Naomi Schacter holds the impressive position of director of partnerships and external relations at the National Library of Israel (NLI).
Growing up in New York City, she attended Ramaz High School and earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and art history from Barnard College. In 1983, she moved to Israel and completed a master’s degree at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in public policy.
From 1999 to 2015, she served as associate director of Shatil, an initiative of the New Israel Fund, which states its mission as promoting an egalitarian and just democratic society. She is currently a board member of Tevel Btzedek, which guides young Israelis in social justice projects in impoverished countries.
She lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Jonathan, the Fred and Helen Lessing chair of Ancient History at Tel Aviv University. The couple has five children.
The Magazine recently sat down with Schacter in her office at the NLI to learn more about her and the library.
Who can use the National Library?
The NLI is open to everyone, free of charge. There are no gates or fences around the building, which emphasizes its accessibility both physical and virtual. We welcome around 40,000 visitors each month.
Anyone aged 14 and older can obtain a free library card (younger children can enter with an adult), which includes a digital card that grants access to the reading halls. Books labeled ‘Loan copy’ can be borrowed. Anyone can purchase a home loan membership at a minimal cost.
You can learn more at www.nli.org.il/en/at-your-service/lending/home-book-lending#subscription.
Is the library only about books?
Not at all. While the NLI houses around four and a half million books, we also house periodicals, journals, newspapers, and thousands of unique items in our special collections: manuscripts, archives, maps, photographs, musical recordings, and millions of digital resources.
All Israeli publishers are required by law to deposit two copies of each published work, both print and non-print, with the NLI. Historically, this was according to the Legal Deposit Law of 1953 and amended as the Books Law in 2000.
We are currently in the process of digitizing massive amounts from our collection, allowing users to view them remotely. We are the collective memory of the Jewish people. We collect everything.
Among our more than ten million online items, users can find a Harry Potter book in English, a recording of Naomi Shemer’s song ‘Jerusalem of Gold,’ and a collection of more than 10,000 Haggadot, the largest collection of Haggadot in the world.
To do your own search: www.nli.org.il/en/search?projectName=NLI
Are English-language tours available?
Yes. We offer four to five guided tours in English every week. The tours are in great demand, so we ask that people register well in advance.
Tickets for self-guided tours provide access to specific exhibitions, such as green tours and architecture tours. To book a tour: https://www.nli.org.il/en/visit/tours/weekly-tour
To arrange a private English language tour, call *5049 or email info@nli.org.il
Family-friendly tours are also available.
In a few words, how did the NLI come to be?
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks coined this phrase to describe the library: ‘The home of the book for the People of the Book.’
This institution is 133 years old this year. It was initially founded as the first public library in Jerusalem in 1892. In 1905, the Seventh Zionist Congress recognized it as the Jewish national library. In 1925, it was merged with the newly founded Hebrew University and renamed the Jewish National and University Library [JNUL]. In 1960, the JNUL moved to the university’s Givat Ram campus.
In 2007, the Knesset passed the National Library Law, separating the JNUL from Hebrew University, transforming it into the National Library of Israel and establishing it as an independent national institution. This began a period of renewal that included the construction of our beautiful building across from the Knesset in Jerusalem. We opened our doors on October 29, 2023.
As a member of the library’s administrative team, what initiative stands out to you?
Directly connected to the painful times in Israel in October 2023 was our launching of the Bearing Witness project, an unprecedented effort to thoroughly document the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and their aftermath. Together with a range of partners from around the world, we are collecting everything and building a database to ensure that the truth of these events is preserved for future generations.
What inspired your decision to make aliyah?
I grew up in a Zionist family and went to day schools and Hebrew-speaking camps. After finishing high school early, I spent six months in Shluhot, a religious kibbutz in northern Israel. Even though I loved New York and still love New York, I didn’t see myself settling in New York suburbia. I made aliyah when I was 24.
Why did you stay? Any thoughts about going back?
Not really. You need to live fully where you are. Straddling the fence is not a good idea. I am lucky that I’m closely connected with my family in the US, and we visit each other often. One of my sons currently lives in the US.
How did you meet your husband, Jonathan?
Michael Oren, the former Israeli ambassador to the US, gets the credit. I had gone to college with Michael, and he wanted me to meet Jonathan. This was his matchmaking plan: As a writer, Michael gave me a manuscript to read and asked me to pass it along to Jonathan when I finished. The plan worked. Jonathan was in Israel on a fellowship, and after we met he received a job offer and stayed.
You and Jonathan both work for nonprofits. Was there some influence from your upbringing?
Yes and no. I was raised in an Orthodox home. Jonathan grew up in a culturally Jewish but largely assimilated household in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. But I would describe both of our homes as ‘liberal democratic.’ In fact, shared values very much brought us together.
You are a board member of Tevel. What is an example of their activities?
In 2018, I joined Tevel’s first Climb for Justice and trekked to Gokyo Peak (5,360 meters high) in the Himalayas of Nepal. More than 300 donors supported us, and we were able to raise $90,000 to support Tevel’s work. It was a special treat for me that one of my sons was also one of the trekkers; he joined within days of completing his army service.
What advice do you have for new olim?
Plunge into Hebrew. Try hard because without the language, you’ll miss out on so much. Force yourself to speak Hebrew. One of my few regrets is not having attended an ulpan. My advice to new olim? Go to an ulpan and try to build a strong network of friends, as they become your family when family lives far away.