National Library of Israel Launches Initiative to Preserve October 7 Massacre and War Documentation

National Library of Israel Launches Initiative to Preserve October 7 Massacre and War Documentation

Director Taliya Finkel interviews Yifat Ben Shoshan, a resident of Moshav Netiv HaAsarah, one of the Gaza border communities attached by terrorists on October 7, 2023. Photo: Kobi Yonatan for Edut 710
למעבר לתוכן מרכזי

For Future Generations

October 7, 2023 is the first event of its kind to be documented in real-time digitally. The National Library of Israel will serve as the central repository for the dozens of projects now collecting documentation: testimonies, audio/video recordings, online messages, press clips, and ephemera from social media, civil institutions, military, governments and more.

Historians often face the challenge of dealing with the "fog of war" when studying past conflicts and events. The phrase refers to the uncertainty, confusion, and incomplete information that can cloud the understanding of historical events, particularly those that occurred during times of conflict.

Such was the feeling during the first hours of the October 7th massacre, and the subsequent war. Very quickly, however, it became clear that this is the first event of its kind to be almost wholly electronically documented, and destined to disappear if not properly organized, and preserved for future historical research, after the fog has lifted.

Recognizing the ephemeral and changeable nature of born-digital media, the National Library of Israel has launched a project of unprecedented scope, encompassing the dozens of different documentation projects across Israel and the Jewish world.

The project intends to serve as a central repository for all existing documentation of these events: texts, photos, audio, video, etc. The goal is to create a large, authoritative database encompassing the entirety of evidence, documentation, media coverage, and outreach activities, for the benefit of Jewish communal memory and historical research, and to make this evidence available and accessible for the long-term.

This is in line with Library's commitment, as the dynamic institution of communal memory for the Jewish people worldwide, and Israelis of all backgrounds and faiths, to the democratization of knowledge by offering its content to as wide an audience as possible.

The National Library of Israel will serve as the central repository for the dozens of projects now collecting testimonies. Photo: Iwan Baan.

The National Library of Israel will serve as the central repository for the dozens of projects now collecting testimonies. Photo: Iwan Baan.

Partners in this important initiative include dozens of projects in Israel and abroad, among them: the Israel Oral History Association (ILOHA), the Oral History Division at the Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; the Association of Israeli Archivists; the Zvi Yavetz School of Historical Studies at Tel Aviv University; the USC Shoah Foundation; the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL); the Berman Archive at Stanford University; the Israeli Civil Administration; the Leadership Forum for War Documentation Initiatives; Edut 710; Moked Arava; and many more.

The Israeli Civil Administration has already transferred about 200,000 photos and videos collected by its operations room to the Library to be preserved for future generations.

To date, the project has determined there are tens of thousands of texts, audio and video recordings of fallen victims and fighters, interviews with survivors, families of hostages, plus hundreds of thousands of video recordings created by the IDF and the security forces, advocacy organizations, private individuals – as well as by the terrorists themselves.

In addition, the project will also document and preserve websites related to the massacre and the war, as well as posts on X (Twitter), Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and other digital media, as well as publications from various government ministries, local authorities, southern and northern border communities, the security and defense establishment, and more.

The Library is also looking into ways of providing assistance to those historical community archives damaged or destroyed in the course of the Hamas attack.

Dr. Raquel Ukeles, Head of Collections at the National Library of Israel, noted this will be a long-term, comprehensive process. "It is already clear that even after the war's end, the need to understand, study, and research the events of October 7th and the current war, and their social, cultural, military, and political consequences will remain relevant and important for decades to come. The work of collecting, preserving materials, and making them publicly available requires the combined resources and joint commitment of all of the organizations that deal with documentation and preservation, and we are grateful to all who participate."

The project is operating with the cooperation and support of Israel's Ministry of Heritage. Organizations, grassroots initiatives, and/or individuals interested in contributing materials to the National Library of Israel documentation project, or wishing to learn more about this project and its partners, please visit our website.