CIE Launches Massive Israel, Middle East Archive

The Center for Israel Education (CIE), a leader in global education on Israel and the modern Middle East, announces the launch of its reimagined website. Serving as more than a redesign, it is now considered one of the most extensive and accessible digital platforms available for exploring Israel’s storied past and the complexity of its present in a volatile Middle East.

With more than 3,000 curated items — documents, maps, timelines, videos, lesson plans, and multimedia resources — the revised CIE website serves lifelong learners, students, clergy, and teachers as well as others interested in understanding Israel, the region, and American national interests there. The source and document collection are accumulated from Hebrew, Arabic, German, and English archives and from contributing scholars who have given permission to use key items otherwise blocked by pay walls.

“CIE’s website is an indispensable treasure-trove of commentary and source material that is essential for setting current affairs in their historical context,” according to Dr. Asher Susser, professor emeritus of Middle Eastern history, Tel Aviv University.

“The CIE website is a gold mine of information about Israel and its history, which will help to counteract the confusion and misinformation found in much of the discourse in the media,” said Dr. Louise Fischer, emerita historical publications editor, Israel State Archives, Jerusalem, Israel.

“What sets CIE’s platform apart is that it’s not just a collection of content, but a dynamic teaching toolkit that enhances and complements the broader ecosystem of Jewish and Israel education resource,” added Aaron Bregman, director of high school affairs, American Jewish Committee.

“The CIE’s website is the most comprehensive and reliable resource pertaining to the modern State of Israel that I know of. Every person who cares about Israel should know about this site and check it regularly as its collections expand,” commented Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich, editor-in-chief of the Jewish Publication Society, Melrose, Penn.

“The CIE website is a one-stop shop for all things Israel. Never before has there been something like it, and never has it been more sorely needed,” said Michael Eisenstadt, director, Military and Security Studies Program, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Washington, D.C.

The relaunch comes at a moment of demand and urgency. For years, learning and teaching Israel have not enjoyed the attention otherwise devoted to the conflict, the Holocaust, or the politics of the moment. Statistics show rising antisemitic incidents in the public square and on campus, confounding observers who often lack context of why and what to do. When fear, vulnerability, or doubt prevail, the curious seek answers with trustworthy context. The website’s content provides multiple ways to access understanding.

“Building Israel knowledge muscle,” says Dr. Ken Stein, CIE’s founder and chief content writer, “will not eradicate antisemitism, but it will provide reason and replies to those who hurl invectives. Misinformation and historical distortion need to be stopped in their tracks. Voices not lowered end in violence.”

Stein continues, “The reconfigured website results from two sources: decades of classroom teaching, public outreach, applying insightful research from hundreds of student interns and educators, and from engaging creative designers who understand user experience. Teaching across the Internet makes the number of seats in the classroom limitless.” Website sources may be found in multiple languages.

The upgraded website features powerful search functionality with intuitive navigation that allows users to explore resources by topic, time period, file type, and language. Users can find primary source documents, maps, timelines, and curated learning essentials on topics ranging from pre-state Zionism to modern-day diplomacy and conflict. Returning users find new materials weekly. The website offers tailored, age-appropriate curriculum guides, bibliographies for research, and, for the keen beginners, self-learning units and explainers in video and in prose, such as a four-part video series on Iranian antisemitism and hatred of Israel.

Since CIE’s first website launched in 2015, traffic has grown from 500 users per month to more than 100,000 visitors each week. What began as an Atlanta-based academic project, supported by local institutions and philanthropists such as Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, the Seslowe Family, and other foundations, has evolved into a global resource used to educate and inform.

The website’s renewal coincides with a growing interest and public demand for credible, classroom-ready educational tools.

CIE’s materials stand out for accessibility, timeliness, and accuracy. Whether in classrooms, community centers, libraries, or homes, the site inspires, enriches, and equips users as they build foundational learning and conversations. To explore the new website and its resources, visit: israeled.org.