Can a country become part of a movie cast? The number of major international films shot in Israel can likely be counted on two hands, and when the film crews did come, many used the local landscape to stand in for other Middle Eastern countries. In the National Library archives, we uncovered documentation of how Ramat Gan became Tehran, and well-known Israeli actors found themselves playing Persians and Turks.
The Song of the Sticker: Hope and Loss in Israeli Commemorative Culture
They cover the walls of train stations, the sides of bus stops, and the poles of street lamps. Smiling faces, a familiar phrase, and sometimes a QR code leading to a memorial website. The National Library is creating an archive that will collect and preserve the stickers commemorating the victims of the Nova festival and those who have fallen in the war. Why is it important to preserve these memorial stickers, how should it be done, and what meaning does this kind of documentation hold for bereaved families?
Yotam Haim’s “Wings of Spirit”
Without knowing how to read music, a heartbroken high school student composed a melody to words by Rabbi Kook that gave her strength. When the song spread its wings and began circulating widely, she could hardly believe how many others found in it the same strength and comfort it had offered her. This is the story of how that song, composed in the 1990s, made its way onto an album commemorating the late Yotam Haim, who was abducted by Hamas into Gaza.
A Quasi-Surrealism State of Mind: Remembering Edwin Salomon’s ‘Like Animals’ Existential Art
A rare voice on the margins of Israeli art, Edwin Salomon used surreal, animal-infused imagery to confront memory, trauma, and human nature. From Holocaust survival to existential canvases in Holon, his work challenges us to see ourselves—like animals.
Athaliah Reigns Over the Land: The Bloody Story of the First Jewish Queen
She was the first queen of Judah, yet few know her story. And those who do often view her with contempt. Was our first queen truly a murderer of infants, or was she a strong woman unjustly vilified by history?
Bilhah Yinon: The Woman Who Created a New, Better World – From Scrap
Bilhah, who was murdered along with her husband on October 7, was an artist full of optimism, compassion, and good-heartedness. She dedicated her life to educating younger generations to love and preserve nature. The adorable children’s book character she created is part of her legacy.
“Israel’s Miss Manners” Extends an Outstretched Hand
While researching the history of Israeli social etiquette at the National Library, Noa Bavly accidently stumbled across a particular book that had once belonged to her great-grandmother, Hanna Bavly – Israel’s own “Miss Manners”…
Remembering Ephraim Kishon, Israel’s Champion of Satire
Israel is marking a century since the birth of its greatest satirist. No doubt, he would have a lot to say about the current state of Israeli society…
From “Bourekas Films” to the Israel Prize: Menahem Golan’s Israeli Hollywood Story
It’s been a decade since the passing of legendary film producer Menahem Golan. His remarkable career began with films poking fun at Israel’s unique social fabric, but he would go on to work with the likes of Chuck Norris, Sylvester Stallone and Meryl Streep.
When the Nazis Stole Lea Goldberg’s Doctoral Thesis
What did the famous Israeli poet Lea Goldberg have to do with medieval translations of the Torah? Why did her doctoral thesis focus on this subject? And how did it fall into Nazi hands before eventually ending up at the National Library of Israel?
