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GIVAT HAVIVA'S ARABIC NEWSPAPERS DIGITIZED
The Canadian State Archivist, Mr. Ian Willson, and folk singer Peter Yarrow with Peace Library director Samira Mahamid reviewing Arabic language newspaper from the 1930s
A unique and endangered collection of Palestinian newspapers consisting rare and fragile publications from the early 20th century, stacked in cardboard boxes at the Givat Haviva Peace Library, are now available on-line – thanks to state-of-the-art digitization. Ambassadors, politicians, researchers, international archivists, artists and other well-known personalities, from Israel and abroad, have browsed through the amazing collection of yesterday's news today contained in the publications and Arabic language press cuttings, dating from the early 1930s through to present times. "The Givat Haviva Institute has promoted equality between Jews and Arabs in Israel since 1949 and has always sought to provide tools to this end," explained Dudu Amitai, Givat Haviva spokesperson, a professional librarian and archivist who, together with Samira Mahameed, director of the Sarah and Yaacov Eshel Peace Library, has provided detailed explanations about the collection to many of the special interest guests visiting the library. "Studying and presenting the diversity of Palestinian voices within Palestinian society in the past, will hopefully contribute to the shaping of the future relationship between the State of Israel and an independent Palestinian state," said Amitai. "This is the first digitization project of its kind dealing with a well-defined selection from the early Palestinian press and other pre-l948 Mandatory Palestine materials in the Arabic language. Basically, for the first time, original newspapers recording Palestinian history are available on line. This is only the first stage of the project and made possible thanks to the generous support of American businessman George S. Blumenthal and the skilled artisanship of internationally acclaimed Israeli photographer Ardon Barhama, who developed a special 'toolbox' for high resolution digitization of documents and other important written materials for presentation on-line," said Amitai, finding it difficult to curb his enthusiasm for the exciting, one-of-a-kind project. Ardon Barhama digitized the Codex Vaticanos - the oldest existing Christian bible - and the four Hebrew manuscripts lent by the Among the largest archive of its kind in the world, and due to its rarity, the Givat Haviva collection has always been in great demand, but unfortunately also unavailable to so many interested groups and individuals. Committed to the preservation of the collection, and inspired by the spirit and legacy of Givat Haviva, this endeavor deals not only with the preservation of Palestinian heritage, but is an extremely invaluable asset for present and future study and research of the evolution of the State of Israel, and Israeli Arab society in particular. The collection includes titles such as 'Al-Dipha' (1934 – 1967), 'Falastin' (1936 – 1965), 'Al-Mirsad' (1952 – 1987), 'Al-Ittihad' (1945-present day) and more. "The main goals of the project are two-fold," explains Peace Library Ms. Mahameed. "First and foremost we must preserve this unique and endangered collection and, secondly, provide access to a collection of both national and world heritage importance. "Our long term vision is to see this digital collection become a tool for a series of educational, cultural and academic programs, a searchable resource of world heritage available beyond physical and political hindrances to all," she added. The project's professional consultant and supervisor is Dr. Merav Mack from Cambridge Research Technologies (CRT) and the Van Leer Jerusalem Institut. The proposed project has gained the moral support of several organizations and institutions from The first stage of the project now available on line at www.falastinnewspaper.info/index.html, provides an introduction and search interface in Arabic, Hebrew and English, and covers the collection holdings of 'Falastin' from different periods during the years 1936-47. The second stage of the on-going project, also supported by UNESCO among others, will include material from 5 more newspaper titles from the same period. With this new, innovative and long-awaited project now available, researchers and the general public will have, literally at the touch of a button, the possibility and availability to look into the day to day life, and political atmosphere, in the pre-state era and formative period of the evolving Palestinian society. Text & photographs: May, 2009 |
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