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.
Revealed: Albert Einstein’s Forgotten Assistants
Recently uncovered letters in the Gnazim Archive reveal the extraordinary life stories of two Eastern European Jewish scientists who worked alongside Einstein and helped develop the theory of relativity. This is the story of brilliant minds largely erased from historical memory, and of an archival discovery that brings them back into the light.
The Lost Seder Plates: A Glimpse of a Vanished Jewish World
The centuries-old Seder plates photographed by Theodor Harburger in the 1920s may be the only remnants we have of many Jewish families from Bavaria, Germany. Harburger survived the Holocaust and immigrated to Israel, bringing with him his rare collection, which serves as a testament to the lives of German Jewish communities that were plundered and murdered in the Holocaust. These antique Seder plates preserve not only the story of the holiday throughout the generations but also the stories of the families at whose tables they once stood.
“Schwester Selma”: Jerusalem’s Legendary Nurse
She’s considered Jerusalem’s first Jewish head nurse, a trailblazer who introduced professional nursing practices many of which are still in use today. But what prompted a young woman from Germany to leave everything behind for the dusty, underdeveloped hills of the Land of Israel? This is the story of a woman for whom nursing was a calling—a way of life. Her legacy still shapes nursing in Israel to this day.
Where Did Friedrich Gernsheim Disappear To?
He was a musical prodigy, a gifted composer whose works were performed in Europe’s most prestigious concert halls. He was also a Jew, and his compositions were banned by the Nazi regime, which sought to erase his legacy. For nearly a century, he remained in the shadows of history. Now, thanks to his archive at the National Library, things are about to change—This is the story of Friedrich Gernsheim.
The Strange, Dark Journey of a Book of the Zohar
An old, crumbling binding of a 16th-century book of the Zohar was nearly lost to oblivion in the National Library’s archives. A few faint pencil markings on the cover caught the eye of a librarian, revealing surprising secrets about the book it once encased. Join us on a fascinating, almost detective-like journey through the pages and bindings of this remarkable book, uncovering its perilous, winding path before it reached the National Library.
How Curious George Escaped the Nazis and Brought Joy to the World
One of the sweetest and most beloved characters in children’s literature was created in the minds of a Jewish refugee couple. Who were Margret and Hans Rey? How did their talent allow them to escape Nazi Europe by the skin of their teeth, and what other character beloved by generations of young boys and girls did they create? This is the story of the author and illustrator whose innocent and optimistic children’s books continue to brighten our lives to this day.
The Wehrmacht’s Jewish Soldier
How did Walter Dirr, born to a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, come to be drafted into Hitler’s army? Clues from a family archive
Maya the Bee in the Service of Germany’s Soldiers
The beloved children’s book about the brave little bee who saves her beehive became one of the most popular books among German soldiers during the First World War. What led them to carry this book about the adventures of a small bee with them onto the battlefield? Does it contain hints of the devious ideology that would cause global devastation only a few decades later?
A Kol Nidre Prayer on the German Warfront in 1870
Even on Yom Kippur, German Jews in the 19th century were ready to sacrifice themselves for their homeland
