’eri members who survived the pogrom known as the Farhud. In Be’eri, founded in part by Iraqi immigrants, there is a monument to the victims of the Farhud, suffered by the Jews of Iraq over 80 years ago. They couldn’t know that years later, their children and grandchildren would face a similar horror – but this time, in the Jewish state.
Nir Oz Will Blossom Again: The Story of a Legendary Kibbutz Gardener
In the early days, members of Kibbutz Nir Oz suffered from terrible sandstorms that made it difficult to move, see and even eat. Ran Pauker, the kibbutz’s legendary landscaper, was called to solve the problem, and along the way, Nir Oz became a green, ecological gem. When asked about the future of the kibbutz that suffered a fatal blow on October 7 – he says the vegetation will be restored within a year, as for the community: “We’ll have to wait and see”
We Shall Return: The Spirit of Kibbutz Nirim Will Prevail
“We shall return” – these were the words printed in Hebrew on t-shirts made by the survivors of Kibbutz Nirim. These words embody a history of heroism, pioneering, culture and Zionism which should serve as a model for all of us. Kibbutz Nirim, founded in 1946, faced a desperate battle for its very existence just two years afterwards. It survived then and survives now thanks to the unique spirit of its members.
The Man Who’s Been Documenting the People of Ofakim Since October 7
Nadav Mishali founded the cinematheque in the southern Israeli city of Ofakim. His personal story is bound up with that of the city itself and its brave and exceptional residents. Mishali has now taken on an even bigger mission – to document the stories of hardship and heroism that took place in Ofakim on Saturday, October 7, 2023
Refugees in Their Own Land: The Children of Yad Mordechai Leave Their Homes
After spending long hours hiding in their safe rooms, with the local civilian security team and members of the Border Guard bravely fighting armed terrorists seeking to break into the kibbutz, the residents of Yad Mordechai were evacuated from their homes until further notice. Many might describe this as a “once in a lifetime” experience – but for some kibbutz veterans, this was not the first time they left their home behind without knowing when, or if, they would ever return.
Jerusalem
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The Hotel Where Theodor Herzl Couldn’t Get a Room
If you were visiting Jerusalem in the late 19th century, and were a person of means and stature, you might have enjoyed the accommodations of the city’s first modern Jewish hotel. Unless of course, your name was Theodor Herzl… We dug through the hotel’s guest book and went on a journey back in time.
The First Night of Captivity: Memories From the Fall of the Jewish Quarter
A text found at the National Library unearthed the story of Aharon Liron, a young soldier captured by the Arab Legion during the battle for Jerusalem’s Old City in 1948. Liron was able to document his experiences as he witnessed the fall of the Jewish Quarter.
A True Jerusalem Story: The Failed Raid of the Lost Ark
More than a century ago, a group of English treasure-hunters showed up in Jerusalem with the most ambitious of goals: They were determined to find the treasures of the ancient biblical kings, no less. This grand quest and its strange results made sensational headlines in newspapers around the globe, not to mention the riots that erupted across the city…
How France Nearly Snatched Half of Jerusalem From Britain Over Lunch
If not for a crucial lunchtime intervention by General Edmund Allenby, who apparently had his mouth full, half of Jerusalem could have come under French control. In fact, had Allenby remained silent, there might never have been a British Mandate in Palestine, not to mention a State of Israel…
Jewish Communities
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In France, It’s The 14th of July. Elsewhere: Bastille Day
Whatever the holiday’s name, the French Revolution brought Jews equality. The National Library of Israel’s holdings help tell the story.
Keepers of Jewish Treasures
Some 50 men and women charged with preserving the cultural treasures of the Jewish People came from all over the world to attend a professional conference which now took on a different, deeper, and more urgent significance. “Here, we felt a little less alone” was something we heard from everyone we spoke to. Here’s a peek behind the scenes into the world of those who seek to protect the cultural heritage for the Jewish People.
The Lost History of the Jews of Corfu
In memory of an ancient community snuffed out by the Holocaust.
The Final Days of the Jewish Community in Gaza
Documents recently discovered in the Archives Department of the National Library of Israel shed new light on the forgotten Hebrew community of Gaza, as well as the Jews who lived in and visited the city even after the community no longer officially existed
