Moshe Tzinovitz filled page after page with the stories of rabbis and communities that no longer exist. Now, as his scattered archive is finally being organized, a portrait emerges of the man who devoted his life to preserving the memories of others, while leaving little order in his own papers.
From Nazi Germany to October 7: A Family’s Story of Survival, Resilience and Memory
The Heilbronners were a Jewish-German family who fled their home in Stuttgart following the Nazis’ rise to power. They arrived in the Land of Israel in the 1930s, with one of their sons later settling in Kibbutz Be’eri. A family diary, which documented the pre-war era in Germany, narrowly avoided destruction on October 7, 2023, as it was brought to the National Library shortly before.
“Literature is stronger than death”: How a Poem by Avrom Sutzkever Saved His Own Life
In 1943, while hiding from the Nazis in a Lithuanian forest, Sutzkever managed to smuggle a booklet containing his poem “Kol Nidre” to Moscow. The poem was so powerful it convinced the Soviet authorities to send a plane and execute a daring rescue mission that brought Sutzkever and his wife to safety. Today that booklet is preserved at the National Library of Israel.
Rabbi Shimon Agassi: The Boy Who Dared to Study Kabbalah
As a young man, Shimon Agassi’s desire to study Kabbalah sparked resistance. Years later, he would become one of the most influential spiritual figures in Baghdad. Preserved in his archive—now housed at the National Library of Israel—are rare manuscripts that served him in his mystical and scholarly work.
Remembering Clinton Bailey, Friend of Ben-Gurion and the Bedouin
The prolific researcher, who passed away on January 5, dedicated his life to building bridges between Jews and the Bedouin community
Kafka’s Secrets: The Missing Page of “The Castle”
A page torn from the manuscript of Franz Kafka’s “The Castle” has been revealed for the first time. What is written on that missing page? Who tore it out? Why would anyone want to keep it hidden?
More Than a Thousand Words: Hannah Senesh’s Photographs
Hannah Senesh had a poetic view of the world, as reflected in her own words – her poems, diaries and other writings. But the young paratrooper also left behind another, less well-known viewpoint, as documented through the lens of her camera.
Libyan Jewry: A Personal Perspective – How Rabbi Mordechai Ha-Cohen of Tripoli Documented His Community
In recent months, the archive of Rabbi Mordechai Ben Yehuda Ha-Cohen of Tripoli has been cataloged and made accessible at the National Library of Israel. He was a scholar, halakhic jurist, and significant chronicler of Libyan Jewry in the early 20th century. Professor Harvey E. Goldberg, a researcher of Libyan Jewry who edited Mordechai Ha-Cohen’s book, “Higgid Mordechai”, shares the story of an exceptional rabbi and Renaissance man.
The Goldziher Library: A Scholarly Treasure Revealed
A monumental collection containing books, manuscripts, papers and letters belonging to Ignaz Goldziher, the esteemed Hungarian-Jewish scholar of Islam, has now been fully cataloged – a century after its arrival at the National Library of Israel.
A Rare Document: When Haredim Proposed That Religious Zionists Join Their Draft Exemption
A fascinating piece of correspondence found in the archive of Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Neria tells the story of the beginnings of the historic debate between Haredim and religious Zionists regarding enlistment in the IDF.
