Edy Cohen grew up in Beirut, and witnessed first-hand the disintegration of Lebanese society, during a period of civil war and terrorist attacks. His family paid a heavy price and was left with no choice but to leave the country. Cohen’s personal testimony is part of the Sephardi Voices Collection, now housed at the National Library of Israel.
The Magician, His Manuscript, and Its Strange Journey to Jerusalem
In Elizabethan London, Simon Forman was a doctor, astrologer, and magician.
In 1600, he created a strange and beautiful manuscript that claimed to magically offer the keys to all knowledge. Today, that very book is part of the National Library of Israel collection in Jerusalem.
Desert Temples, Ancient Tombs & Tank Battles: Scenes From the Life of a Photographer
Zev Radovan has been taking photos since 1965, in Israel and around the world. He and his camera were given the kind of access that few people receive. As a result, Radovan was able to document some incredible locations and moments in history. His archive of photographs can now be found at the National Library of Israel…
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…
The Manuscripts of St. Catherine’s Monastery: Now on the National Library of Israel Website
One of the world’s greatest collections of manuscripts is now available to view in the online catalog of the National Library of Israel
A Reception for the Man in Black: Johnny Cash in Israel
The discovery of a handful of forgotten photos from a 1971 visit led us to take a retrospective look at Johnny Cash’s long-term love affair with the Land of Israel, which included five trips to the country
The Stories Behind the Voyage of the Exodus
These video testimonies from the Toldot Yisrael Collection offer a behind the scenes look at the story of the famous ship
Postcards from Auschwitz
“Dear wife, I am healthy and I work as a tailor…kind regards and kisses” This chilling correspondence was sent from Nazi concentration camps
Rare Photos: The Trial of John Demjanjuk
The man believed to be “Ivan the Terrible”, a notorious Nazi war criminal, was brought to Israel to face charges in 1986, but the affair ended in doubt and mystery
