Kabbalistic literature looked for ancient symbols through which it could express its daring innovations. It found such a symbol in the Menorah…
Priests, Rabbis and Sweets: A Bold Approach to Interfaith Relations
The 19th century words and efforts of Rabbi Israel Moshe Hazan
Salvation from 500 Drunken Killer Elephants: The Other Maccabee Story
A different kind of redemption from Greek tyranny
The Missing Tomes: Gershom Scholem’s Wandering Talmud
The story of how Gershom Scholem’s Talmud set finally found its way to the National Library of Israel
Who Are You, Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof?
The three angels charged with safeguarding newborn babies and their mothers
Four Ketubot and a Wedding
Okay, two weddings, but this is still the strangest story you will have heard in a while…
The Jewish Connection of a Jamaican Almanac
An almanac published in Jamaica in 1798 containing a special page dedicated to Jewish holidays is preserved in the National Library collections – a glimpse of a forgotten Jewish island community
Are King Solomon’s Magical Powers Concealed Inside This Book?
These methods will help you discover if you are in possession of an ancient book containing mystical powers, or perhaps not
How to Buy a Jewish Manuscript in Four (Not So) Easy Steps
This story of the purchase of this Spanish Kabbalistic manuscript encapsulates much of the work done here at the National Library.
A Personal Diary from the Łódź Ghetto, Kept in the Margins of a Prayer Book
“3/12/1941 – My heart is burning and my body is freezing. My head is hurting beyond all reason. Why? Is all justice forsaken?”
