Imaging: Safdie Architects, Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority
Jerusalem, March 18, 2014 – The Israel Antiquities Authority announces a gift from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation of Cleveland, Ohio, to establish the Mandel National Library for the Archaeology of Israel and Mandel National Archaeological Archives. The library and archives will be part of the Israel Antiquities Authority's Schottenstein National Campus for the Archeology of Israel, currently under construction in Jerusalem.
The Campus, designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, will serve as the new education, research, conservation and illumination center and as headquarters of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The complex, located on Museum Hill adjacent to the Israel Museum and overlooking the Hebrew University Givat Ram Campus, will house nearly 2 million archaeological objects, among them 15,000 Dead Sea scrolls, viewable conservation and restoration laboratories, an auditorium, special study galleries, an archaeological education center, roof top exhibition gardens, a café and more. The 35,000-square-meter Campus is scheduled to be inaugurated in April 2016.
The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel National Library for the Archaeology of Israel, located within the complex, will house nearly 150,000 volumes, including 500 rare books, and over 1,000 periodicals. The adjacent Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel National Archaeological Archives will contain the Israel Antiquities Authority Archive, the British Mandatory Archive as well as maps, permits, plans and publications of excavations from the Mandatory Period through today, serving researchers and the public.
The Mandel National Library for the Archaeology of Israel and Mandel Archives will be the largest of their kind in the Middle East and serve as a premiere research center for the archaeology and history of the Land of Israel.
Morton L. Mandel, Foundation chairman and CEO said: "We welcome the opportunity to support the Israel Antiquities Authority in its mission to excavate, research, conserve and educate the public about the archaeological and historical heritage of the Land of Israel spanning the past 10,000 years."
Mr. Mandel added: "We hope the Mandel National Library for the Archaeology of Israel and the Mandel Archives will serve as a source of inspiration and learning for the public at large and for today's leaders as they explore the past of the Land of Israel."
According to Shuka Dorfman, director-general of the Israel Antiquities Authority: “We see the Mandel National Library for the Archaeology of Israel and Mandel Archives as a unique magnet and beacon for archeological, historical and Israel studies – a center of learning, resea
According to Shuka Dorfman, director-general of the Israel Antiquities Authority: “We see the Mandel National Library for the Archaeology of Israel and Mandel Archives as a unique magnet and beacon for archeological, historical and Israel studies – a center of learning, research and knowledge. The Campus is the largest and most important project to be established in Jerusalem this decade. Through its generosity, the Mandel Foundation has helped preserve and make more accessible archaeology and the cultural heritage of the Land of Israel."
About the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Foundation
The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation’s primary mission is to provide outstanding leadership for the nonprofit world. The Mandel Foundation established the Mandel School for Educational Leadership in 1990 which to date has graduated close to 400 men and women, many of whom occupy positions of leadership in all spheres of Israeli life. The Foundation supports leadership education programs in its own institutions and at selected universities and organizations. The Foundation believes that exceptional leaders are the critical factor that enables organizations to contribute most significantly to society. The priority areas of activity include leadership of nonprofit organizations, higher education, Jewish education, strengthening the State of Israel and urban neighborhood renewal.
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