Sample Sources
The sources below are those contained in our three curated collections—covering themes of Passover, Gender Roles, and Holocaust Resistance. They represent a fraction of the thousands of sources that will be available when the full site launches in 2024.
The Israeli Black Panthers’ Haggadah: Voices of Mizrahi Protest
A 1971 protest text, the Black Panthers’ Haggadah blends Jewish ritual with political resistance, capturing the rise of Mizrahi activism in Israel.
Moroccan Jews in Their Hour of Decision: Carlos de Nesry’s Reflections
Carlos de Nesry’s “Moroccan Jews in Their Hour of Decision” reveals the dilemmas facing Morocco’s Jews as independence and migration reshaped their expectations for the future.
Babylonia to Zion: Salman Shina on Iraqi Jews in Early Israel
Salman Shina’s 1955 memoir recounts how Iraqi Jews adapted to new realities in Israel amid loss, struggle, and renewal.
Baghdad, Yesterday: Sasson Somekh’s Memoir of Jewish Life in Iraq
Sasson Somekh’s memoir reflects on Jewish life in 20th-century Iraq—its culture, turmoil, and the mass migration to Israel.
The Bensaïd Family: Irma Ychou’s Portrait of Algerian Jews under French Rule
Irma Ychou’s 1947 novel explores Algerian Jewish life under French colonial rule, revealing generational change and cultural transformation.
Medal Honoring Moses Montefiore: The 1840 Damascus Affair
This Berlin-struck medal commemorates Moses Montefiore and Adolphe Crémieux’s 1840 mission, which freed Jews falsely accused in the Damascus Affair.
Jewish Military Service in the Ottoman Empire: A New Era of Inclusion
Reports that Jews might be drafted into the Ottoman army sparked debate on equality and belonging, with Ben-Yehuda urging Jews to embrace service.
Victoria Danon’s Appeal: Jewish Women’s Education in Ottoman Istanbul
Learn how Ottoman Jewish teacher Victoria Danon fought to open a Turkish-language school for Jewish girls in 1890s Istanbul, challenging local opposition.
Report on Isfahan’s Jews: Hardship and Resilience in Qajar Iran
A German Jewish journal recounts the words of Isfahan’s chief rabbi, describing poverty, persecution, and endurance within Iran’s longstanding Jewish community.
Oven of Akhnai
In the talmudic tale of the Oven of Akhnai (b. Bava Metzia 59a–b), divine voices yield to human interpretation and rabbinic authority defines Torah.
A New Jerusalem
[ . . . ] two hundred and eighty cub[its . . .] [ . . . th]ese blocks alongside [the] city wall [ . . . ] [ . . . ] the south, and half [ . . . ] [ . . . ] the blocks [ . . . ] [ . . .…
The Eschatological Temple
And the Lord said to me:This city will be delivered up for a time,And the people will be chastened for a time,And the world will not be forgotten.Or do you think that this is the city of…