Which city was not part of the Jewish state? Click on the cities that were not part of the Jewish state according to the partition plan.
Lesson Plan
Breaking News – The State of Israel is Born!
How did newspapers around the world report the birth of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948? How would you announce it today?
Lesson Plan
Creating a Family Tree
Discover your roots! Research your family history and create a family tree!
Lesson Plan
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Learn how to recognize tools used by designers to influence the viewers.
Printable Activity
Shavuot Activity Printable Page
These items highlight different aspects of this holiday and demonstrates how it was celebrated in different times and places in the Jewish world.
Game
I Spy Village - Tell Us What You See
How much did you notice about the village?
Blog
Memories of Yitzhak Rabin
Photographs of the life and work of the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, as a politician and family man.
Printable Activity
Naomi Shemer Teaching Kit
Learn about iconic Israeli songwriter Naomi Shemer, best known for her song "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav" ("Jerusalem of Gold"). Take the opportunity to reflect on the texts she wrote and add their creative piece to the chain.
Lesson Plan
Every Woman's Dream? Analyzing Advertisements
What makes an advertisement a good one and what can that teach us about social issues such as gender roles?
Blog
Letters Written by Israeli Kids to Soldiers During the Yom Kippur War
Letters written by Israeli children during the 1973 war reveal how they experienced one of the nation's most challenging periods.
Lesson Plan
Shavuot Prayers - Roman Jewish Community 1450
Step back in time to the the Roman Jewish community in the 1400s to consider the effect illustrations can have on the prayer experience.
Lesson Plan
Your Four Sons - Explore the Haggadah
See how the passage about the Four Sons has been a source of inspiration for illustrators of Haggadot over the centuries.
Primary Resource Analysis Worksheet
Explore how you can analyze primary sources and discover hidden information.
Printable Activity
Jerusalem Activity Page
Discover different maps of Jerusalem created in different times of history.
Game
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?
Blog
A Half-Angel, Half-Demon Named Azazel and His Connection to Yom Kippur
What are the strange biblical origins of the term "scapegoat"? And what does it have to do with the Jewish Day of Atonement?
Game
Which Zionist Leader Are You?
Are you a pragmatist or a philosopher? Are you more like Herzl or Weizmann? Find out in this personality quiz!
Source Sheet
Celebration in Times of Crisis
Reflect on how the circumstances might affect our ability to celebrate, both on a practical and spiritual level. Using the Chanukiah as a case study, we will discuss what values we are celebrating on Chanukah, and explore the rules regarding lighting Chanukah candles in times of danger.
Printable Activity
Sukkot Activity Printable Page
In these printable pages, you can explore sukkot ('succahs') built as you've never seen them before.
Worksheet
Sukkot Worksheet
Explore Sukkot primary sources from the NLI's collections, answer the questions and discuss different topics with your students!
Source Sheet
Picturing the Tanakh
It is sometimes difficult to picture the places that we read about in the Tanakh. Luckily, there are drawings and photographs which help us to imagine what the places and events described in the Tanakh look like.
Blog
The Cantor Who Lost His Voice
Years after chazan (cantor) Zalman Pollack was a star of the Jewish world, his life's work was rediscovered...
Blog
How a Map Torn from a Newspaper Helped Decide a Critical Battle of the Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War of 1973 was utter chaos. Armored corps soldiers who joined the battle couldn't find a proper map to guide them, so they improvised.
Lesson Plan
Women’s Prayer Book - Over 500 years old
“Blessed are You…who has made me a woman, not a man.” Who knew that this text is actually found in a siddur from 500 years ago?!
Blog
When Israel Comes Together
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
Blog
Yitzhak Rabin’s First Peace Negotiation (and Necktie)
Just prior to his 27th birthday, the modest red-headed lieutenant colonel was abroad for the first time, reluctantly part of the Israeli negotiating team on the Greek isle of Rhodes. He had never worn a suit.
Source Sheet
Ten Commandments - Time of the Giving of the Torah
What ideas are expressed in the commandments, and what would you choose as your top ten values?
Lesson Plan
Thinking Like a Historian
See how primary sources are an everyday part of our current lives and, thinking like a historian, speculate on what information others can learn about us by analyzing them.
Blog
The Initial Sketches and the Proposals that Fell Short: How the National Emblem was Chosen
It was a close competition between artists to see who would receive the honor of designing the National Emblem
Video
Teachers Talk About Simchat Torah
In this video, a literature teacher Gal Man-Dror presents one of her favorite primary sources from the National Library: a Simchat Torah's flag from the Conservative movement, printed in 2013.
Lesson Plan
Visual Essay: Independence Day Posters
Go back in history and take a look at some of the posters that were created in the early years of the State of Israel.
