Showing 122 results

The documents sent by the communities of the Ottoman Empire are either in "ancient Hebrew" (pre-modern Hebrew) or "Ladino". There are sometimes letters in French. Only between 10% and 20% of the archives would be written in "Ladino".

The oldest documents are pinkasim from 1750 and 1759, difficult to understand, very damaged in 1948. Many are uncommunicable (circa 1850). There is a gap between 1820 and 1830. There are gaps, the community almost disappeared. After that, for the period 1890-1920 which represents many documents of which a part is a little damaged.

The writings represented are mainly the "half-calamus" or handwritten Sephardic rabbinic script (documents in "ancient" Hebrew = rabbinic and/or in "ladino" = Judeo-Spanish) and the writing called "letras de karta" or "solitreo" in the correspondence in Judeo-Spanish. Much of these documents have been transcribed according to the modern Hebrew ms alphabet.

Online database of the Magnum Photos agency.

This fonds consists in the minutes of meetings of the Arab Municipal Council of Jerusalem from its creation in 1948 to its dissolution in 1967. In most cases, one minute matches one meeting, except for one relating to meetings held during three days in a row (1961-04-16 to 1961-04-18 - B937-3). The lacks observed in the original numbers given to these meetings and documents point out that one minute is missing for the beginning of summer 1955 and another one for autumn 1955 (B936-7). Moreover, the minutes of the meetings held between January 1958 and December 1959 could not be found. Therefore, a chronological gap exists between the folders B936-11 and B937-1.
Order numbers were given by the Arab Municipality itself to each of these meetings, apparently starting back from 1 when a new council was composed, except for opening sessions and irregular meetings which were named as such and not counted. From December 1963, confidential debates could occur during a meeting. In this case, two minutes were issued with the same meeting order number: a regular one and a confidential one (e.g. minutes of the meeting of the Municipal Council held on 1963-12-11 – B938-2).
The fonds allows to retrace not only the creation of the Arab Municipal Council of Jerusalem after 1948, but also the relations established with other political, social, religious institutions, its humanitarian action and its ordinary management until the 1967 war.

In the Waqf Inheritance section, the number of documents approaches a million and a half; as well there are 2,500 manuscripts covering various subjects, including religion, philosophy, Arabic language, history and so on. Among them, the Open Jerusalem team selected a body of 41 files (totalizing 668 pages) issued by the Jerusalem Awqâf administration and related to Moghrabi neighborhood in Jerusalem.
Note : the spelling is “Mograbi” from Arabic to English, and “Maghariba” from Ottoman Turkish to English.

In addition to his professional activities, Dushkin was involved in many other aspects of Jewish life, such as the Reconstructionist movement in the USA, the David Yellin Teachers’ Seminary and the Neot Kedumim Biblical reserve in Israel. He maintained close friendships with many affluent American Jews, who often contributed funds to the various causes with which he was connected.
The papers reflect these activities and friendships.
Dushkin’s files are arranged in a loose chronological order. Most of the files contain private correspondence as well as letters on a variety of subjects, of which only the major ones have been mentioned in the file descriptions.

The Matson Photograph (G. Eric and Edith) Collection is a rich source of historical images of the Middle East. The majority of the images depict Palestine (present day Israel and the West Bank) from 1898 to 1946. Most of the collection consists of over 22,000 glass and film photographic negatives and transparencies created by the American Colony Photo Department and its successor firm, the Matson Photo Service. Over 1,000 photographic prints and eleven albums are also part of this collection.

These maps were commissioned to Dario Ingiusto for the purpose of the Open Jerusalem project. They represent Jerusalem at different stages of its evolution, from 1187 to 1967.

This fonds is part of the Archives of Religious Houses (or Archives of convents) held by the Historical Archive of the Custody of the Holy Land.

The Monastery of Saint Saviour is a Catholic Franciscan monastery located on 1 Saint Francis Street, east of the New Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. The site was purchased from the Georgian Orthodox Church in 1560 with permission by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire, and the monastery was constructed in stages. The church building was erected in 1885, with renovation in 1985. The site includes a printing press, an organ workshop, a library and a Catholic school.

Besides from the Franciscan convent, Saint Saviour shelters also the “Parish of Saint Saviour” and a Casa Nova (a Franciscan house for pilgrims).
Convent of Terra Sancta College is a succursal of Saint Saviour’s Latin parish, and a cultural centre of the Custody of the Holy Land.

Structure of the fonds: global extent: 209 files; Apr. 1801 - 30 Oct. 2001
Series A, Regulations. Global extent: 3 files; 1884-[mid XXth century]
Series B, Correspondence. Global extent: 5 files; 1902 - 30 Oct. 2001
Series C, Assets and administration. Global extent: 15 files; Oct. 1885 - 1996
C-I, Inventories. Global extent: 4 files; 1906 - Sept. 1927
C-II, Receipts and accounting notes. Global extent: 1 file; 1986 - 1996
C-III, Daily expenses. Global extent: 9 files; Oct. 1885 - Sept. 1945
C-IV, Revenues and expenditure. Global extent: 1 file; Sept. 1977 - May 1996
Series D, Holy Masses. Global extent: 183 files; Apr. 1801 - 31 Dec. 1976
D-I, Hebdomadal offices. Global extent: 54 files; 31 July 1870 - 1st Jan. 1969
D-II, Masses “pro rege et pontifice”. Global extent: 13 files; Apr. 1801 - 21 July 1974
D-III, Masses dedicated to benefactors (“pro benefactoribus”). Global extent: 35 files; 12 May 1815 - 31 Dec. 1976
D-IV, Masses dedicated to the clergymen’s relatives (“ad intentionem religiosorum de familia”). Global extent: 18 files; 1st June 1822 - 31 Dec. 1976
D-V, Masses “pro eleemosyna”. Global extent: 22 files; 8 Feb. 1833 - 31 Dec. 1976
D-VI, Pious legates. Global extent: 7 files; 2 Jan. 1859 - 20 Apr. 1958
D-VII, Masses “pro defunctis fratribus, pro parentibus religiosorum et iuxta kalendarium”. Global extent: 28 files; 18 Jan. 1861 - 29 Aug. 1976
D-VIII, Offices celebrated by pilgrim priests. Global extent: 1 file; 18 Sept. 1903 - 24 July 1927
D-IX, Masses celebrated at the Austrian Hospice. Global extent: 1 file; 1st Oct. 1941 - 4 Aug. 1943
D-X, Masses dedicated to the Basilica [of the Annunciation in] Nazareth. Global extent: 1 file; 25 Apr. 1959 - 2 Jan. 1968
D-XI, Masses “ad mentem ministri generalis”. Global extent: 2 files; 16 May 1960 - 4 Dec. 1976
D-XII, Summaries of masses. Global extent: 1 file; Jan. 1909 - July 1927
Series E, Chronicles and memoirs. Global extent: 3 files; Jan. 1913 - 30 Dec. 1976
E-I, Various memoirs. Global extent: 1 file; Jan. 1913 - Dec. 1922
E-II, Registers of the pilgrim priests. Global extent: 2 files; 5 Jan. 1963 - 30 Dec. 1976