Jaffe Collection
The Avraham and Sara Jaffe Collection focuses on the research of Hebrew liturgy and poetry and the research of children literature.



The collection is identified in the DaTa system by the letters JA
Browsing through a book can only be done from the circulation desk.
03-6408423
Sunday - Thursday | 9:00-19:00 |
Friday | 9:00-12:00 |
The collection comprises more than 10,000 titles in Hebrew and texts using Hebrew letters (e.g. Yiddish).
- Texts of Hebrew poetry, liturgy and prayers from various countries throughout the times. Hebrew translation of literary texts (Especially poetry texts).
- Juvenile books – written by Miriam Yalan-Shteklis, Leah Goldberg, Dvora Omer and others.
- Juvenile Hebrew Periodicals , e.g.: "Ha'aretz Shelanu", "Davar Li'ladim", "Mishmar Li'ladim". Juvenile Hebrew language periodicals which were published in Israel and abroad up to the 1950s.
Among the juvenile Hebrew periodicals in the Jaffe Collection one can find the first issues of "Olam Katan" – the first Hebrew juvenile periodical.
Selected parts from all issues of "Olam Katan" are available online (in Hebrew) via the National Library's "Children Historic Press" website.
This periodical was published irregularly as a 3-4 pages supplement to Eliezer Ben-Yehuda's newspaper "HaZewi".
The title "Olam Katan" was a common/popular phrase at the Hebrew literature of that time and implied that the childhood spans/expand like an entire world.
According to its subtitle the periodical aims to introduce to its readers, Hebrew School pupils, "Stories, poems, fables, riddles, texts on history and nature – all written in a language that suits children spirits
and capabilities".
The editors were Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, Yehuda Grazovski (Gur) and David Judelovitch, who was the editor-in-chief.
Additional writers were members of the Hebrew Language Committee and school teachers.
The juvenile periodicals, which were published before the foundation of the State of Israel (1948), reflect diverse aspects of the renewing Hebrew and Zionist culture, intellectual and social life in Eretz-Israel
and the diaspora and various daily events.
An important motif – Hebrew children literature - from its beginning through its blooming period can also be studies using these periodicals.
Books from this collection cannot be borrowed. Browsing through the books is possible - please address the circulation desk at the entrance floor with exact title details.
Selected titles:
- Bialik, Hayyim Nahman, 1873-1934 Selected poems. Tel-Aviv : Dvir & The Jerusalem Post, c1981.
- Kipnis, Levin, 1894-1990 My holidays : holiday stories for children. Translated from Hebrew by Israel M. Goodelman ; drawing and illustration by Isa. Tel-Aviv, N. Tversky Pub. House, 1961.
- טביוב, י. ח. עדן הילדים : ספר מקרא לילדים ולילדות, עם תרגום המלים בארבע לשונות: רוסית, אשכנזית, צרפתית ואנגלית. מהד' 13 מוגהת ומתוקנת. ורשה, תושיה, תרס"ד -1904 יהודה הלוי / מזמור שיר להיינריך היינע ; נעתק לשפת עבר במשקל המקור האשכנזי ונוספו עליו הערות ע"י שלומה זלמן לוריא. סט. פעטערבורג, 1886
- סויפט, ג'ונתן, 1745-1667 גוליבר בארצות הפלאות. תרגם א.ל. יעקובוביץ, הציורים: בינה גבירץ. תל-אביב, יזרעאל, תשי"ב 1952