Edited By: TJVNews.com
With schools closed for the foreseeable future, the National Library of Israel (NLI) has announced that it will offer free audio books as part of “Pocket Library”, an initiative of its Israel National Center for Humanities Education, undertaken in partnership with the Ministry of Education. The audio books are offered through the ICast app and have been made available thanks to the authors’ consent.
The initial titles available are by some of Israel’s most beloved authors for children and youth.
The Moroccan Boy’s Love by Dorit Orgad, a work of young historical fiction released last year, tells the story of 14 year-old Amran who dreams of immigrating to the Land of Israel as pogroms against the Jews of Marrakesh dramatically change their lives, and the Mossad clandestinely works to bring them to the newly-founded State of Israel. The book is most appropriate for middle school students. Orgad has published over 70 books which have been translated into 11 languages over nearly half a century.
Uncle Arie’s Adventures in the Tibetan Ocean, from Yannets Levi’s extremely popular “Uncle Arie’s Adventures” series (known as the “Uncle Leo’s Adventures” in English), tells of Uncle Arie’s fanciful vacation during which he encounters people who live inside a sea monster, a particularly fragrant city, and much more. The book is most appropriate for elementary school students. Levi has published 11 consecutive bestsellers and his works have been translated into numerous languages, including Chinese, which is particularly popular.
Orit Bergman’s Diary of a Shark Catcher tells the tale of Gal, who goes to Eilat to try and find her father, learning about scuba diving and life along the way. The story is based on some of Bergman’s own experiences as part of the divers’ team at the underwater observatory in the Red Sea.
Throughout the year “Pocket Library” offers over 50 audio books with accompanying enrichment activities to some 5,000 participating schoolchildren from 160 classes across the country.
According to Neta Shapira, director of the Israel National Center for Humanities Education, “Listening to quality works of literature is a great way to ensure children have meaningful and enjoyable educational experiences, which is especially important during this difficult period when everyone is spending many hours at home and out of routine.”
The Hebrew audio books are available for free to all, through the ICast app on smartphones and tablets. Code for The Moroccan Boy’s Love: 8665329. Code for Uncle Arie’s Adventures in the Tibetan Ocean: 1142112. Code for Diary of a Shark Catcher: 6559917.
More information and updates are available on the Israel National Center for Humanities Education website.
A range of other educational materials, activities and resources based on National Library treasures are also available on the NLI website in English, Hebrew, Arabic and French.
About the Israel National Center for Humanities Education
Founded in 2018 as a partnership between the National Library of Israel and the Ministry of Education, the Israel National Center for Humanities Education works to lead the country’s humanities education transformation by cultivating exceptional leaders and encouraging excellence in the education system; identifying, developing and implementing innovative pedagogical tools; and promoting collaboration between and among academic and cultural organizations and institutions and the National Library.
The National Library of Israel is committed to utilizing its treasures to generate meaningful in-person and online educational experiences for diverse audiences. Handwritten works by luminaries such as Maimonides and Sir Isaac Newton, exquisite Islamic manuscripts dating back to the ninth century, personal archives of prominent figures, the world’s largest collection of Jewish and Israeli music, and world-class collections of manuscripts, ancient maps, rare books, photographs and more present extraordinary assets for impactful educational programming for learners of all ages in Israel and around the globe.
The National Library of Israel and the Jewish People Worldwide
Founded in Jerusalem in 1892, the National Library of Israel (NLI) serves as the dynamic collective memory of the Jewish people worldwide and Israelis of all backgrounds and faiths. While continuing to serve as Israel’s pre-eminent research library, NLI has recently embarked upon an ambitious journey of renewal to encourage diverse audiences in Israel and around the globe to engage with its treasures in new and meaningful ways. This is taking place through a range of innovative educational, cultural and digital initiatives, as well as through a new landmark campus designed by Herzog and de Meuron, with Mann-Shinar serving as the Executive Architect. The new campus is currently under construction and on schedule to be completed in 2021.
Unparalleled Treasures
The National Library has four core collections: Israel, Judaica, Islam and Middle East, and the Humanities. Highlights include significant handwritten works by luminaries such as Maimonides and Sir Isaac Newton, exquisite Islamic manuscripts dating back to the ninth century and the personal archives of leading cultural and intellectual figures including Martin Buber, Natan Sharansky and Naomi Shemer. The National Library holds the world’s largest collections of textual Judaica, Jewish and Israeli music, and maps of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, as well as world-class collections of manuscripts, ancient maps, rare books, photographs, communal and personal archival materials, and more.
The new NLI campus, currently under construction adjacent to the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) in Jerusalem, is scheduled to be completed in 2021. The building and its surrounding gardens and plazas will reflect the central values of democratizing knowledge and opening the National Library’s world-class collections and resources to as broad and diverse an audience as possible. Within its 45,000 square meters (480,000 sq. ft.) of space, it will provide venues for exhibitions, as well as cultural and educational programming in a secure, sustainable and state-of-the-art environment. Partners in the building renewal project are led by the Government of Israel, the Rothschild Family through the auspices of Yad Hanadiv, and the David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Family of New York.
