Who was the celebrated German author who began his life as a nationalist and later joined the democratic opposition in exile against the Third Reich? What was his connection to Israel and to the National Library? And why do visitors place stones on his grave? On the 70th anniversary of the death of Thomas Mann, Nobel Prize winner for Literature, we trace the man who gave us “The Magic Mountain” and who became one of the clearest and most steadfast voices against what was happening in his homeland.
“The Book of Imprisonment and Exile” by Irgun and Lehi Exiles in Africa
Three years into their imprisonment in Africa, the exiles published a book documenting the detention from which they repeatedly tried to escape
A Moment Before Desolation: Rare Photographs of Polish Jewry
How did rare photographs of Polish Jews end up in a French soldier’s photo album?
Double-Crossed by Eichmann: New Lists from the Kasztner Train Revealed
Rudolf Israel Kasztner negotiated with Adolf Eichmann directly to transport nearly 1,700 Jews from Hungary to Switzerland.
A Student Admission Request to the Hebrew University on the Eve of the Destruction of European Jewry
“I will pay you with my blood for homeland and science.”
The Bullet Retrieved from a Famous Jewish Playwright in the Krakow Ghetto
The bullet was fired by a Gestapo officer during the liquidation of the Ghetto and is now kept in the National Library of Israel.
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.
The Jewish Books That Were Plundered by the Nazis
Millions of books were stolen by the Nazis during World War II. These books were utilized by the Nazis to “investigate” the “Jewish problem.”
Hannah Senesh’s Final Letter
The letter addressed to her brother George was written in English to ensure it would pass through the British military censors.
The Story of a Dying Community: A Diary from the Amsterdam Jewish Community at the End of WWII
An anonymous Jew describes the last months of World War II in Amsterdam. This city, once a large and vibrant Jewish center, turns into a ghost town before his eyes, while he and a handful of Jews try against all odds to survive.
