Frequently Asked Questions
In order to help all users easily navigate Delet, we have prepared a set of frequently asked questions and issues related to the operation of the portal. It provides necessary information on the materials shared on Delet and technical aspects of navigating the site. We hope that it will guide you in using all functionalities of the portal and allow you to take full advantage of the resources. This set of answers created by our team can be treated as a kind of user’s manual. The issues are divided into thematic chapters related to particular functionalities of the portal. We encourage you to get acquainted with the below material. Many features of Delet are only available to logged-in users, so some of the functionalities discussed in the FAQ will only be visible after logging in.
Table of contents
What is the Association of the JHI?
How do I register on the Delet portal?
I have registered but cannot log in – what happened?
I did not receive an activation link. How can I get the activation link again?
I forgot my password. How can I reset my password?
How to change the e-mail address?
How to change or add my details?
What is the button ‘Apply for tutor status’? Who is a tutor?
What is the ‘Add a tab’ button?
What is the ‘Add an object to the collection’ button?
What are Metadata? How can I change them? How do I report a mistake in the Metadata?
What graphic modifications can be made to documents in the Delet portal?
How to save annotations and graphic modifications in an individual document?
What are Tabs? How do I add them?
Can I share my tabs with other users?
What are the Users’ Collections?
How can I create a collection?
How do I add documents to a collection?
Lessons/Workshops
What kinds of Lessons are there?
What does the Delet logo on the lesson cover mean?
Creating a lesson/workshop
How to fill in lesson metadata?
Why can I not create a showing or elaboration?
How to add a new page in a lesson?
How do I change the page order in a lesson?
What are page layouts in a lesson? How can I change page layouts?
How do I change the order of tiles in the layout?
Where can I take the photos for the lessons from?
What can I add to tiles in the lesson?
How do I add an image from the Delet portal?
How do I add an image from the CJL which is not available on the Delet portal?
What is the page description and how can I add it?
Can I add my own illustration to a lesson on the Delet portal?
How can I add notes to objects in a lesson?
How do I adjust selected areas?
How do I change the size of a selected area?
How do I change the shape of a polygon?
How do I change the fill colour and line colour?
How do I change the colour of a pin?
How do I use the same colour many times?
How do I reset all selected areas in a lesson?
Why is the mirror reflection in the lesson’s miniature not visible?
What does blocking the editing of a lesson do?
How do I edit the content of a previously added lesson?
How do I edit the metadata of a previously added lesson?
How can I edit the lesson’s cover?
Someone else modified or added a tag to my lesson. How come?
Why is my collection / my lesson grey?
How can I create a lesson / a collection in English?
What does the ‘Duplicate collection / lesson’ button do?
How can I publish my lesson / collection on the Delet portal?
Can I publish a lesson without a cover?
How to change the metadata of an object?
How does the search function on the Delet portal work?
How can I search in Collections and Lessons simultaneously?
What does the ‘Promoted’ filter mean?
Why can’t I find documents from the CJL on the Delet portal?
How do I report an error on the Delet portal?
General information
What is the Delet portal?
The mission of the Delet (Hebrew: ‘door’) portal is to share some of the most valuable items from the collections of the Main Judaic Library owned by the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute (AJHI) and the Jewish Historical Institute (JHI). The resources available on the portal include one of the most important and unique collections of modern art created by Polish Jews as well as items forming part of the collection documenting the life in the Jewish Ghetto (listed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register). This is the first time that these collections are shared in full, in a form which is both cohesive and tailored to their nature.
The Delet portal allows logged-in users to work on the shared collections and create visually appealing educational materials – lessons and workshops – with the use of interactive tools available on the portal. This makes Delet a useful tool for educators, university students, and school pupils. The shared resources allow users to expand and supplement their knowledge of Jewish history and culture with the use of the collections of the JHI and the AJHI.
The portal also includes virtual curator tours and elaborations allowing the user, guided by virtual curators and scholars, to explore the resources shared on the portal and discover lesser-known details, interesting titbits of information, and the history of the collections.
The project is subsidised by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland as part of the Digital Culture programme.
What is the CJL?
