The Historical Society of Israel (HSI) brings together historians and scholars of history across the State of Israel. Its research community is vibrant and diverse, spanning multiple generations and a broad range of fields- from the ancient world to contemporary global history. Together, its members contribute to the development and advancement of historical scholarship in Israel and beyond.
HSI was founded in 1924 as the Eretz-Israel Society for History and Ethnography to bring together the growing community of historians in the country. Among its founders were Professors Ben-Zion Dinur and Yitzhak Baer, and over the years many other historians joined the Society, helping to shape its development and scholarly mission.
Today, HSI represents Israel’s historians in international scholarly organizations and academic institutions around the world. It also provides a forum for the exchange of ideas among researchers, students, teachers, and members of the public with an interest in history.
HSI is committed to demonstrating the continuing relevance of historical inquiry by connecting the past with the present and the future. It also promotes the study of history among younger generations and strengthens ties between academic historians, secondary-school history teachers, and other educational institutions.
Publications
HSI publishes two scholarly journals: Zion, devoted to the history of the Jewish people from the biblical period to the modern era, and Historia, a journal of general history focusing on the histories of various peoples, societies, and cultures around the world. Both journals are published in Hebrew and feature research articles by scholars from Israel and abroad. HSI also supports the publication of Haya Haya, a historical journal written, edited, and produced by students of history and related fields, featuring articles adapted from outstanding student papers submitted at universities across Israel. In addition, HSI distributes the journal Zmanim in cooperation with the Open University of Israel and Tel Aviv University.
Administration
The Executive Committee of HSI is elected every four years from among the members of the Society’s Council, which is composed of historians from universities across Israel. In the most recent elections, held in September 2019, Professor Shmuel Feiner was elected Chairperson of HSI, while Professors Moshe Sluhovsky and Tamar Herzig were elected Vice Chairpersons.
Main Activities of the Historical Society of Israel
In addition to Zion, Historia, and Zmanim, HSI publishes the book series Belashon Avar (“In the Language of the Past”), which brings important scholarly books in world history by Israeli historians to Hebrew readers through selected translations of books originally published abroad.
As well as its publications, HSI supports historical scholarship through various initiatives. Each year, it awards prizes for outstanding books and articles published in Hebrew (the “Am ve-Olam” Prizes). HSI represents historians in Israel in international scholarly forums and maintains relations with Jewish and national historical societies around the world. The Society is also represented in the International Committee of Historical Sciences (ICHS) and participates in its international congresses. It also promotes academic exchange by hosting leading historians from abroad.
HSI also supports historical education among younger generations. It encourages outstanding high school students to engage in historical research and write research papers as part of their studies. The most outstanding students present their work in an international forum.
As part of its ongoing scholarly activities, HSI organizes lectures, conferences, and workshops. These include the Stern Lectures, established in memory of Professor Menahem Stern. Each year, the series invites a distinguished historian to present new research. HSI also holds an annual conference and workshops for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers.
