Less than a year before the Nazis came to power, a collection of postcards featuring holy sites and the developing Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel was published in Munich…
To Whom Did This Spy Dedicate His Legendary Love Letter?
Although Avshalom Feinberg was only 27 years old when he died, he knew a true love or two… or five. Meet the many contenders for the title – “recipient of the most romantic love letter in the Hebrew language”
Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav and Napoleon: The Meeting That Never Was
In 1799, after a perilous journey, Rabbi Nachman arrived in the Land of Israel just in time to witness its conquest by Napoleon. Only by a miracle did R. Nachman escape Napoleon’s siege on Acre. So why did he make the French general the hero of one of his best-known stories?
“I did not commit treason, I committed suicide” – Uri Ilan’s Secret Notes
The story of the captured soldier who chose to end his life for fear of revealing secrets to the enemy
When the Irgun Decided to Be Judge, Jury and Executioner
Kadia Mizrahi and Leon Mashiach were executed after being sentenced to death by drumhead court martials organized by the Irgun | Their death sentences on the alleged charge of treason were delivered by a self-sanctioned, non-transparent body, lacking any oversight | Delving into the details of the cases reveals a violent and controversial procedure in which military organizations permitted themselves to execute people without conclusive evidence | A look back at a darker side of the pre-state era
Lawrence of Arabia or Lawrence of Zion?
The story of the archaeologist turned British intelligence officer: Is it possible that this iconic pro-Arab figure eventually became a Zionist? And what organization was likely responsible for his change of heart?
The Ugly Duckling Is Set Free
The story of how a fighter in the Palmach, a Jewish underground organization from the pre-state era, managed to translate a popular children’s classic while incarcerated in Jerusalem’s central prison…
When General Allenby Saved Sukkot
In the midst of World War I, two old Jews, Chaim Weizmann and General Edmund Allenby teamed up to ensure that the holiday could be celebrated properly…
This Was the Actual First Zionist Congress
We are often told that “the Jewish state was founded in Basel”, the city where the first Zionist Congress convened. However, 15 years earlier, Jews gathered in the city of Focşani, in Romania, to promote the settlement of the Land of Israel. Israel Gilad, a member of the First Aliyah Association and great grandson of the founders of Rosh Pinna and Zikhron Ya’akov, would like to remind our readers of those who came before Herzl…
Invited by Zionists: Egyptian Teachers in Mandatory Palestine
In 1926, more than 100 Egyptian teachers and officials visited Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem and elsewhere. What did they think of Jewish education and how did the local Arab population receive them?