The Central Jewish Library (CJL) is a digital repository of the collections of the Jewish Historical Institute. The mission of the CJL is to provide broad access to all collections of the JHI and offer a tool useful for historians, genealogists, and all people interested in the culture and history of Jews in Poland by presenting the collections in a broader historical context.
What is the Association of the JHI?
The Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland is the founder of the Delet portal. The AJHI is a non-governmental organisation working to preserve and commemorate the history and culture of Polish Jews and their contributions to international culture.
What is the JHI?
The Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute is a partner and co-founder of the Delet portal. The JHI is a state-owned cultural institution. It is a research and documentation centre focusing on all aspects of Jewish history and culture in Poland. The Institute holds the largest collections of Jewish archival and library materials in Poland and owns a large collection of Jewish art.
Registration and logging in
How do I register on the Delet portal?
In order to register, click ‘Login’ in the top right corner of the screen and then click ‘Register.’ You will be asked to enter a username, your e-mail address, and a password – those fields are mandatory. You can also provide your name and surname, affiliation (the institution you work/study at), and your year of birth. After clicking ‘Create account,’ an activation link will be sent to the e-mail address you have provided. By creating the account, you accept our Regulations. Registration on the portal is free of charge.
I have registered but cannot log in – what happened?
In order to log into the portal, you have to click the activation link sent to the e-mail address provided during registration. Please make sure that you enter the e-mail address and password correctly and that the Caps Lock key is disabled. NOTE: when logging in you will need to provide your password, not the username.
I did not receive an activation link. How can I get the activation link again?
If you do not receive an activation link within an hour of registration, check the spam folder in your e-mail account. You can also generate the activation link again by logging into the Portal with your e-mail and password, and then clicking ‘resend the activation link.’
In case of further issues, contact the administrator.
I forgot my password. How can I reset my password?
You can reset your password anytime by clicking ‘Lost password’ in the Login tab. You will need to provide the e-mail address connected to your account and click ‘Reset password.’ You will receive an e-mail with a link to reset your password. The link will expire after 24 hours.
User Area
What is the User Area?
The User Area (the little human silhouette icon in the top right corner of the screen) is your personal space on the Delet portal. It includes the list of your lessons (‘My Lessons’), collections (‘My Collections’), and tabs (‘My Tabs’), as well as your profile settings (‘My Profile’).
How do I change the password?
You can change your password in the User Area, in the tab ‘My Profile.’
The password must be at least six characters long, including at least one lowercase letter, one capital letter, and a digit.
How to change the e-mail address?
It is impossible to change the e-mail address. If you want to change the address, contact the Portal administrator.
How to change or add my details?
You can change your details in the User Area, in the ‘My Profile’ tab.
What is the button ‘Apply for tutor status’? Who is a tutor?
A tutor is a user who can publish lessons and collections automatically, without the administrator’s acceptance.
What are ‘My Collections’?
The category ‘My Collections’ is displayed in the Collections tab and in the User Area. It contains the collections you have created. No one else can see your collections before you publish them (see Point 6.4. to learn how to publish your collections).
What are ‘My Lessons’?
The category ‘My Lessons’ is displayed in the Lessons tab and in the User Area. It contains the lessons you have created. No one else can see your lessons before you publish them (see Point 8.4. to learn how to publish your lessons).
What are ‘My Tabs’?
The category ‘My Tabs’ is displayed in the User Area. It contains an alphabetical list of the tabs you have added. No one else can see your tabs, neither can you publish them.
View of documents
What is the Gallery view?
The Gallery is an alternative way of viewing documents. It allows you to quickly display many pages, but in a lower quality.
What is the ‘Add a tab’ button?
You can find out more about tabs in Point 5.1.
What is the ‘Add an object to the collection’ button?
You can find out more about collections in Point 6.
What are Metadata? How can I change them? How do I report a mistake in the Metadata?
You can find out more about Metadata in Points 7.3.2 and 7.3.29.
What is the Description?
You can find out more about the Description in Point 7.3.16.
What graphic modifications can be made to documents in the Delet portal?
