For four years, Menachem Begin was a man underground, in the fullest sense of the word—a commander of an underground force and a wanted man, hiding from the British. After Israel’s declaration of independence, Begin came out of hiding with a historic speech that transformed him into a national political figure.
The Story of Israel’s First Shelter for Battered Women
“We didn’t think we were making history. All we wanted was to work on behalf of women”: The story of the first shelter for battered women in Israel, established in Haifa in 1977, and the women who founded it
Photographed Together: Begin’s Father and Sharon’s Grandfather
Long before the State of Israel, the two men worked together at a Jewish bank and Jewish self-defense organization in Brest-Litovsk
Revealed: The Renowned Kabbalist’s ‘Hidden’ Letter
Message sent to ‘The Holy Ari’ reflects his influence at the time, outside the mystical realm
The Forgotten Holidays of David Ben-Gurion
“Ingathering of the Exiles Day” – intended to make immigrant soldiers feel welcome – was one of a number of ‘festivals’ that helped form the national ethos…
This Remarkable Woman Made the First Israeli Flag in Jerusalem
Rebecca Affachiner trailblazed across multiple continents, and she did it all as a single, religious Jewish woman…
The Manuscripts of St. Catherine’s Monastery: Now on the National Library of Israel Website
One of the world’s greatest collections of manuscripts is now available to view in the online catalog of the National Library of Israel
Six Friends, One Immortal Bond
On the eve of World War I, a group of Polish yeshiva students signed a pact to make their friendship everlasting…
From Russian Villagers to Galilean Farmers: The Story of the Dubrovins
Yoav Dubrovin, a farmer from Russia, immigrated to Ottoman Palestine with his family in the early 20th century | The Dubrovins were among a group of Russian converts to Judaism who settled in the Land of Israel, in hopes of leading a Jewish life | Eighty years later, the family farm is now a museum and visitor’s center commemorating the lives of the area’s early pioneers
The Circassians in Israel: From the Caucasus Mountains to the Galilee
A look at the heritage, ethos and culture of the Circassians or “Adyghe” – one of the most interesting and unique minority communities in Israel. Expelled from their homeland in the Caucasus Mountains in the 19th century, they settled in three villages in the Land of Israel, two of which survive to this day…
