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.
“Weekend Update” Ridicules Trump’s Approach to Antisemitism
Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” pokes fun at Trump’s executive order on combating antisemitism.
A-WA’s “Habib Galbi”: An Israeli Hit Sung in Arabic
A-WA’s viral hit “Habib Galbi,” sung in Yemenite Arabic, reclaims Mizrahi roots and bridges Israeli pop with the shared sounds of the Arab world.
“Nine Out of Four Hundred”: Erasing Mizrahi History
Artist Meir Gal’s photo of a 1970s Israeli Jewish history textbook exposes how few pages acknowledged Mizrahi and non-European Jews.
The Ma’abarah: Life in Israel’s Transit Camps
Iraqi Israeli author Shimon Ballas’s 1964 novel portrays the struggles and resilience of Middle Eastern and North African Jews in Israel’s early immigrant transit camps.
Zohra El Fassia: A Moroccan Jewish Singer’s Lost Fame in Israel
Erez Bitton’s poem “Zohra El Fassia” mourns the Moroccan Jewish star’s fall from fame after immigrating to Israel, reflecting Mizrahi struggles for dignity.
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.
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.
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.
Judeo-Arabic Flavors: Tunisian Jewish Recipes from the Early Twentieth Century
This rare Judeo-Arabic cookbook of Tunisian Jewish recipes blends North African spice with Mediterranean tradition.
Surrounded by the Mitzvot: Gender and Daily Ritual in Tosefta Berakhot
Tosefta Berakhot 6 presents Jewish life as immersed in ritual, blessings, and physical commandments that mark the (male) body as sacred.
Hillel and Shammai: Sacred Debate in the Talmud
In b. Eruvin 13b, a divine voice declares both Hillel and Shammai correct, revealing how the Talmud sanctifies disagreement and pluralism in law.
Fire and Revelation in Song of Songs Rabbah
In Song of Songs Rabbah 1:10, Ben Azai’s study burns with divine fire, revealing how rabbinic interpretation could reenact revelation through Torah itself.