Israel's National Library Creates Digital Identities for October 7 Victims
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
The National Library of Israel has created over 2,900 unique digital "identities" for victims of the October 7th attacks and the subsequent war. Led by Dr. Ahava Cohen, the initiative aims to distinguish individuals, especially those with common names, and preserve details of their lives. The project involves meticulous data gathering and verification, serving as a national act of remembrance and documentation.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- The National Library of Israel has created over 2,900 digital identities for October 7th victims.
- The project aims to ensure no victim is forgotten and to distinguish individuals with common names.
- Details include victims' lives, birthplaces, professions, and affiliations, not just their death dates.
- Cataloging staff worked tirelessly to gather and verify information in the weeks after October 7th.
- The National Library is also the official curator of the October 7th archive.
The National Library of Israel is meticulously creating unique digital "identities" for each victim of the October 7th attacks and the subsequent war, aiming to ensure no life is forgotten and to provide a comprehensive record for future generations. This initiative, led by Dr. Ahava Cohen, Director of Cataloging, and her team, goes beyond standard library cataloging practices.
Initially tasked with cataloging around 1,200 victims, Cohen recognized the challenge of distinguishing individuals with common names, such as multiple people named "Cohen" or "Amit Cohen" who were killed at the Nova music festival. The National Identity Database (MAZAL), usually created for books, events, and places, is being adapted to uniquely identify each victim, including details about their lives, birthplaces, professions, and affiliations, not just their date of death.
In the chaotic weeks following October 7th, cataloging staff worked tirelessly, often through the night, to gather verified information from social media and other sources. Esther Taga, Head of the Foreign Cataloging Team, described the effort as a personal mission, emphasizing the need for precision to honor the victims and their families. The process involved careful verification, with corrections made based on feedback from grieving families, such as adjusting a victim's birth year after a mother pointed out an error.
To date, over 2,900 new identities have been created. Cohen shared personal reflections, including the emotional toll of discovering shared details with victims, like a policeman named David Ben Dayan who was born a day before her and also immigrated to Israel with three children. The National Library is also serving as the official curator of the October 7th archive, encouraging the public to deposit materials documenting the events.
The project aims to provide a structured record in the face of immense loss, ensuring that each individual's story is preserved and accessible, thereby bringing order to the chaos and serving as a national act of remembrance and documentation.
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