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 Essence of Baseball Explained for Non-Sportsmen
Uptown, at 9th Avenue and 155th St., stands the famous field—the Polo Grounds. Every afternoon, 20,000–35,000 people gather there. The entrance fee is from $0.50–1.50. Thousands of poor boys and older…
A Tale of a Teacher
In the province of Mollive, there is an old woman who is known for her shtetl wisdom, her old sayings, and her folktales. I met her quite by chance. Her…
Fabius Lind’s Diary: February 7 and 17
I inherited naive open-heartedness
From generations of small-town Polish Jews,
And sharp talk
From hot-bathed women in my clan.
A blind June-night mixed it all
And sent me out—
With no…
What Should We Do in Haman’s Times?
[ . . . ] The past two years of the Hitler regime (1938–1939) have led many people to the impression that this is the beginning of the destruction of European…
Hitler’s Haggadah
In haste
Quickly came the Americans.
This Bread
These emaciated faces
Of our ancestors in panic
From Hitler
All who are hungry may they walk and fear
All who are in need flee in trembling.
This…
Scroll of Agony
The journal is my life, my companion and my confidant. Without it I would be lost. In it I pour out all my heart’s feelings, until I feel somewhat relieved. When I am angry and…
Nuptial Divorce
Orellana:[To Leber, about to dig into a towering salad] Hey there, you with the Jewish joke of a face, spit one out for us. That should perk you up. Nobody can tell Jewish jokes like a Jew. And now…
The Mole
Not in vain did I vow to be faithful,
not in vain did I tag at your heels.
With the mole I struggled from darkness,
stubborn and under a spell.
You, grief of the nails on my fingers,
you, woe of my…
Lekh-lekho
And now Blimele, dear child,
Stop—stop playing now.
No time for that.
We can be called at any minute
To leave our poor home
—A lonely boat on an island of sand—
And be hurled into the midst
Of a…
The Problems of Native Music in Israel
The first issue that should have occurred to a European-born, reality-sensitive composer upon immigration to the Land of Israel is: Is the musical…
Address upon Receiving the Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Your Excellency, President of the State; Mr. Prime Minister; President of the Hebrew University; Governors; teachers; ladies and gentlemen.
I stand in awe before you, leaders of our generation, here…
Most Cruel of All the Kings
Rehoboam:You have no ambition to govern . . . I know you, Ephraimite. [ . . . ] Speak like a man, Jeroboam! What did you come to look for in Israel? Why didn’t you stay in Egypt? And don’t say you…