“We realized our world would not go back to the way it had been.” With everyone fit to serve urgently called up, these young teenagers were left behind. They ran farms, treated the wounded, and even carried the dead out of hospitals. Here, the youngsters of the Yom Kippur War share stories they will remember forever. The satisfaction, the experiences, even the love that bloomed—as well as the sights they will never forget
Who Was the Soldier Who Pleaded for His Life in David Grossman’s Classic Book?
A signed copy of David Grossman’s book, “To the End of the Land”, reveals the link between the author’s pain over the death of his son and a tragic event that happened fifty years ago. This is the story of how Grossman made use of rare recordings from the Yom Kippur War in an attempt to ease the burden of a harsh reality
Desert Temples, Ancient Tombs & Tank Battles: Scenes From the Life of a Photographer
Zev Radovan has been taking photos since 1965, in Israel and around the world. He and his camera were given the kind of access that few people receive. As a result, Radovan was able to document some incredible locations and moments in history. His archive of photographs can now be found at the National Library of Israel…
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
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
A Farewell Letter From the Besieged Jewish Quarter
“Remember me in happiness”: The last testament of Esther Cailingold, a soldier and teacher who fell in the battle for the Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem’s Old City during Israel’s War of Independence
Israel, 1948: Vidal Sassoon in Combat
Not long before becoming the world’s most famous hairstylist and building a business empire, Sassoon fought for Israeli independence. He lost friends, gained confidence, went weeks without a shower, and literally never learned the Hebrew word for ‘retreat’…
The Story of the Daring Pilot Zahara Levitov
Zahara Levitov was a Palmach fighter and among the first women to fly planes in the newly established IDF, but her service was cut short by a tragic crash
Blood of the Maccabees: How a Little Red Flower Became the Symbol of Israel’s Memorial Day
Every year on Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, many of us wear the famous Dam HaMaccabim sticker; the connection between the flower and the occasion was made in the early days of the state
