Upcoming Cultural Events

The conservation of rare, antique manuscripts, some a thousand years old or more, is an integral part of the Library’s mission.
This Gallery Talk is an opportunity to hear about the special processes used in our paper conservation laboratory, the largest of its kind in the country. 
How does an expert reconcile the need to preserve a rare item with the desire to expose it to the general public? Marcela Szekely, Head of the Conservation Department with over two decades of experience, will relate the conservation stories of selected items, and discuss the natural tension between the mounting of exhibitions in the new Library building and the scrupulous protection of the most important items.

This Gallery Talk is sponsored by Rosalie and Richard Alter, in memory of their dear friend David Kolitz

Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world, and is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

“The value of Jerusalem cannot be measured, weighed, or quantified. For if the land has a soul, then Jerusalem is the soul of the Land of Israel,” declared David Ben-Gurion, capturing the essence of the city at the heart of Jewish history.

Imagine the pilgrims, merchants, scholars and adventurers who crossed continents and seas, enduring countless hardships to reach Jerusalem. Some encountered the city as it had been described in stories, maps, and paintings, while others saw an imagined, utopian Jerusalem, the place they had always longed for and dreamed of - their hope for redemption.  

At the National Library, located in the heart of Jerusalem, countless items tell the stories of these pilgrims and highlight the central role and sanctity of the Land of Israel and Jerusalem in their eyes. Personal diaries, ancient maps, manuscripts, and illustrations of the Holy City offer a window into their cultural and spiritual worlds. Discover the treasures that accompanied their journeys and explore the unique connection between the Library and Jerusalem.

9:00 - 9:30    Gathering and Registration 
9:30 - 10:45    Pilgrims in the Map Collection at the National Library - Dr Galia Grebler-Richler, Israel Studies Reference Librarian
10:45- 11:00    Break
11:00 - 12:00    Pilgrims in Works From the Islam Collection at the National Library - Dr. Sam Thrope, Curator of the Islam and Middle East Collection at the National Library 
12:00 - 12:30    Break 
12:30 - 14:00    The Unique Role of the National Library in Jerusalem - David Ivgi, Researcher, Curator, and Art Lecturer
14:00- 14:15    Break
14:15 - 15:30    Journeys of European Rulers to the Holy Land - Dr. Stefan Litt, Curator of the Humanities Collection at the National Library

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