In preparation for the elections in Israel, to be held next week on March 17, I’d like to highlight two new freely available resources.

The first, created by the National Library of Israel, relates directly to the upcoming elections.  The NLI has created an online portal to the “Election Chronicles,” an online exhibit and information page documenting elections in Israeli history up to the present.  The website includes basic information about Israeli elections and politics, as well as historic materials (archives, media, political cartoons, and more) from past elections.

Another resource recently made freely available in Israel is Ma’agarim: The Online Database of the Historical Dictionary of the Hebrew Language.  Formerly a subscription database, this project, created by the Academy of Hebrew Language, is now accessible to the public.  The dictionary cites the first existence of words in the Hebrew language, from the Bible through the Gaonic period, and in Hebrew literature from the 18th century through 1948.  This is a powerful resource for the study of Hebrew language.

(Cross-posted on the Global Studies Blog)