The graphic editing tool can be found in the ‘Tools’ drop-down menu on the left side of the document. You can use the following tools:
- Rotate by any angle: to rotate the image, you can enter the value (in degrees) manually or click on the arrow to rotate the image. If you want to rotate the image by 90 degrees, you can use one of the two 90-degree rotation buttons. You can also move the image using the mouse. To do this, press Left Shift + Left Alt + Left Mouse Button – moving the mouse will rotate the object.
- Brightness: to change the brightness of the image, move the slider to the selected value.
- Contrast: to change the image contrast, move the slider to the selected value.
- Saturation: to change the saturation of the image, move the slider to the selected value.
- Greyscale: the tool changes the colour scheme of the image to black and white.
- Invert colours: changes the image into its negative.
- Mirror image: changes the image into its mirror image.
- Reset filters: restores default settings (note: this change cannot be undone!).
NOTE: If you create a lesson with several images, the graphic modifications will always apply only to the tile which you are editing at a given point. There is no tool allowing to make global graphic changes for all tiles at once.
How to save annotations and graphic modifications in an individual document?
Unfortunately, the portal does not allow for saving graphic modifications and annotations in individual documents. You can save them by creating a private lesson for your own needs. If you want to save notes in documents, it is best to use the tabs feature.
Tabs
What are Tabs? How do I add them?
The tabs are digital equivalents of physical bookmarks. They allow you to add a short text description to individual pages of a document. You can add multiple tabs on each page of a document. In the page overview for each document, the pages with added tabs bear a special mark. Your notes are visible only to you. You can add notes in the document view from the Tabs panel or by clicking the icon on the left side of the screen. You will find the list of your tabs in the User Area (see Point 6).
Can I share my tabs with other users?
It is not possible to share tabs with other users.
Can I add tabs to a lesson?
It is not possible to add tabs to lessons.
Collections
What are Collections?
Collections are thematic sets of documents and images assembled from the most valuable CBJ resources. The same document can form part of several collections.
What are the Users’ Collections?
Those are documents arranged into collections by other users of the portal, accompanied by a commentary and made public.
How can I create a collection?
There are three ways to create collections:
1. From the ‘My Collections’ tab (in the User Area or Collections), by clicking the ‘Add Collection’ button.
2. With the plus button displayed when you hover over the thumbnail of an object in the Collections tab or in the search results in the collections.
3. Directly in a document by clicking the ‘Add object to collection’ button (left side of the screen).
To create a collection, you need to give it a name and add a description. You can edit the name and description of the collection at any time before it is published. However, it is impossible to edit the details of a published collection.
How do I add documents to a collection?
There are two ways to add documents to your collections.
1. By pressing the plus button on an object in the Collections tab or by searching and selecting the collection to which you want to add the document.
2. Directly in the document by clicking the ‘Add object to collection’ button (left side of the screen).
NOTE: You cannot add the same document to a collection twice.
NOTE: Objects cannot be added to a published collection.
Lessons
What are Lessons?
Lessons are a key functionality of the Delet portal which allows you to create and share virtual presentations based on visual materials available on the portal.
Lessons allow our users to get acquainted with Jewish history and culture in an easy and accessible way. The portal contains both lessons created by employees and collaborators of the AJHI and the JHI and those created by the users themselves.
What kinds of Lessons are there?
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Lesson
- A lesson is a material in the form of an educational presentation intended for secondary education students and anyone interested in Jewish history and culture. Each lesson should focus on a specific topic consistent with its title and describe it in an exhaustive way.We suggest adding a set of questions at the end of each the lesson to help check if the audience has understood the content.
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Workshop
- A workshop is a material in the form of an educational presentation intended for secondary education students and anyone interested in Jewish history and culture.Workshops should encourage people to expand their knowledge, discover new resources and texts, and incentivise users to explore the material presented. A workshop does not have to present the subject in a comprehensive way but should encourage the audience to explore it on their own.
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Showing
- The ‘Showing’ category includes curator’s tours around exhibitions held at the JHI or virtual exhibitions created specifically for the Delet portal. These are prepared by specialised curators and educators.
