MAY 25 • 2023 | 57
Ben-Ari, editor of English-
language Digital Content
stopped by to introduce
himself, and I met Dr. Zvi
Leshem, who is the director
of the Gershom Scholem
Collection of Kabbalah and
Hasidism, and I had a quick
look at his fantastic collec-
tion.
Rachel Misrati,
archivist and the Archives
Department’s External
Exhibitions coordinator,
was most welcoming as
well. She pulled a few
unique documents from the
collections for my viewing.
Trust me, for an archivist,
nothing is better than holding
a rare historic document: It’s
history in our hands.
Back to Jpress. Eyal
Miller is the manager of
Jpress. It is a wonderful
resource regarding the
history and culture of
Jewish communities from
around the world. The
Jpress initiators, Tel Aviv
University and the NLI, strive
to “provide representation of
all the Jewish communities
of the world and of the
newspapers which they have
published.” An ambitious and
noble goal, indeed. Eyal gave
me a digital tour of the Jpress
collection, and I was indeed
impressed.
As archivist for the
Davidson Digital Archive,
which holds the archives of
the Detroit Jewish News and
Detroit Jewish Chronicle, you
can imagine my interest in
Jpress. I had a great meeting
with Eyal, who was most
generous with his time, and
obviously, loves his work.
Eyal was interested in
adding images from the
William Davidson Digital
Archives to the Jpress
database. As I write this, we
are working to transfer a
set of digital images to the
NLI in order to include the
history of Detroit’s Jewish
community as seen through
the Chronicle and JN. This
collaborative project will be
a great asset for the Detroit
Jewish News Foundation, the
NLI and researchers from
around the world.
It should be noted that
a new National Library of
Israel is nearing completion,
slated to open later this year
in Jerusalem. It will have
state-of-the-art facilities
to enhance the researcher
experience for its patrons
and staff, as well as state-
of-the-art protections for
its collections. In addition,
the new NLI will have the
highest rating for a “green”
environmental design, the
LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design)
Platinum certification. And,
the structure itself will be an
archectural icon.
The NLI will also have
a prominent Detroit
connection — the William
Davidson Permanent
Exhibition Gallery. Funded
by the Davidson Foundation,
the Gallery will be used to
display treasures from the
NLI collections, such as
rare manuscripts and books,
photographs, maps, music
and more.
So, why am I telling you
about my personal adventure
and fun experience at the
NLI? I did have a great time,
but I want you to know that
the NLI is a resource without
equal for collections of Israeli
literature and history, and
for global Jewish history
and culture at-large. Second,
you should know that some
talented people work at
the NLI to preserve these
collections and provide access
to them, both at the library
and online.
Once the new National
Library of Israel opens right
across from the Knesset in
Jerusalem, it will really be
something to see, both as
an architectural landmark
and as one of the world’s
great libraries. I’d highly
recommend a visit if you find
yourself in Jerusalem.
Learn more about the NLI at www.
nli.org.il/en and the Jpress project at
www.nli.org.il/en/discover/newspapers.
LEFT: A rendering
of the new National
Library of Israel, now
under construction.
Israel’s Knesset is
in the background.
BELOW: Eyal Miller and
Rachel Neiman from
the National Library of
Israel.