The series Kehilot: Jewish Communities in the East in the 19th and 20th Centuries was established by the Ben-Zvi Institute and the Ministry of Education's Department of Heritage. The first volume in the series was published in 2000. The series focuses on developments among Jewish communities in Muslim lands in the 19th and 20th centuries, up until the waves of immigration to Israel. The series is a landmark in the study of these communities, revealing their history and heritage for the first time to the general public, students and scholars. By making use of research-based materials and contents which had not yet been utilized by the educational system, the series is especially useful for school pupils. Leading scholars from academic institutions in Israel and abroad have contributed to the series' volumes, along with the communities' representative bodies and members of the public.
The goals of the series:
- To present the history, culture and heritage of the Jewish communities in Muslim lands in a systematic, concise and balanced manner.
- To provide school libraries with material for the study of these communities by pupils.
- To respond to the requests and requirements of the general public, specifically to those of the members of the various communities, and to fill the lacunae in scholarship and knowledge related to these communities.
The Kehilot Staff:
Coordinator and photo researcher: Na'ama Shai-Katrieli kehilot@ybz.org.il | 02-5398849
Founding Editor: Prof. Haim Saadon haimsa@openu.ac.il
Head of the Ben-Zvi Institute: Prof. Miriam Frenkel miriam.frenkel@mail.huji.ac.il
Deputy Director of the Institute: Dr. Assaf Tamari Assaf@ybz.org.il | 02-5398845
Academic Secretary: Efrat Even bzi@ybz.org.il | 02-5398848
Administrative Coordinator mbz@ybz.org.il | 02-5398844
The structure of the series' volumes:
Each volume is written according to a structure laid down by the Academic Committee composed of representatives of Yad Ben-Zvi, the Ministry of Education and various academic institutions. This structure lays out the main topics to be covered, and the Committee examines the compatibility of this outline with the state of the field, available scholars and the unique characteristics of each community. Every chapter is subject to peer-review, and the various languages in the volumes are transliterated. The text is accompanied by photos, illustrations and maps, as well as sidebars clarifying names and basic concepts. Each volume is accompanied by a bibliographical list.
Research assistants:
Dr. Guy Bracha: Lebanon volume guy_bracha@walla.co.il
Miri Rafael: Georgia volume miriadr@gmail.com
The Steering Committee
Committee Chair: Prof. Miriam Frankel, Head of the Ben-Zvi Institute
Members of the Committee
Naama Shai-Katrieli, Series Coordinator and Photo Researcher, Ben-Zvi Institute
Prof. Haim Saadon, The Open University and Ben-Zvi Institute
Prof. Naham Ilan, Hemdat Academic College, Sdot Negev Regional Council
Prof. Hagai Ben-Shamai, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Prof. Shalom Tzabar, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Dr. Assaf Tamari, Deputy Director, Ben-Zvi Institute
Efrat Even, Academic Secretary, Ben-Zvi Institute
Michael Geltzer, Former Academic Secretary, Ben-Zvi Institute
Dr. Yaniv Mezuman, Director General, Yad Ben-Zvi
Adi Ofer, CFO, Yad Ben-Zvi
The Ben-Zvi Institute appeals to anyone who may have in their possession documents, photos, objects, letters, ephemera, etc. related to the lives of the Jewish communities in Georgia, Lebanon, the Jewish communities in the Balkans, as well as Jewish communities in Muslim countries, to contact the Institute:
kehilot@ybz.org.il | 02-5398849
Volumes in progress:
- Lebanon – Prof. Yaron Harel, editor
- Georgia – Dr. Chen Bram, editor
- The Sephardic Communities of Yugoslavia (temporary title) – Dr. Eliezer Papo, editor.