Expert Analysis
In 2023, the National Library of Israel (NLI) was relocated from its home (established in 1925 at the Mt. Scopus campus of Hebrew University) to new headquarters adjacent to the Knesset in the heart of Jerusalem. Set among landscaped gardens, this dazzling architectural landmark evidences the centrality of knowledge as the basis—and the soul—of Israel’s governance; the structure and its contents function as both concrete and symbolic representations of “the people of the book.”
B’nai B’rith’s publications have reported on the history of NLI’s holdings, whose original core collection was sourced in the sacred and secular volumes and periodicals gathered during the late 19th and early 20th centuries for Midrash Abravanel, pre-state Israel’s first public library, founded by the B’nai B’rith Jerusalem lodges. It thrived as a center of intellectual life.
Ownership of the books was transferred from B’nai B’rith to the World Zionist Organization in 1918, and after 1925, the holdings were transferred to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, to what was the National Library of Israel.
Expanding the library’s function as a place to read and research, the new NLI has been re-defined and designed as a central hub, that includes spaces where Christian, Jewish and Muslim patrons can gather, attend classes and discussions, screen films, hear music, see art exhibits and share their cultures. Ongoing digitization will enable every person—throughout the world—to access resources. But so much more is now offered.
State of the art technology supplied by NLI expertise, its collaboration with the Hebrew University and the Israel Antiquities Authority, and additional government funding have resulted in the recently-launched Ronnie Ellenblum History Knowledge Center, a groundbreaking online resource whose purpose is condensed by NLI, in a nutshell, to function as “an interactive online portal equipped with geographic search (GIS) offering a wealth of information—from ancient shards to geospacial maps—for scholars, researchers, students, tour-guides, tourists, creators, and anyone with a love for Jerusalem.”
The Knowledge Center could also be described as the locus of a seemingly infinitesimal amount of content about Jerusalem, intended as “one stop shopping,” for a literal deep dive experience of the city in all its aspects, from its inception to the present, and the future as well. With just a few clicks, users can read, explore, watch, hear and absorb content that represents the findings of hundreds of lifetimes.
Of benefit to researchers, including scholars, students and particularly tour guides, The Ronnie Ellenblum History Knowledge Center displays modern and vintage maps housed in the library’s fantastic cartographic collections, in addition to documentation such as correspondence, travel diaries, reports, broadcasts, films, and surveys pertaining to Jerusalem’s typography and geography. And then, there’s documentation from 20th and 21st century archeological excavations and images of historical artifacts, including photographs, pictures, sculptures, drawings and paintings. Also at hand: sheet music, recordings of concerts and lectures by prominent academics, and modern media, with virtual tours of all sections of the city a special highlight.
When a specific area, neighborhood, street or site is pinpointed on the center’s online map of Jerusalem, all relevant information gleaned from the integrated databases—ranging from catalogues of rituals and festivals observed and celebrated by all three faiths, to folk songs about Jerusalem—are displayed in a pop-up window with links to detailed resources.
Originally conceived by Hebrew University faculty member Ronnie Ellenblum, an archeologist, educator and scholar who published books about Jerusalem’s history during the era of the Crusades, the portal honoring his memory is dedicated to his vision of Jerusalem’s multicultural legacy. As he himself observed: “No existing city has undergone so many cycles of conquest, exile, and destruction as Jerusalem. Over time, these cycles—and the expectations for rebuilding at the End of Days—became foundational symbols and the base for the collective identities of all the civilizations active here.”
Cheryl Kempler is an art and music specialist who works in the B’nai B’rith International Curatorial Office and writes about history and Jewish culture for B’nai B’rith Magazine. To view some of her additional content, click here.