National Library of Israel digitizes New York Jewish Week archives

The National Library of Israel has digitized nearly five decades of archives from The New York Jewish Week, a prominent newspaper in New York.

This move makes the records of the community's history freely accessible to the public through the library's Historical Jewish Press collection. The archive documents major events, personal stories, and cultural shifts that shaped Jewish life in New York from the city's founding in 1654 to the present day.

The National Library of Israel launched the Historical Jewish Press project more than 20 years ago to preserve and provide public access to historic Jewish newspapers globally. The project currently holds publications in 30 languages dating back to the late 17th century. Historian Jonathan Sarna of Brandeis University described The New York Jewish Week as the most important American Jewish newspaper of its time.

To mark the milestone, the library and the newspaper will host a panel discussion and an email series. The event, scheduled for November 17, features former editor Gary Rosenblatt and project manager Eyal Miller. They will discuss how the archive can inform the present community. The email series, titled 9 Moments That Made Jewish New York What It Is Today, explores nine specific historical moments, including the arrival of 23 Jewish refugees from Recife, Brazil, in 1654.