Captain Orde Wingate was an elite soldier and a non-Jewish Zionist visionary who, in Mandatory Palestine, established one of the world’s first modern counterterrorism units. Fighting shoulder to shoulder with Jewish comrades, he successfully confronted the violent riots that had shaken the country and developed a doctrine of warfare that has been adopted across the globe. It was even used to counter the Hamas attack on October 7. Now, Wingate’s personal collection of documents from his time in the Land of Israel has arrived at the National Library of Israel.
The Stories of Jerusalem’s Jewish Slum Neighborhoods During the Mandate Period
Jackals, mold, rot and cave-ins. Neighborhoods suffering from overcrowding, neglect, filth, poverty and a lack of basic sanitation. Moshe David Gaon, secretary of Jerusalem’s Sephardi Community Council, toured the city’s poorest Jewish neighborhoods during the British Mandate period. He documented his observations in reports that were recently discovered in his archive, now housed at the National Library.
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.
Hauser’s List: The Man Who Saved Hundreds of Jewish Musicians from Europe
The story you are about to read has remained hidden for 85 years. It is a story of music, beauty, and compassion – through which hundreds of lives were saved from the clutches of the Nazis, right under the watchful eye of the British Mandate authorities. This is the story of Emil Hauser, a gifted musician and a national hero.
When “Jerusalem Day” Was a Day of Mourning
Before the Old City of Jerusalem was liberated in the Six-Day War – and even before the founding of the State of Israel – there were already a number of forgotten attempts by individuals, organizations, and official institutions to establish a “Jerusalem Day.” How was Israel’s capital commemorated before the Six-Day War? The answer is, at times, surprising.
A “Pillbox” Tour of Jerusalem With the British Mandate Police
In 1920, the British Mandate authorities established the Palestine Police Force. Come take a step back in time as we trace the history of this key institution through rare photographs and period maps—focusing on its distinctive presence across Jerusalem.
So What’s the Plan, Jerusalem?
Countless urban plans have been drawn up for Jerusalem over the years, but the Holy City, and history itself, always seemed to have plans of their own…
90 Years Late: A Decorated Jewish General’s Book Arrives at the Library!
After a “slight” delay, the National Library of Israel has finally received a book of war correspondence written by the most famous and senior Jewish officer to serve in WWI. Who was Sir John Monash? And what happened to this particular book since it was dedicated to the NLI back in 1935? We set out to find answers…
The Ayalon Institute: The Secret Facility Hidden Under a Kibbutz Laundry
Deep underground, beneath a kibbutz laundry and bakery, an enormous, clandestine factory was operated by the Haganah: an ammunition factory that worked for three years, almost without stop. This is the story of the Ayalon Institute, whose work ensured the existence of the State of Israel.
The Holy Land “in Natural Color”: German Postcards From 1932
Less than a year before the Nazis came to power, a collection of postcards featuring holy sites and the developing Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel was published in Munich…
