Bearing Witness: Documenting October 7 and Its Aftermath - The Experience of Jewish Communities Worldwide

"If anything can, it is memory that will save humanity."

Elie Wiesel, Hope, Despair, and Memory, 1986

 

Entrusted with the sacred duty of cultivating and preserving the collective memory of the Jewish people and the State of Israel, in the aftermath of the terrible events of Simchat Torah/October 7 and the ongoing war, the National Library of Israel is embarking on a massive documentation and preservation project, unprecedented in its scope.

Our goal is to craft a vast, reliable, and open repository, reflecting a broad scope of testimony, documentation, social media coverage, and public information efforts that will serve the purpose of creating a national memory database. This repository will enable evidence-based historical research, ensuring the testimony of those who lived through these moments resonates for generations to come. 

 

 

The Experience of Jewish Communities Worldwide

As an integral part of our mission, we are dedicated to chronicling the actions and reactions of Jewish communities worldwide. For these communities, the recent attacks were not distant overseas events. The October 7 massacre and its aftermath have made it evident that the ties between global Jewish communities and Israel are concrete, specific, intimate, and personal. Additionally, for many Jews across the globe, these events directly impacted their sense of security and personal exposure to antisemitism, from community institutions to students on campuses. Given the ephemeral nature of digital media, our collaboration to preserve these materials, together with Jewish institutions and organizations in the US, Europe, and South America, is essential.

Together, we ensure that no story goes untold.

Share materials

What We Are Collecting and How You Can Help Us

Each piece of material, each document, enriches our collective memory.

We are interested in receiving material from individuals, as well as Jewish communities and organizations.

The Library is collecting both digital and physical materials (photos, videos, documents, etc.) from people and communities around the world. 

These materials include: eulogies, liturgical items and new prayers, sermons and public appeals, calls for fundraising and solidarity, mobilization on behalf of the hostages, public advocacy and protest materials across the political spectrum, documentation of antisemitic incidents or expressions,

responses to antisemitism and anti-Zionism, as well as public discussions among Jews. We are also collecting website URLs, podcasts and social media accounts (X/Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, etc.).

Join us in building a comprehensive repository that spans the entire spectrum of the Jewish experience.

Getting Involved: How to Submit Material

If you have created or received documentation or material relating to October 7 and its aftermath outside of Israel, please share that material with us.

You can share materials by filling out our online form. If you have further questions, you can contact us at [email protected].

Do you have an organized documentation initiative? Please fill out our online form and tell us about your initiative, and together, we’ll find the best way to

transfer the material so it can be preserved for future generations.

In either case, you can also contact us on WhatsApp

Supporters

 

The documentation project is supported by the Israeli Ministry of Heritage and by additional partners in Israel and in the Jewish world. The list of partners is continuously growing.

 

FAQ

We are collecting the following material, provided by Jewish communities worldwide: eulogies, liturgical items and new prayers; sermons and public appeals; calls for fundraising and solidarity; mobilization on behalf of the hostages; public advocacy and protest materials across the political spectrum, documentations of antisemitic incidents and expressions, responses to antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and public discussions among Jews.

In addition, we are documenting and preserving websites, podcasts and online content related to the worldwide Jewish response to the events of October 7, including posts on X/Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and other social media, as well as publications from various government sites.

First and foremost, we will preserve the material. We will not make any of it accessible or publish any of it without permission or supervision related to the content and the copyrights. This includes videos containing difficult footage. The Library is committed to preserving such materials with the proper restrictions.

The goal is to create a large national database, and gradually grant access to it. It is important that the documentation we receive is accompanied by the maximum amount of information (metadata) so we can determine proper access to the material in the future. For details on how to submit information, please see below.

If you have created or received relevant documentation, please fill out our online form. If you have further questions, you can contact us at [email protected]. 

The recording of relevant information relating to the documentation plays an important role in the ability to retrieve the material and use it in the future. The basic information needs to include the name of the creator, the time and place it was created, and the major subjects addressed by or contained in the material. It is recommended to record these details as close as possible to the time when the documented material was collected. Once you contact us at [email protected], we will respond and let you know exactly what information we need from you to properly catalog your material.

List of Partner Initiatives