Source Sheet
Women Who Sparke Change: Then and Now
How might we draw inspiration from great Jewish women's actions to spark change in our communities today and do our part to bring the hostages home? This source sheet was developed in partnership with M²:The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education and Kol HaOt in honor of Hersh Goldberg Polin, who was kidnapped to Gaza.
Blog
Eating by Example on Yom Kippur
When cholera ran rampant, saving lives superseded all else.
Lesson Plan
Traditions That Ring a Bell
Get a chance to hear recordings from Jewish holiday and life cycle events across time and place.
Source Sheet
Jewish Solidarity and Responsibility
Explore texts and primary sources that highlight the idea of support and solidarity between Jewish people around the world in different times in history.
Lesson Plan
Lu Yehi (Let It Be): Anthem of the Yom Kippur War
What would the Beatles think of the Hebrew version of “Let it be”? Find out why and when it was written!
Game
Mapping My Community
Create a map of your community Jewish institutions that provide services and resources for its members
Game
Shul Crawl - Discover Synagogues!
Take a trip around the world, solve the clues and discover synagogues throughout Jewish history.
Game
Where in the World? Jewish Schools
Test your geography skills and discover historical photographs of Jewish schools from all over the world from the NLI collections.
Video
Chana Senesh - Learn More About this Heroine
Chana Senesh was a poet and heroine and there is a lot you may not have known.
Video
Jerusalem as a Microcosm of Israeli Society
This webinar discusses how learning personal stories can help contextualize and forge connections to grand historical events.
Lesson Plan
Planting a Tree from Afar - Create a Certificate
Design our own tree certificate while learning about the custom of planting trees in Israel.
Printable Activity
Yom Kippur Activity Printable Page
In these printable pages, you can explore how Yom Kippur is marked in different times and places throughout Jewish history.
Lesson Plan
Shir LaShalom - Song of Peace
Shir LaShalom (Song of Peace) was written in 1969. It is very popular in Israel and serves as the unofficial anthem of the Israeli peace movement, particularly since becoming associated with the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Lesson Plan
Using Persuasive Materials
Election posters use advertising methods to convey messages. How can we recognize tools used by designers that influence the viewers?
Lesson Plan
Chanukah Candle Lighting in the IDF
When might lighting Chanukah candles be challenging? Learn about how IDF soldiers deal with that question.
Video
Teachers Talk - Arch of Titus
Teachers Talk About NLI Primary Sources - Netanel Burstin - Photo of the celebration of the establishment of the State of Israel, Arch of Titus, Rome, 1948.
Game
Women Power in Times of War
Explore the role of women during the Yom Kippur War.
Lesson Plan
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.
Game
El Al Poster of Israel Puzzle
This puzzle features an El-Al poster with a map of Israel. Do you recognize any of the places on the map?
Lesson Plan
Oral History - Learning about ourselves
Record a meaningful oral history of a family member and create a video to reflect on how our family history influences your lives today.
Printable Activity
Dreidel (Sevivon) Craft
Create your own unique dreidel with the custom-made NLI illustrations by the artist Einav Vaisman.
Printable Activity
Tu Bishvat Activity Printable Page
Have fun while you expand your knowledge, notice new things and celebrate the beauty of the natural environment that surrounds us. Happy hunting!
Game
You've Got Mail!
Can you guess which years these Shana Tova postcards came from?
Lesson Plan
Chanukah and Israel’s Emblem
How did the menorah from the temple end up on Israel's emblem, and how is that connected to Chanukah?
Source Sheet
How Were Bikkurim Brought to the Temple?
How was Shavuot celebrated in the time of the temple, and how does this tradition compare with its modern Zionist interpretation?
Game
Inside and Outside the Sukkah
Learn about Sukkot in the past and connect it to how we celebrate Sukkot today.
Lesson Plan
Ways to Remember the Day of the Omer
What's the best way to keep track of the Omer and not loose count?
Blog
Chanukah Songs From Around the Globe
Listen to the recordings of Chanukah songs from all over the world and learn more about different Jewish communities!
Lesson Plan
Who is this Israeli? 1971 Israeli Cartoon
What are American basketball players doing in Israel?
Blog
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)?
Game
Israel and Olympic Trivia Game
Do you know Israel's history in the Olympic Games?
Video
The First Independence Day in Jerusalem
Music and singing by the Israeli People's Symphony Orchestra and the Israel National Opera Choir.
Blog
The Historic Aliyah of Ethiopian Jews
The unbelievable story of how a record number of people flew aboard a single airplane as part of 1991's Operation Solomon.
Video
Hatikva - Learn More About the Israel Anthem
Watch this video to learn more interesting facts about the Israeli anthem.
Video
Between Yom Hashoah and Yom Hazikaron
This on-demand webinar explores the centrality of rituals in Israeli culture and discusses new initiatives for commemoration.
Lesson Plan
Learning to be a Local
Learn how Israel has absorbed immigrants from around the world and helped them adjust to their new country by teaching them Hebrew.
