The flagship publication of the National Library of Israel, 101 Treasures from the National Library of Israel, has won the Jewish Book Council’s 74th National Jewish Book Awards in the visual arts category.
It provides a thematic journey through the library’s collections, sharing anecdotes about the works and people behind them. Among the items showcased are manuscripts, books, periodicals, archives, maps, posters, photographs, music and digital acquisitions.
Highlights include a copy of Maimonides’s Mishneh Torah with margin notes in the Rambam’s own handwriting; a 10th-century Hebrew Bible codex known as the “Damascus Crowns”; theological ruminations of Isaac Newton; love poetry by Sultan “Suleiman the Magnificent”; 10th- to 13th-century documents from the Afghan Geniza; the Offenbach archives of retrieved books looted by the Nazis; Hannah Szenes’s last poem; and rare materials documenting Israeli history.
“Our decision to present these pieces thematically, not chronologically, was deeply intentional. We strove to convey the fascinating stories that these items carry,” said Raquel Ukeles, head of collections. “Understood in context, we see that there has always been a thriving dialogue with the cultures around us. We wanted to signal that conversation and show that this movement, this interchange, is ongoing and dynamic.”
Book designer David Haliva said the project was an “opportunity to showcase, in a contemporary way, an institution that embodies Jewish and Israeli history and culture. The medium of print itself is not modern, certainly, but this award is living proof that visual media still holds the power to breathe life into these narratives, for which I’m very gratified.”
Oren Weinberg, the library’s CEO, noted that the book was released in tandem with the opening of its new building. He pointed out that it is “both a keepsake for visitors and, for those who have not yet had the opportunity, 101 reasons to come to the library out of many more.”
The first edition of 101 Treasures from the National Library of Israel is available in English and Hebrew. A second edition will be issued shortly.