The Archive for German-speaking Jewry in Israel (The Yekkes Archive)    De | He

The Archive for German-speaking Jewry in Israel (the “Yekkes Archive”) preserves historical documents of Jewish individuals and families who immigrated to Mandatory Palestine from German-speaking countries and regions in Central Europe, primarily during the 1930s, following the rise of the Nazis to power. The materials span a wide range of years, from the late 19th century to the late 20th century, and include certificates, letters, postcards, diaries, memoirs, poems, photographs, and more. The collections document both the private and communal life of German-speaking Jews in Europe and in Mandatory Palestine/Israel, and later in the State of Israel. 

Over the years, the archive operated as the Archive of the Museum of German-speaking Jewry in Tefen. The museum was originally founded in 1971 in Nahariya as the “Museum of German Jewry” by Yisrael Shiloni (Hans Herbert Hammerstein), a Berlin-born Yekke, with the mission of preserving the history of German Jewry. In the 1990s, with support of Israeli-Yekke industrialist, Stef Wertheimer, the museum relocated to Tefen Industrial Park, where its collections were expanded and the archive formally established. In 2005, the museum and archive reopened to the public in collaboration with the Association of Israelis of Central European Origin. In 2021, the Tefen museum and archive were closed, and their collections were transferred to the University of Haifa (for further reading click here). 

The archive has been incorporated to the Haifa Center for German and European Studies (HCGES) at the University of Haifa, while the museum was reestablished as the German-Speaking Jewry Heritage Wing at the University’s Hecht Museum. Fully integrated into the HCGES curriculum, the archive hosts the Yekkes Lecture Series and will organize an annual Yekke Day, bridging past and present and fostering connections between the Yekkes community and academia. 

The archive is currently being reconstructed. The catalogue from its former Tefen seat is available online, with most materials already digitized through the “A-Z” – The Archives Network Israel Project. The collection newly arrived in Haifa will be made available soon. 

 The archive continues to receive new materials relating to the history and heritage of German-speaking Jews in Israel. 

Donate family materials and help us preserve Yekkes heritage, or subscribe to our mailing list for updates: AGSJI@univ.Haifa.ac.il 

Explore Yekkes stories, podcasts and blogs, on our webpage.  

Browse the Archive’s catalogue via the National Library of Israel here