A look at some of the brave souls who risked their lives to reach Israel before and just after the state’s founding…
The Botched Hit That Sparked the First Lebanon War
The failed attempt on Ambassador Shlomo Argov’s life led to one of the most complicated and difficult episodes in Israel’s history
The Daring Life and Tragic Death of Tunisia’s Jewish Pop Sensation
Habiba Msika reveled in the pleasures of free love in 1920s Tunis. A rejected paramour ultimately took her life
Who Wrote These Magical Ancient Jewish Bowls?
Were they men or women, rabbis or sorcerers, legal experts or ignoramuses?
When Topol Fled From ‘Fiddler’… Twice
Chaim Topol was originally disgusted by ‘Fiddler on the Roof’. Soon after changing his mind, war in Israel took him off the stage…
The Chaotic Origins of Israel’s International Airport
Confusion and combat preceded the grand opening of Israel’s main airport, some six months after the young state’s founding
What Made This Top Russian Jewish Author Descend into Madness?
Lev Levanda spent decades advocating for Jewish assimilation into Russian culture. It all changed after pogroms shook the empire…
Antisemitic Nationalists Killed Germany’s Jewish FM. His Mom Forgave Them
Walther Rathenau, one of Germany’s wealthiest and most powerful men, was gunned down by radicals in 1922 and mourned by millions. A moving and timeless letter from his mother was read at the murderer’s trial.
Did the Ben Ish Hai, Great Sage of Baghdad, Have an Alter Ego?
On a few occasions, the illustrious Rabbi Yosef Hayim of Baghdad cited a mysterious source whose name and work had never appeared anywhere else…
Out of the Vault: Incredible Torah Scrolls Revealed
Check out these clips featuring four of the most stunning and interesting Torah scrolls from the National Library of Israel collection