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Elaboration
- Elaborations are materials based on the collections of the Delet portal. They have the form of scientific articles, essays, prose, etc, and are created by employees or collaborators of the JHI and the AJHI.
What does the Delet logo on the lesson cover mean?
The Delet logo means that the lesson has been created by an employee or collaborator of the JHI and the AJHI.
Creating a lesson
How to create a new lesson?
To create a new lesson, click on My Lessons (in the User Area) or click +.
How to fill in lesson metadata?
The metadata should include a short description of the lesson summarising its content. You should also add tags related to the lesson’s subject.
How to add tags to a lesson?
Before adding tags to a lesson, it is best to read the lists of tags and of keywords provided in the Advanced Search tab.
Why can I not create a showing or elaboration?
Showings and elaborations are specific types of lessons which can only be created by employees or collaborators of the JHI and the AJHI.
How to add a new page in a lesson?
In order to create a new page in a lesson, click the ‘Add page’ icon on the options tab in the upper part of the screen or in the lesson page panel on the left side of the screen (on the side flyout with thumbnails of lesson pages). When creating the first page of a new lesson, the ‘Add page’ button will be displayed in the centre of the screen.
How do I change the page order in a lesson?
In the side flyout, you can drag the pages with your mouse to change their order in the lesson. Remember to save the lesson after changing the page order.
What are page layouts in a lesson? How can I change page layouts?
Layouts allow you to add more tiles and fill them with images or text. Each page of the lesson can include many tiles arranged in various ways. Each tile is an independent element. To change the layout, click on the layout change icon in the options tab.
How do I change the order of tiles in the layout?
Every tile is assigned a number in the selected layout, displayed on the left side of each tile. Changing this number changes the order of tiles in the layout.
Where can I take the photos for the lessons from?
Every lesson should be based on documents available on the Delet portal. They can be supplemented with images from an external URL.
What can I add to tiles in the lesson?
You can add a picture from the Delet portal, a picture from an external URL, or text to every tile in a lesson.
How do I add an image from the Delet portal?
To add a picture from the portal to a lesson, click ‘Add an element’ in the page view and then click ‘Add an image.’
How do I add a text tile?
To add text to a lesson page, click ‘Add an element’ and then ‘Add text.’
How do I add an image from a foreign URL address? How do I copy the URL address of an image from another website?
To add an external image to a lesson page, click ‘Add an element.’ Then click ‘Add an external image’ and paste the URL. To download the URL of an image from another website, right-click the chosen image and choose the option ‘Copy image address.’
NOTE: This will only work with images from the websites listed on the “white list.”
Which URL addresses can I use to publish objects on the Delet portal? What URL addresses are on the ‘white list’?
The URLs currently supported by the portal are:
- the website of the JHI: www.jhi.pl
- Wikipedia
We are planning to expand the list with more websites in the future.
How do I add an image from the CJL which is not available on the Delet portal?
This is currently not possible.
What is the page description and how can I add it?
The page description is a general description for all tiles on the page. It should include text pertinent to the entire page in a lesson and a list of cited sources.
Can I add my own illustration to a lesson on the Delet portal?
This is currently not possible. If you need to add an image, try finding it on Wikipedia or on the website of the JHI (www.jhi.pl).
How can I add notes to objects in a lesson?
To add a note, open the Tools tab (on the upper left of the object) and choose the shape of the selected area. It can be a rectangle, circle, polygon, or pushpin. You can also choose the colour, thickness and style of line, or the colour of the fill.
How do I adjust selected areas?
To adjust a selected area, hover the cursor over it and left click. You also have the possibility to adjust it automatically right after creating it.
How do I change the size of a selected area?
Click the mouse on the selected area and drag by its side.
How do I change the shape of a polygon?
You cannot change the shape of an already created polygon; you can only adjust its size.
How do I change the fill colour and line colour?
To change the colour, click on the selected area to display the annotation field. Then choose “Fill colour” or “Line colour” from the Tools tab and choose a colour.
NOTE: The fill colour is automatically set at 100% transparency. To make it visible, you need to lower the transparency.
How do I change the colour of a pin?
The pin has a defined colour which cannot be changed.
