Cairo, Provence, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Jerusalem: a long and winding journey was taken by the extraordinarily beautiful manuscript now displayed in the National Library of Israel’s permanent exhibition in Jerusalem. This is the story of one of the rarest, and likely the most magnificent, copies of “Mishneh Torah” by Maimonides, among the most important works in the Jewish literary canon, and one that received dazzling and highly unconventional artistic treatment.
The Strange Case of Robert Louis Stevenson
He wrote stories that blur the boundary between fantasy and reality, laying the groundwork for two of the most beloved literary genres of the past 150 years. He also played a decisive role in shaping the modern image of pirates. Without him, Jack Sparrow might have looked very different indeed. Yet Robert Louis Stevenson’s own life was no less compelling than his fiction, filled with adventure, romance, and drama worthy of his novels. This is the story of the Scottish writer behind “Treasure Island” and “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”
When “Not Without My Daughter” Was Filmed in Israel
Can a country become part of a movie cast? The number of major international films shot in Israel can likely be counted on two hands, and when the film crews did come, many used the local landscape to stand in for other Middle Eastern countries. In the National Library archives, we uncovered documentation of how Ramat Gan became Tehran, and well-known Israeli actors found themselves playing Persians and Turks.
“History is not written, but made”: Four Decisions by David Ben-Gurion That Shaped Israel
“The fate of Israel depends on two things,” David Ben-Gurion said, “its strength and its righteousness.” At times, it also depended on making a courageous decision at precisely the right moment. Using the National Library’s Historical Jewish Press Collection, we traced four bold and fateful decisions Ben-Gurion made on behalf of all Israelis.
The Diplomat: Five Stations in the Life of Abba Eban
He was the greatest diplomat the State of Israel ever produced, and perhaps the greatest in Jewish history. He became the articulate and devoted voice of big ideas, some of which he did not always accept privately, yet he believed wholeheartedly in the clear and undeniable right of the Jews to political independence in their historic homeland. This is the story of a man born at the southern tip of Africa, raised and educated in Britain between the two world wars, who became the official spokesman of the young State of Israel at its most critical moments.
From Portugal, to Aleppo, to Jerusalem: The Remarkable Journey of the Lisbon Mahzor
Created on the eve of a community’s destruction, the Lisbon Mahzor survived the horrors of persecution and expulsion, and then wandered the world as one of the few surviving treasures of a rare religious and artistic tradition. At some point along the war, its three volumes were separated. Only recently, thanks to the efforts of the National Library of Israel, have all three been reunited in Jerusalem, and now they have even been joyfully rejoined in digital form.
The Questionable (and Immortal) Values in the Books of Roald Dahl
He saw the world as a dark and terrible place. He thought Hitler wasn’t entirely wrong. His books brim with gruesome imagery, and with scorn for women, overweight people and different races. And yet, decades after they were written, they remain bestsellers, fueling blockbuster Broadway productions and prompting Netflix to pay hundreds of millions for the rights. Who was Roald Dahl, and what is the secret of his stories’ enduring appeal?
The Secret Chord: Leonard Cohen Composes “Hallelujah”
He only began writing songs seriously at the age of 30, and started singing a few years later. A proud Jew who spent time living in a Buddhist monastery in California, he used poetry and music to express both the holiest and the darkest parts of the human soul. His most famous song, whose story we tell here, is likely one you know, even if you’ve never heard Leonard Cohen sing it in his own voice.
Yotam Haim’s “Wings of Spirit”
Without knowing how to read music, a heartbroken high school student composed a melody to words by Rabbi Kook that gave her strength. When the song spread its wings and began circulating widely, she could hardly believe how many others found in it the same strength and comfort it had offered her. This is the story of how that song, composed in the 1990s, made its way onto an album commemorating the late Yotam Haim, who was abducted by Hamas into Gaza.
Yesterday’s News: The Story of the Historical Jewish Press Archive
Professor Yaron Tsur—one of the founders of the NLI’s Historical Jewish Press website—has been awarded the Israel Prize. The honor recognizes, among other achievements, his role in helping create one of the National Library’s most significant initiatives. This is the story behind the Historical Jewish Press – a project that allows anyone, anywhere to explore nearly every Jewish newspaper published over the last 250 years—and embark on a captivating journey through Jewish history.
