During the First World War, the British Army waged three bloody battles to capture the city of Gaza from the Ottoman Turks. Many of the soldiers who fell were buried in the British Gaza War Cemetery, and among them were Jews with names such as Morris, Wilfrid and Hyman. We set out on a journey to share their stories.
Djemal Pasha’s Revenge on the People of Jerusalem
In the midst of WWI, residents of Jerusalem witnessed a horrific spectacle: the hanging of five local citizens by the Ottoman authorities. A photograph of the scene has since become a Jerusalem legend linking Christians, Jews and Muslims.
The Magnificent Polish Synagogue That Was Destroyed in World War I
In 1768, a unique wooden synagogue was constructed in the town of Sniadowo. These images are the last ones that were taken before the building burned to the ground.
“God! When Will You Put an End to this Miserable Life?”
What went through the head of a soldier forced against his will to fight in the First World War? How did he react when asked to simply kill his enemies and not take them captive? A glimpse into the diary of the Jewish soldier Karl Klein.
Days of Awe for the Jewish Soldiers of the First World War
Prayer books and diaries preserved at the National Library offer a glimpse of the religious challenges faced by Jewish soldiers in the armies of the First World War.
The Jewish Soldiers of the Kaiser’s Army
12,000 Jews were killed in action serving the German Army in the First World War, but Jewish loyalty to Germany was always doubted and questioned.
The 304th Bavarian Squadron Documents the Land of Israel at the End of the First World War
A glimpse into the book of the German theologian who collected 100 aerial photographs of the Land of Israel
How the Conquerors of the Land of Israel Spent their Time Between Battles: Hasty Photography, Football, and Boxing
A photo album taken by an unnamed British soldier during the First World War reveals the route of his unit.
The Path of the Orange Peels: Nachum Gutman’s Adventures Under Ottoman Oppression
How the First World War halted one young Jewish boy’s carefree life.
N.I.L.I’s Story Told Through the Diary of the Man Who Gave It Its Name
Levi Yitzchak Schneersohn is not the first name which enters our minds when we hear the name N.I.L.I, but his diary gives us a glimpse into the activities of the first Jewish espionage organization in the Yishuv.
