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.