Long before he became the first Israeli to be launched into space, Ilan Ramon, as a 23-year-old fighter pilot, asked Prof. Yeshayahu Leibowitz: “What is man’s purpose in this world?” Leibowitz did his best to answer
David Ben-Gurion, the Iconoclast
The story behind Ben-Gurion’s refusal to wear a head covering at the funeral of S.Y. Agnon…
Marcia Freedman and the Fight Against Domestic Violence in Israel
Transcripts of the first-ever Knesset session dedicated to domestic violence against women reveals how indifferent, detached and even cynical Israeli politicians of the 1970s were when it came to this subject
The Hebrew Women of His Majesty’s Armed Forces
During WWII, Hebrew women lined up to volunteer for the British Army. Posters from the period offer a fascinating glimpse of this unique chapter in Zionist history, as well as the history of feminism in Israel
Menachem Begin: The Man of a Thousand Faces
What (or who) do Mr. Halperin, Rabbi Sassover, and Dr. Konigshoffer have in common? How the head of the Irgun evaded capture by the British Police, time and again
When Marilyn Monroe Sprained Her Ankle for Israel
The story of how Marilyn Monroe stole the show at a celebratory match featuring Israeli and American soccer stars
The Man Who Named the First Israeli Car – The Susita
The story of how the first “blue and white” car got its name, and the answer to the age-old question: Do camels really like eating Susitas?
When the Child Prisoners of Cyprus Dreamt of Israel
Stone carvings, made by Jewish children in detention camps on Cyprus, depict their longing to finally reach the Land of Israel
Giving a Face to the Fallen: Uncovering the Life of the Late Menachem Baumgarten
In May 1943, a mysterious Hebrew soldier was among the hundreds killed when German bombers struck the British ship, SS Erinpura. Documents found in the National Library shed light on the life of a young man who perished at sea
Who Won the Coveted Title of “Israel’s Eating Champ” in 1953?
At the peak of austerity in Israel, the HaOlam Hazeh newspaper held Israel’s first eating competition
