Rosh Hashanah Worksheet - Exploring Primary Sources

Exploring Israeli Culture

Practice the skill of zooming in and out and take a closer look at Israel’s cultural life.

Tashlich – Casting Away One’s Sins

Yom Ha'atzmaut

This source sheet explores the Tashlich ceremony. Through historical texts, photographs, and oral histories, students will examine the origins, practices, and meanings of Tashlich across different times.

Rosh Hashanah

New Year Cards Through History

Discover a selection of Rosh Hashanah postcards from various time periods. Flip each postcard and discover which year it is from.

Rosh Hashanah

Tu Bishvat Stamp Poster Puzzle

This puzzle features stamps made for Tu Bishvat. Can you identify all the ways to celebrate Tu Bishvat featured on the stamps?

Bearing Witness | Documenting October 7

Tu Bishvat

Help us documenting October 7, 2023 and its aftermath

October 7th

Tu Bishvat Protected Trees Puzzle

This puzzle features a poster of protected trees and shrubs in Israel. Can you identify any of the plants shown on the poster?

Tu Bishvat

The National Library of Israel Resources

Using Persuasive Materials

Election posters use advertising methods to convey messages. How can we recognize tools used by designers that influence the viewers?

Culture

Create your own Shana Tova Card!

Design your own Shana Tova card inspired by illustrations and texts from historical cards!

Rosh Hashanah

Jerusalem as a Microcosm of Israeli Society

This webinar discusses how learning personal stories can help contextualize and forge connections to grand historical events.

Jerusalem Day

Shana Tova Card Analysis - Herzl and Sultan Abdul Hamid

What are the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and the leader of the Zionist movement doing on a Rosh Hashanah card in 1901?

The Historic Aliyah of Ethiopian Jews

Rosh Hashanah

The unbelievable story of how a record number of people flew aboard a single airplane as part of 1991's Operation Solomon.

Community

Chanukah Advertising in Israel

Since when does Simon the Macabbee promote citrus fruits?! Explore some funny and interesting advertisements connected to Chanukah.

The People Behind the History of Israel

Chanukah

Take a closer look at some of the individuals who were involved in the grand historical events that shaped the State of Israel.

Community

How a Little Red Flower Became the Symbol of Israel’s Memorial Day

Why do Israelis wear the famous Dam HaMaccabim (Blood of the Maccabees) sticker on Yom HaZikaron (Israel's Memorial Day)?

Yom Hazikaron

Life of Yitzhak Rabin - Analyzing a Poster

Yitzhak Rabin served as IDF chief of staff and two terms as prime minister of Israel. On November 4, 1995, Rabin was assassinated by Yigal Amir, an extreme right-wing activist who opposed Rabin’s political ideology.

Yom Rabin

Match Hebrew words with their correct English translations, paying attention to tricky aspects of the language — such as homophones and homographs.

Explore primary sources and Jewish texts dedicated to the idea of preserving collective memories by integrating them into everyday life

Culture

Remembering in Real Time

October 7th

Women's Role in the 40s

Match the clue to the image on this 1949 WIZO election poster and reflect on how the early Zionist vision of equal work compares to today.

Women's Month

Leonard Cohen is Singing for the Soldiers During the Yom Kippur War

The story of how the Jewish-Canadian singer-songwriter ended up singing for soldiers and crossing the Suez Canal with the IDF during one of Israel's most desperate hours.

Music

Women Power in Times of War

Explore the role of women during the Yom Kippur War.

Preparing for the High Holidays

Yom Kippur

Discover how to use primary sources to enrich your teaching and prepare your learners for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashanah

Israel National Emblem: How was It Chosen?

It was a close competition between artists to see who would receive the honor of designing the National Emblem

Yom Ha'atzmaut

Food Advertising in Israel

Analyze Israeli advertisements from the 1970s for food and cooking products and gain insight into the social situation at that time.

Rosh Hashanah Worksheet - Exploring Primary Sources

Culture

Explore Rosh Hashanah postcards that tell the story of Israel and discuss the messages they convey.

