What happened when rabbinic courts in Morocco were under the authority of the French colonial government?
Crowdsourcing History: Moshe David Gaon’s Efforts to Document Sephardic Jewry
Moshe David Gaon realized that the contributions of Sephardic Jews had been overlooked by historians, well before it dawned on others. He dedicated his professional life to making things right. His personal archive, a collection of critical significance to Jewish history and culture, is preserved today at the National Library of Israel
“Half of My Soul Is Made of Longing”: One Man’s Mission to Preserve the Jewish Heritage of Debdou
If not for the efforts of “Rabbi Eli”, much of what we know about this particular Moroccan Jewish community would likely have been lost forever…
Did a Woman Really Read from the Torah in the 15th century?
Leifheit bat Asher owned a copy of the oldest printed Jewish prayer book. Was she also called to the Torah?
The Mysticism Behind the Counting of the Omer
A look at the Kabbalistic significance of the Counting of the Omer, which culminates in the festival of Shavuot
How to Buy a Jewish Manuscript in Four (Not So) Easy Steps
This story of the purchase of this Spanish Kabbalistic manuscript encapsulates much of the work done here at the National Library.
Rare: A Remnant of One of the Oldest Yom Kippur Prayer Books in the World
A glimpse at a remnant from an 11th century prayer book discovered in the Cairo Genizah
