Documents recently discovered in the Archives Department of the National Library of Israel shed new light on the forgotten Hebrew community of Gaza, as well as the Jews who lived in and visited the city even after the community no longer officially existed
Memories From 1947: A Trip to the Galilee
The National Library of Israel recently launched a project collecting diaries belonging to members of Israel’s founding generation. One of those diaries, written by 21-year-old Avraham Dubno, inspired the story found below. Avraham was killed in battle shortly after recording the diary. It was found decades later by his niece, Rina Neiman
Nahal: The Story of the Green Brigade
In the early days, Nahal soldiers served as both fearless fighters and hard-working farmers. They brought their determination and camaraderie from the battlefields to the wheat fields of Israel’s kibbutzim and moshavim. The Nahal program is even responsible for some of the finest songs written in Hebrew! This is the story of the IDF’s green brigade
A Journey to Israeli Socialism
The story of German-Mexican anarchist Augustín Souchy’s experiences in Israel in the early 1950s: an outsider’s journey through kibbutzim, moshavim and the working-class city of Holon
“You can recover from this”: When Past Captives Told Their Stories
When they finally returned home, the Israeli POWs of the War of Attrition decided to do something unusual for their time – they shared their experiences. The decision to put things down in writing did not dull the pain, but it did allow them to connect to their own inner strength, to a sense of enduring hope and to the shared experience in captivity that helped them survive. For their relatives, it offered a glimpse of what could rarely be discussed face to face
Avshalom Feinberg: A Spy With a Poetic Soul
Avshalom Feinberg is known for being among the founders of the “Nili” organization, but as it turns out, even before the Jewish spy ring was established, he was already active in politics and managed to capture the hearts of women, well-known cultural figures and scientists. There is no telling who he could have become were it not for his tragic death at 27
Children of Heroes: The Story of Ma’ale HaHamisha
Is it a good idea to raise children in a place constantly under enemy fire? How much joy can there be for a ten-month-old baby whose father has died for a cause? This is a story of childhood spent in Kibbutz Ma’ale HaHamisha – a story of love, laughter and dedication, alongside constant threat and loss
The Appeal of the Brown Beret: The Story of the IDF’s Golani Brigade
“Every corner of the country is marked with the blood of Golani Brigade soldiers. That is the way of the brigade: to be wherever Golani soldiers are needed, to decide the battle, to bring victory, to give life to the State of Israel.” The words of Yitzhak Rabin describe the feelings of many today in Israel
The Jewish WWI Soldiers Who Fought in Gaza in 1917
During the First World War, the British Army waged three bloody battles to capture the city of Gaza from the Ottoman Turks. Many of the soldiers who fell were buried in the British Gaza War Cemetery, and among them were Jews with names such as Morris, Wilfrid and Hyman. We set out on a journey to share their stories.
Those Who Dream of Givati: The Many Lives of the Purple Brigade
The IDF’s Givati Brigade came into being during Israel’s War of Independence, even before the Jewish state was officially established. This is the story of one of the Israeli army’s leading infantry brigades, and the famous fighting spirit bequeathed to it by its founder, Shimon “Givati” Avidan