Explore a collection of Jewish newspapers published in various countries, languages, and time periods.

Rosh Hashanah

Historical Jewish Press

The National Library of Israel Resources

Analyzing Memorial Day Poster 2008

Analyze this Yom Hazikaron Poster for Fallen Soldiers. The main image in this poster is a painting by Michael Elkayam.

Yom Hazikaron

Chanukah Candle Lighting in the IDF

When might lighting Chanukah candles be challenging? Learn about how IDF soldiers deal with that question.

Chanukah

Riddles of the New Year

Can you solve the riddles? Take a look at primary sources that connect to the festivals of Tishrei and guess which riddle they match!

Rosh Hashanah

Experimental artificial intelligence (AI)-based search in the National Library's image database

The National Library of Israel Resources

Planting a Tree in Israel

Design our own tree certificate while learning about the custom of planting trees in Israel.

El Al Poster of Israel Puzzle

Tu Bishvat

This puzzle features an El-Al poster with a map of Israel. Do you recognize any of the places on the map?

Yom Ha'atzmaut

Learn Hebrew - Exploring Posters from the Library's Collections

Explore the posters about learning Hebrew from the Library's collection and share their comparisons and the effectiveness.

Explore the significance of Hebrew for Jewish culture and peoplehood and reflect on its potential for connecting Jews all over the world.

Culture

Bar/Bat Mitzvah

Caring for Plants to Care for the Future

Take a close look at a photograph and a text from the Talmud to see what we can learn about trees, the environment, and the future.

Naomi Shemer Time Capsule

Tu Bishvat

Learn about Naomi Shemer’s life, get to know some of her iconic songs and reflect on the texts

October 7 memorial wall, created by the NLI, displays the faces and names of the murdered civilians and fallen IDF soldiers on and since October 7. Both digital and printable version of this wall are now available to download and use at your schools and community centers.

Middle and High school

Women's Month

October 7 Memorial Wall

October 7th

Rosh HaShanah Simanim

Why do we eat such weird foods on Rosh HaShanah? Watch this video to find out! Video courtesy of Kan - the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation.

Tu Bishvat Printable Activity

Time:

30 min (with discussion)

Rosh Hashanah

Have fun while you expand your knowledge, notice new things and celebrate the beauty of the natural environment that surrounds us. Happy hunting!

Tu Bishvat

Land of Milk and Honey

Explore Israel’s agriculture and advertising campaigns that encouraged Israelis to buy certain foods in different time periods.

When Israel Comes Together

Yom Ha'atzmaut

In this new photographic article you will discover the acts of kindness, solidarity and goodness in the face of evil between Israeli people throughout history

October 7th

Welcome to Israel - Let's Learn Some Hebrew!

Learn how Israel has absorbed immigrants from around the world and helped them adjust to their new country by teaching them Hebrew.

Shofar Blowing on Rosh Hashanah

Community

Read the Tanach texts about shofar blowing, explore the primary sources, and discuss what you feel when you hear the shofar.

Rosh Hashanah

The Importance of Taking Care of Our Trees

In this unit we will discuss the importance of trees, the need to take care of the environment and learn about the festival of Tu B’Shvat.

Simanim. Symbolic Rosh Hashanah Foods

Tu Bishvat

How does eating symbolic foods enhance our Rosh Hashanah experience? Explore a range of Jewish texts and primary sources.

Rosh Hashanah

Hatikva - Learn More About the Israel Anthem

Watch this video to learn more interesting facts about the Israeli anthem.

Rosh Hashanah Printable Activity

Culture

In this worksheet, students will explore some Shana Tova (Jewish New Year) greeting cards, which portray Rosh Hashanah themes of ‘life cycles’ and ‘family’.

Elementary and Middle school

Rosh Hashanah

Sending Shana Tova Greetings

Explore the tradition of sending Shana Tova cards for Rosh Hashanah through historical examples from the National Library of Israel’s collection.