“For she was (and knew she was) my Lúthien.” This was how Tolkien explained the unorthodox choice of words which he placed on the tombstone of the woman he loved. What was the connection between Lúthien – the mythological image of female perfection which Tolkien himself created – and his wife Edith? And what caused their three-year separation, which almost ended in her marrying someone else?
Hidden Weapons, Explosives and Tunnels: The IDF’s Combat Engineers
No unit in the IDF can get very far without combat engineering personnel. However, these soldiers don’t always get the credit they deserve for their critical contribution to Israel’s defense. This is the story of the Combat Engineering Corps – the brave and careful soldiers charged with dismantling all types of obstacles that stand in the army’s way.
Even Borscht Tastes Like Home
New on the shelf: When we leave home, even when we make that decision willingly and voluntarily, there is still a connection to the place we left behind. And there’s nothing like food to reawaken those memories and that unique sense of longing.
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
In the Very Heart of Gaza: Soldiers Sing a Prayer for the Hostages’ Release
A prayer dedicated to “our brethren… who remain in distress and captivity”, has accompanied the Jewish nation since the ninth century. It was sung during WWI, at Hasidic music festivals, and just recently at a spontaneous gathering of soldiers in a darkened house in Gaza, after they had lost two of their beloved commanders
Memories From 1947: A Trip to the Galilee
The National Library of Israel recently launched a project collecting diaries belonging to members of Israel’s founding generation. One of those diaries, written by 21-year-old Avraham Dubno, inspired the story found below. Avraham was killed in battle shortly after recording the diary. It was found decades later by his niece, Rina Neiman
Nahal: The Story of the Green Brigade
In the early days, Nahal soldiers served as both fearless fighters and hard-working farmers. They brought their determination and camaraderie from the battlefields to the wheat fields of Israel’s kibbutzim and moshavim. The Nahal program is even responsible for some of the finest songs written in Hebrew! This is the story of the IDF’s green brigade
A Journey to Israeli Socialism
The story of German-Mexican anarchist Augustín Souchy’s experiences in Israel in the early 1950s: an outsider’s journey through kibbutzim, moshavim and the working-class city of Holon
“You can recover from this”: When Past Captives Told Their Stories
When they finally returned home, the Israeli POWs of the War of Attrition decided to do something unusual for their time – they shared their experiences. The decision to put things down in writing did not dull the pain, but it did allow them to connect to their own inner strength, to a sense of enduring hope and to the shared experience in captivity that helped them survive. For their relatives, it offered a glimpse of what could rarely be discussed face to face
