Eighty-two years ago, on a night of terror for the Jews of Suplacu de Barcău in Romania, Rabbi Shmuel Klein managed to pass a modest notebook containing his Torah writings into safe hands at the town’s train station, just before he was sent to Auschwitz. Recently, it reached the National Library of Israel. This is its story.
The Struggle Over a Baby Baptized by Force
A recently discovered letter sheds light on a tragic historical phenomenon: the secret, forced baptism of Jewish children by Christian servants.
Is It Permitted to Marry on Purim?
In Judaism, wedding ceremonies are usually prevented from taking place on religious holidays. However, the National Library’s vast catalog of ketubot – Jewish marriage contracts – proves that the festival of Purim has often been an exception in this respect!
Rescuing Hidden Treasures: Surprises Found Inside Book Bindings
The practice of bookbinders repurposing worn-out pages as binding material has, paradoxically, played a crucial role in preserving rare texts. One such example—a 16th-century manuscript—was recently uncovered inside a book binding kept at the National Library.
Six Friends, One Immortal Bond
On the eve of World War I, a group of Polish yeshiva students signed a pact to make their friendship everlasting…
Priests, Rabbis and Sweets: A Bold Approach to Interfaith Relations
The 19th century words and efforts of Rabbi Israel Moshe Hazan
The Package is Secure: How Jewish Women Were Smuggled to Safety in 19th Century Italy
Take a glimpse at the coded letters that expose a complex operation to smuggle Jewish women who were in danger out of Italy.
