Beyond Hannah Senesh and the Jewish Brigade: Thousands of soldiers from the Jewish community in Mandatory Palestine enlisted in the British Army and served in its various units. This is the story of one such unit, which had the misfortune to fall into the clutches of the Nazis, remaining captive for years.
Abu Jilda, Gang Leader and “King of Palestine”
Numerous stories and poems have been written about a legendary highwayman whose exploits struck fear into into the hearts of travelers in Mandatory Palestine during the 1920s and 1930s. Here is the story of Abu Jilda – his life and his capture.
The Woman Who Taught England Chemistry
Back in the 19th century, it wasn’t considered appropriate to teach women chemistry. Jane Marcet thought it might be worthwhile anyway, so she wrote a chemistry book for women that became the one of the world’s most popular textbooks for half a century.
“Hopefully, we’ll return soon”: Postcards From the Yom Kippur War Front
50 years ago, the Yom Kippur War didn’t spare the National Library of Israel, and employees were called to the front, serving many long months in reserve duty afterwards as well. During this period, they kept their Library colleagues up to speed on events, how they were doing, and how they hoped to get back to the finer things in life: “It’s good to see that there are still people dealing with catalogs and archives.”
The Queen Who Loved the Destroyer of the Second Temple
Who was Queen Berenice? Was she a cold, calculating seductress or simply a woman captivated by a young, charismatic general? Here we give you the story of the Second Temple-period Jewish queen forced to survive in a tumultuous world, whose love affair with Titus – the future Roman emperor and notorious suppressor of a Jewish rebellion—remains a bone of contention
What’s It Like Being a Nazi Hunter? The Files of Tuviah Friedman
Tuviah Friedman never forgot nor did he forgive. He dedicated his life to finding and capturing fugitive Nazis, as part of the effort to bring them to trial for their crimes. He was the first to obtain credible information that placed Adolf Eichmann in Argentina. Looking through his archive files preserved at the National Library of Israel offers a glimpse into the day-to-day work of a Nazi hunter…
Banishing the Nazi Darkness: Who Are the Father and Daughter in This 1941 Hanukkah Photo?
Europe was cloaked in darkness during Hanukkah of 1941. With war raging on all fronts, the Jews of British Mandate Palestine did their part in the fight against the Nazis. A picture postcard featuring a Jewish soldier in the British Army and his daughter was meant to warm the hearts of Jewish soldiers serving around the world. But one question remains – who are they?
When a Grenade Exploded in the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament
No one believed it could happen, and even today it is difficult to comprehend how easy it was. In 1957, a man walked into the Knesset, then located in downtown Jerusalem, with a grenade in his pocket. He proceeded to throw it into the assembly hall. David Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir were among those injured. The explosion can be heard in a recording found in the National Library of Israel’s Sound Archive…
The Happy Mistake That Gave Us the “Soup Almond”
How did a bureaucratic mix-up during Israel’s 1950s austerity period lead to one of Israel’s most unique culinary innovations? How did an Ashkenazi Jewish Passover recipe end up on the holiday table of every Jewish Israeli, and where does the distinctive yellow color of the soup almond come from? In short, here is the story of Israel’s prized “shkedei marak”
When Shimon Peres Fantasized of an Israeli Colony in South America
In the late 1950s, relations between Israel and France were blossoming, thanks in large part to the young Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Shimon Peres. Among various collaborations, Peres raised an unusual idea: Why not settle tens of thousands of Israelis in French Guiana, a remote South American colony? Who was in favor? Who wasn’t? And what did David Ben-Gurion think of it?
