In this episode, we journey into the heart of Israel’s cultural and intellectual heritage with a deep dive into the National Library of Israel. This institution isn’t just a repository of books—it’s a living archive of the Jewish people’s story, a keeper of memories that spans millennia. Here, ancient manuscripts and modern texts alike converge, preserving the enduring spirit of Jewish scholarship and the timeless connection between literature and identity.

In this episode, Dr. Ukeles and Jake explore how this national treasure reflects the profound relationship between books and the Jewish experience—from the sacred texts that have shaped Jewish thought to the innovative works that continue to inspire. Join us as we uncover how the National Library of Israel serves as both a guardian of history and a beacon for the future, linking the diaspora to the land of Israel through the power of the written word.

Raquel Ukeles, PhD, is the Head of Collections of the National Library of Israel. She is the chief editor of the book, 101 Treasures from the National Library of Israel (2023). A New York native, Ukeles received her BA from Princeton (1993) and MA and PhD from Harvard University in 2006, all in comparative Islamic and Jewish studies. She also studied Jewish law in Jerusalem and New York, and Islamic law and Arabic in Egypt, Morocco and the Netherlands.

She has published and taught on a wide array of subjects related to Jewish intellectual history, Arab culture in Israeli society, Jewish and Islamic traditions, and the role of national libraries today.

She currently lives in Jerusalem with her husband and three children.