Note to Users
To study Israel means to engage with a wide range of opinions on important topics, including ones that are contentious, and maybe even offensive. Resources on this site represent a variety of academic and political opinions. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies or Brandeis University. We encourage users to approach each resource critically. Remember that it may not be credible in all respects, nor does it represent the last word on any topic.
How to Find Articles, Databases, and More
Schusterman Center for Israel Studies publications
- Index to Jewish Periodicals (EBSCO) This link opens in a new windowProvides a comprehensive guide to English-language articles, book reviews, and feature stories in more than 160 journals devoted to Jewish affairs. Titles include Contemporary Jewry, Holy Land Studies, Jewish Culture & History, Journal of Palestine Studies, Studies in American Jewish Literature, and many more.
- Kotar This link opens in a new windowThis collection of Hebrew books covers Jewish and Israeli culture, literature, history, education, and sociology, as well as general works in the humanities and social sciences.
- Otzar haHochma This link opens in a new windowSearchable full-text of over 100,000 volumes of traditional Jewish literature. Requires input using Hebrew font. A good place if you are looking for religious texts about Israel.
- RAMBI Index of Articles on Jewish Studies This link opens in a new windowIndex of Articles on Jewish Studies. Searches journals and collected volumes dedicated specifically to topics in Jewish Studies, which helps narrow your search from the get-go. For Hebrew and Arabic interfaces, please use the globe icon in the top right.
- Rav-Milim This link opens in a new windowAn online dictionary of the Hebrew language, supplemented with linguistic tools.
- Berman Jewish Policy ArchiveA vast collection of policy-relevant research and analysis on Jewish life, with holdings spanning from 1900 until today. Many relate to American Jewish attitudes about Israel.
- Hebrew BooksA collection of Jewish religious books, available for searching and downloading. English interface, texts are in Hebrew only. This is also an excellent source for Jewish religious writings about Israel and Zionism.
- Israeli Haredi Society: A Scholarly BibliographyThe bibliography, compiled by researchers at the Israel Democracy Institute, is divided by topic and sub-topic of scholarly studies on Israeli Haredi society. Titles are listed as they appeared, not translated. The introduction, in Hebrew, explains the process and considerations and invites comments, suggestions, and additions. The ultimate aim is to improve the list and include any and every scholarly publication that addresses this topic from any and every discipline, and to this effect the plan is to update it periodically. First published in February 2022.
- Israeli Legal History BibliographyThis bibliography from Tel Aviv University's law school covers many subjects including feminism, Jewish law, torts, and more.
- Union List of Digitzed Jewish Historic Newspapers, Periodicals and e-JournalsThis is a list of digitized Jewish historical newspapers, and where to find them. It is an excellent resource to see how Zionist and Israel history was reported in various communities.
Search Tip
Search for books by either Keywords or Subject Headings. Start with a Keyword search and identify some relevant books. Then look at the subject headings for those books. You can follow the subject heading links in the catalog to find similar books, or you can use the terms in the subject headings to identify other keywords to try.
Example Keyword Search:
Religious Zionism
Example Subject Headings:
Religious Zionism -- Israel -- History
Religious Zionism -- Philosophy
Religious Zionists -- Israel -- Attitudes
Judaism and state -- Israel
Finding Books at Brandeis & Beyond
Try exploring the Library Catalog for books related to your topic. The Library Catalog tab in OneSearch is the main way to locate books, as well as journals and videos in the library collections. If you have already identified the book(s) you need through other research aids, you can search by Title or by Author. If you are trying to identify books that will be useful for your research topic, you can search Keyword or Subject.
If Brandeis does not have the book you need, try looking for books from other libraries:
Online: Brandeis WorldCat is a library catalog that contains millions of records for books and other materials held in libraries worldwide. Search for your item and then use the "Request Item from Interlibrary Loan" button or link on the item page to place your request.
In-person: Brandeis is a member of the Boston Library Consortium. You can borrow books in-person from any of the member libraries in New England with a BLC card. Get a BLC card at the Information & Borrowing desk in Goldfarb Library.
Learn more about Interlibrary Loan
Ebooks
These all have significant resources relating Israel, Zionism, and the relationship between Israel and the larger Jewish community. It is also a good way to find rare materials that may be hard to locate otherwise.
- ProQuest Ebook Central This link opens in a new windowA collection of searchable, full-text e-books in multiple disciplines. (Formerly named ebrary.)
- HathiTrust Digital Library This link opens in a new windowDigital repository of the immense collections of many universities and institutions, full text searchable.
- Digital Public Library of AmericaDigitized materials from libraries, archives and museums around the United States.It has many primary and secondary sources relating to Israel Studies, mostly regarding the relationship between Israel and America.
- Internet ArchiveThe Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. With the search function, you can discover all sorts of materials related to Israel in a variety of languages, including hard to find books.