How do I use the same colour many times?
You can enter the colour manually (RGB) in the colour selection panel.
How do I reset all selected areas in a lesson?
To reset all selected areas in a lesson, click on ‘Delete all selected areas’ in the Tools tab. Note: this action cannot be reversed!
Why is the mirror reflection in the lesson’s miniature not visible?
This is due to technical restrictions of our portal. We are working on fixing the issue.
What does blocking the editing of a lesson do?
Blocking the editing of a lesson allows you to preview how the lesson page will be displayed after publication.
How do I edit the content of a previously added lesson?
To edit the content of a previously added lesson, click on the ‘My Lessons’ tab (in the User Area or in Lessons), then on the lesson management icon (the gear) and then the unblock content icon (the padlock).
How do I edit the metadata of a previously added lesson?
To edit the metadata of a lesson, click on the ‘My Lessons’ tab (in the User Area or in Lessons), then on the lesson management icon (the gear), then on the metadata editing icon (the pencil). You can also edit the metadata from the lesson creation panel (pencil icon).
How can I edit the lesson’s cover?
To edit the lesson cover, click on the ‘My Lessons’ tab (in the User Area or in Lessons), click on the lesson management icon (the gear) and then the cover editing icon (the square). While editing the cover, you can select and crop the images that you added to your lesson. If you add the same image several times, it will appear several times in the cover selection panel. The cover includes one big square image and three circles.
Someone else modified or added a tag to my lesson. How come?
The administration reserves the right to add tags to users’ lessons (to improve search results) and to proofread and make necessary corrections.
My Collections / My Lessons
Why is my collection / my lesson grey?
It means that the collection has been published or is in the process of verification by the administrator.
How can I create a lesson / a collection in English?
You can select the language of a lesson during its creation or by editing metadata.
NOTE: Lessons in Polish are only displayed on the Polish version of the portal, and lessons in English – only on the English version.
The easiest way to create a lesson in two languages is to click the ‘Duplicate lesson’ button (see Point 8.3).
What does the ‘Duplicate collection / lesson’ button do?
Clicking the ‘Duplicate lesson’ button produces an exact copy of the lesson with the same descriptions, images, and notes. The duplicated lessons can be modified freely. This allows you to make a backup copy of the lesson, make corrections to an already published lesson (which cannot be modified) as well as produce a template for the English translation of the lesson (unfortunately the system does not translate automatically, so we are counting on you!).
How can I publish my lesson / collection on the Delet portal?
To publish a lesson / a collection, click on the ‘Click to manage the lesson/collection’ icon and then click ‘Publish.’ The lesson / collection will be forwarded to the administrator for proofreading. You can withdraw your request for publication before the administrator starts working on the lesson / collection. This will no longer be possible once the process of proofreading has started. From that moment on, you will only be able to duplicate the lesson.
Can I publish a lesson without a cover?
No. Only lessons with added covers can be published.
I have found an interesting article online; can I add pictures to it and publish it on the Delet portal?
No. All published content must be created by you. If you are quoting someone, you must provide a clear citation.
How to change the metadata of an object?
It is impossible to change metadata of objects on the portal. If you notice a mistake, reach out to the administrator.
Search
How does the search function on the Delet portal work?
The search function on the Delet portal is divided into three modules: simple search in lessons, simple search in collections, and advanced search. You can search the portal by clicking on the magnifying glass icon on the right side of the screen.
How can I search in Collections and Lessons simultaneously?
The search algorithm does not allow for simultaneous search in Collections and Lessons.
What is advanced search?
Advanced search allows you to apply a precise set of searching criteria in Collections / Lessons. You can search by several terms simultaneously, apply filters, and sort search results.
What does the ‘Promoted’ filter mean?
Promoted lessons are the most interesting or newest lessons on the Delet portal. They appear on top of the search results.
Why can’t I find documents from the CJL on the Delet portal?
Only the Oneg Shabbat collection and the collection of the art department can be found on the Delet portal.
All other materials can be viewed on the CJL website.
Other
How do I report an error on the Delet portal?
If you notice an error, please contact the portal administrator.
