An exhibition marking 100 years since the death of Franz Kafka – among the most influential authors of the 20th century. The exhibition will present for the first time 80 original rare items. These items will help tell Kafka's comprehensive life story – focusing on his personality, his family, his social circle, his body of work and his special relationship with Judaism, Zionism and the Hebrew language. The exhibition will also relate the fascinating story of Kafka's literary estate, the publishing of his works by his friend Max Brod, as well as Kafka's influence on the world of literature and culture.
Image: Ron Fahima, from "The Sea of Mice", 2024
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Seen from above, the National Library building resembles a deep well of knowledge.
Every day new materials enter our collections, adding up each year to tens of thousands of printed volumes, hundreds of thousands of archival documents and photographs, and terabytes of digital materials. Some materials are purchased, some are received by legal deposit, and many others arrive through the generosity of donors and partners from Israel and around the world.
Every item tells a unique story; cumulatively, they enrich our understanding of ourselves, our region, and humanity as a whole. The NLI's five main collections – Judaica, Israel, Islam and Middle East, General Humanities, and Music – reflect these intersecting circles of inquiry.
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Encounters of Beauty: Hebrew Manuscripts from the Braginsky Collection and the National Library of Israel
The exhibition is a rare encounter between two collections of the most beautiful, colorful and elegant manuscripts of the Jewish people, both highly important but different in nature and scope: the private collection of Rene Braginsky of Switzerland, and the publicly available collections of NLI, the National Library of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
"Encounters of Beauty" creates a dialogue between the two collections that is a tribute to Hebrew script and the written word. The exhibition displays manuscripts, painted inscriptions, illustrated Esther Scrolls, illuminated Passover Haggadot, and other outstandingly beautiful masterpieces.
Among the rare items exhibited: a miniature illustrated Hebrew Bible from Spain from the year 1300, a magnificently illuminated 14th century "Mishneh Torah" manuscript, rare Passover haggadahs, and more
Curators: Emile Schrijver, Yigal Zalmona, Netta Assaf
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