President Reuven and First Lady Nechama Rivlin hosted the Global Forum of the National Library Monday evening. Members of the Israel National Library attended, as well as other notable international figures in the field of culture, academia, and science. 

The President began his opening address by stating: “I welcome you here tonight, and your decision to play a part in building the future and the character of the National Library.”  

President Rivlin continued, “Throughout history, the greatest threat to memory has been forgetfulness. He who sought tirelessly to immortalize his name and an understanding of his motives, strives to overcome that same curse of forgetfulness. Initially there were just a few stories remembered by heart by the people or tribe. In time, these were written down, etched in stone and later written on papyrus, and then with advent of technology, on paper. The struggle between forgetfulness and memory was great.

“With the return of the Jewish People to our land, there was a great national, Zionistic effort to record the national history of the People of the Book, from the memories buried among hundreds of thousands of manuscripts, millions of books and other preservation endeavors. This initiative, initially undertaken by B’nai Brith, brought about the creation of the National Library, whose standing is fixed by law.

“When we think about the future of the National Library and the challenges ahead, there will certainly be a need for assistance, guidance and advice from the members of this important forum, in setting policy and best practices for conservation, and preservation of memory in the digital age.”

The forum then moved to discussions which focused on a number of topics, including the connection between the Jewish literary, historical and religious texts and the Jewish people, especially as a source of identity and inspiration. The forum also discussed how that relationship impacts the Jewish religion and culture now. 

At the conclusion of the event, President Rivlin surprised National Library Chairman, David Blumberg, by returning a nearly two hundred year old book. The book had been borrowed at some point from the library and was found in the synagogue at the President’s Residence.  The book, entitled ‘Birat Migdal Oz’ (Tower of Strength) was written by Rabbi Ya’akov Emden (aka The Ya’abetz) in the early part of the 1800s.