Vision
The Kabbalah research center at the Ben-Zvi Institute will promote the scholarly study of the Kabbalah, especially that created, taught and practiced among the Jews of the Islamicate world. The center will raise interest and awareness of this literature in the wider public, and advance new ideas and approaches in its understanding.
Activity
The center’s activity will include: Three research sub-projects, headed by prof. Moshe Idel. These research projects are expected to become books, published (pending proper academic evaluation) in the Institute’s publishing house. In addition, the center will hold an annual conference devoted to a specific pivotal aspect in the history of the Kabbalah; An annual research group, bringing together scholars in different stages of their career, focusing together on a theme that presents a lacuna in the research. The participants will convene regularly during the year. Scholars will be expected to produce an article for an edited special volume by the end of the year, as well as to present the outcome of their study in public; A research workshop, focusing on methodological issues, based on pre-circulated papers, allowing in depth discussion; Development of a digital humanities project, using up-to-date state of the art digital capabilities to both create new innovative scholarship, and to present the scholarly community with tools for such work, as well as make available for both scholars and the wider public the results of this scholarship, online.