Lesson Plan
Fashion, History and Politics
How did two prime ministers - David Ben-Gurion and Menachem Begin - use fashion to transmit political and moral values?
Video
100 Years in the Western Wall
Discover how photographers and artists of the past 100 years understood the significance of the Holy City.
Lesson Plan
Yom Kippur at Metz - Historical Resources
Compare resources which depict the same event but in a distinct way, and reflect on the meaning of the differences.
Blog
What Does Your Simchat Torah Flag Say About You?
Join us on a fascinating journey through the history of Simchat Torah flags: From the Middle Ages, through the early Zionist movement and to this very day
Lesson Plan
Shavuot Customs in Words and Pictures
Learn about Shavuot customs through traditional texts, primary sources and first-person accounts recorded by Centropa.
Lesson Plan
We are Angry! Women's Liberation Movement Ad
“We are not beautiful, we are not ugly, we are angry!” Who was so angry and what were they angry about?
Video
Teachers Talk - A Letter
Teachers Talk about NLI Primary Sources - Letter from Sarah Aaronsohn
Game
Which Jewish Festival Are You?
Lesson Plan
Put Them Together and Shake
Analyze photographs and study classical Jewish texts in order to gain a deeper understanding of the Arba Minim and Sukkot.
Blog
Our Man in Addis Ababa
In 1977 Farede Yazazao Aklum cooperated with the State of Israel to bring his people home - like the Ethiopian Moses.
Video
The Balfour Declaration - Learn More!
Learn more about the drafting of the Balfour Declaration, in which the British government expresses its support for the Zionist enterprise.
Printable Activity
Pesach Activity Printable Page
Learn how different historical circumstances come to life in the unique design of each Haggadah.
Design Guide in German
Source Sheet
Sending Shana Tova Greetings
What can Shana Tova cards tell you about different Jewish communities and time periods? What greetings would you write on a card?
Discover some interesting items depicting different aspects of Israel through cartoons, posters, and even a recipe booklet for times of emergency
Game
Learn More About Sigd Through Trivia
Play our trivia game to find out about what Sigd celebrates and how it is marked today.
Lesson Plan
Create your own Megillah for Purim
Create your own illustrated scene from the Megillah based on the analysis of historical illuminated manuscripts from the NLI collections.
Video
Mimouna Piyutim
The piyut (Jewish liturgical poem) “Atem Yotze’i Ma’arav” is beautifully documented by Rabbi David Buzaglo, who describes the tangible feeling of human connectedness on this special holiday.
Game
You're Invited - to Join the Party!
Solve the clues, get the key to the party and celebrate Soviet Jewry's contribution to Israeli society!
Worksheet
The Jews of Russia
In this worksheet you will explore the history, culture and traditions of the Russian Jewish community through photographs, newspapers, documents and more.
Game
I Spy Fisherman - Tell Us What You See
Master your visual recall!
Game
Which Purim poster are you?
Are you a party animal or a traditionalist? Find out which Purim poster reflects your idea of this festival!
Blog
Mysticism Behind Counting of the Omer
A look at the Kabbalistic significance of the Counting of the Omer, which culminates in the festival of Shavuot
Worksheet
Alfred Dreyfus New Year postcard, 1901
Find out what social and ideological messages were conveyed in Rosh Hashanah cards!
Decorations
Independence Day Flags
Print beautiful flags with the Yom Ha'atzmaut posters from the National Library of Israel's collections to decorate your classroom
Lesson Plan
Commemorating Yom Hazikaron
Discover how Yom Hazikaron is commemorated by analyzing a poster created by Tzipi Berak Biyonsky.
Video
A Look at the Jewish Year: Pesach
Explore three rare Haggadot from the NLI's collection with the help of three unusual Seder meal guests!
Game
Building Jewish Community
Design your own model community by choosing which infrastructures, organizations, and people are key to a successful Jewish community
Printable Activity
Simchat Torah Activity Page
Explore the various traditions around celebrating the completion of the annual Torah-reading cycle.
Blog
First Woman to Sign Israel’s Declaration of Independence
Lesson Plan
Analyzing Memorial Day Poster 2008
Analyze this Yom Hazikaron Poster for Fallen Soldiers. The main image in this poster is Michael Elkayam.
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NLI teaching materials aim to foster key skills:
Observing
Examine the item, think of your first impression, pay attention to details, consider what sparks your interest, speculate where and when this item might be from.
Analyzing
Ask questions and inquire, dig deeper and research, find and organize data, understand the broader context, compare information through interdisciplinary learning.
Connecting
Interact, reflect, think about what resonates with you, forge an emotional connection, find personal relevance, learn together, share insights and hear more points of view.
Creating
Express yourself, crystalize your understanding and add a personal layer to what you have learned, use your interpretation to spark further dialogue and learning.
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