History Yad Vashem

International Research Center and Publications

From its inception, Yad Vashem has played a central role in researching the events of the Holocaust and publishing books based on the research. The first volume of Yad Vashem Studies was published in Hebrew and English in 1957. 31 Hebrew-English volumes have been published to date, comprising 500 significant and often groundbreaking research articles.

In 1968, Yad Vashem began holding international research conferences dealing with various aspects of the Holocaust. The purpose of the research has been to examine the Holocaust from the perspective of the Jewish sources, to build a balanced picture based on the Jewish point of view, which would relate to the circumstances, inner world and reactions of the Jew in the Holocaust. In this framework, Yad Vashem initiated the publication of central archival sources. These important and comprehensive publications include: The Encyclopedia of the Holocaust - a six-volume encyclopedia constituting a basic database of the events of the Holocaust period - places, people, concepts, events, etc.; Toldot Hashoah (a History of the Holocaust) - a project begun in 1979 that documents the history of the Holocaust period by analyzing different topics and geographical areas. To date, seven volumes have been published in Hebrew, written by top research scholars in Israel and abroad, with 15 more volumes in various stages of production; Pinkasei Hakehillot) Encyclopedia of Communities) - approximately 20 volumes documenting and commemorating the Jewish communities in Europe and North Africa under the regime of the Nazis and literature in 1973. In 2001, the Encyclopedia of Communities was published in English. Yad Vashem is currently preparing three databases which will be accessible to research scholars and the general public in the future: a history of the ghettos in the Holocaust, a history of the deportations, and a history of the killing sites. In addition, Yad Vashem publishes research projects, diaries and survivors' memoirs. Yad Vashem has published over 200 books to date, which constitute the backbone of Holocaust literature in Israeli society. In recent years, 24 books have been published annually.

In the 1960s, a scientific consultation committee was established at Yad Vashem, which comprised representatives from universities and commemorative institutions.

The International Institute for Holocaust Research was established in 1993. The Institute publishes research projects, offers research grants, cultivates research scholars in Israel and abroad, corresponds with researchers the world over and holds international conferences. Over the years the top Holocaust research scholars have visited the Institute and participated in its programs, and the Institute has gained an international standing and reputation, representing Israeli research at all the major forums.