A Jerusalem bookseller, a rabbi under Soviet rule, and a widowed rabbanit from the Land of Israel all meet at the National Library… No, this is not, of course, the beginning of a joke, but rather the story of an archive preserving documents that are much more than just pages and postcards.
Boris Lipnitzki: The Talented Jewish Photographer Who Captured Europe’s Greatest Artists
He photographed some of the biggest names in European music, painting, and literature – and in return, received musical gifts from some of the era’s leading composers. Several of these rare works were recently discovered in the National Library of Israel archives. This is the fascinating story of the man whose camera captured Edith Piaf before she became an icon of French chanson, and a young Brigitte Bardot dressed in a ballet costume. And who was the famous writer who gave him the only piece of music he ever composed?
The Birth of the American Jewish Book
As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, we set out on a journey through the books that accompanied the growth of American Jewry – from small communities that depended on volumes shipped from Europe, to a bible translated into the language of Native American tribes, the earliest books printed in Hebrew in America, and the emergence of one of the world’s major centers of Jewish publishing.
Siri Hustvedt’s Private New York Trilogy
Three separate entities, each with a life of its own: Siri Hustvedt. Paul Auster. And “the thing that existed between them.” For more than forty years, they lived in the same house, wrote on separate floors, edited each other’s work, argued over the arrangement of their library, grappled with a vast disparity in their public profiles, and together endured family tragedies and terminal illness. This is the story of a woman with a singular voice, on writing, love, and parting.
David vs. Goliath: The Jewish Lawyer Who Took on Henry Ford’s Antisemitic Propaganda
An everyman hero, Aaron Sapiro dared to sue automobile magnate, Henry Ford, believing that even the most powerful industrialist in America could – and should – be held accountable for his damaging antisemitism. The story is the focus of a documentary that will be screened at the National Library’s DocuText festival.
The Articella: The “Little Art” That Changed the World of Medicine Forever
Is it possible that we at the National Library of Israel, have discovered the book with the most misleading title in the world? “The Articella,” translates to “little art” in Latin, but it was in its time, one of the most important collections of scientific literature in the world. Its contents were remarkably cosmopolitan and anything but small.
So, who was the Jewish scholar whose work occupies a significant portion of the manuscript – and who was accused of plagiarizing him? A new exhibition at the National Library of Israel offers a rare opportunity to get a glimpse of this nearly 800-year-old manuscript, preserved in the Library’s collections.
On Strangers and Nuance: A Conversation with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl
Participants gathered at the National Library of Israel on July 12 to hear a fascinating conversation with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl. The first Korean-born rabbi and cantor in North America, Rabbi Buchdahl is Senior Rabbi of the Reform Central Synagogue in New York City and a major voice today within the American Jewish community. Buchdahl was speaking with Dr. Raquel Ukeles, Head of Collections at the National Library.
Hamilton and the Jews: Tracking the Jewish Footprints of an American Founding Father
Alexander Hamilton, the brilliant statesman, helped to define a young America. His stories have been told in everything from biographies and novels to iconic Broadway show-tunes. Yet surprisingly, little of this material has focused on his meaningful connection to Judaism, which stretches back to his roots in the Caribbean…
“Our Jubilee, By God Set Free”: A Hebrew Poem Celebrating the Centennial of American Independence
A rare broadside from 1876 contains a poem in Hebrew which served as a tribute to America’s centennial and heralded the golden age of American Jewry.
Why Cacao is King: The Jewish History of Chocolate
How did Sephardic Jewish merchants help expand cacao’s reach, transforming chocolate into one of the world’s most sought-after luxuries?
