How do you teach young children to read Hebrew when the only available texts are biblical? And how do you create a Hebrew-speaking kindergarten without a single children’s song or holiday tune? In this richly illustrated session, Dorit Gani – veteran Reference Librarian at the National Library of Israel and an avid researcher of child and youth culture guides us through the emergence of modern Hebrew children’s literature. Drawing on rare materials from the Library’s collection, she traces how writers, poets and educators forged an entirely new literary landscape for the young.

Dorit will highlight the pioneering work of Chaim Nachman Bialik, the national poet who helped produce one of the earliest Hebrew readers and championed literary initiatives for children; Levin Kipnis, who arrived in pre-state Israel dreaming of becoming a graphic designer but instead created the enduring holiday and play songs still sung across the Jewish world; and Lea Goldberg, whose poetic voice and editorial vision helped shape the very character of Hebrew literature for children.