National Library of Israel to digitally preserve 7th October massacre and war documentation

In a world first, The National Library of Israel will house all the audio/video recordings, online messages, press clips, and ephemera from social media, civil institutions, military and governments from the terror attacks of 7 October 2023.

Based in Jerusalem, the library will serve as the central repository for the dozens of projects now collecting testimony from across the Jewish world.

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.

Partners in this important initiative include: 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 said: “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 the Israel 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 the Library website here or www.nli.org.il.