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Archive. During this period, they received the materials of the Department for Aliyah from North Africa, Syria and Lebanon, Ethiopia and Eastern Europe in the years 1950-1989, the Department for Absorption of Yemenite Children (1950-1957), the "Geula" Company (1950-1980), a collection of maps from the Settlement Division, the Division for Management of Assets in the Agency, "Mlilot" (oral documentation of the "secret aliyot") and additional materials. During this period, many technological changes had occurred, notably the installation of mobile shelves (2003); accelerated digitization via grants and support that were mobilized from the Claims Conference and the Holocaust Museum in the United States for materials on the Holocaust, and from Harvard University for visual materials; installation and assimilation of the "Documentum" home software for management of the Archive (2008), and construction of a new website (2012).
In 2012, the current Chairman, Tzvi (Kito) Hasson, assumed the position. Since then, a series of reforms are being implemented for the purpose of supporting the Archive's purposes: The primary activity is directed toward the renewal of the building's physical infrastructure, establishment of the conservation and scanning labs and their establishment. In the area of manpower, changes and adjustments were made to the organizational structure as well as in preparation for intake and training of the next generation of the Archive. In recent years, large projects were carried out in the registration and scanning of materials, for the purpose of closing the gaps that were created between the purchase and registration of the materials. In this list, it is worth noting the registration of the Archive of the Architect Richard Kauffmann, registration of the André Chouraqui Archive, complete registration of the Keren Hayesod Archive, completion of the registration and digitization of PICA materials, registration and scanning of JCA materials in Israel and more.
Several years ago, the Archive added to its vision the desire "to be an active partner in strengthening the Zionist bond of the nation and the land." To that end, it renewed the activity of the Education and Training Unit, which had launched a series of activities for the implementation of this trend: Visits to the Archive and exposing its secrets; series of conferences for the general public; exhibits in the Archive's space and encouraging museums in Israel and the world to hold exhibits of the Archive's collections; renewal of the periodical "Me'et L'et" in a digital format; publications in the Archive website, in social media and elsewhere.
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What began modestly in Germany in 1919 has expanded over the years to a large archive that documents the history of the Zionist movement and all of its components, the Jewish Yishuv in the Land of Israel during the pre-state times and in the State of Israel since 1948. For 14 years the archive was in Germany, and since 1934 – in Jerusalem. At first – for 53 years it was in the National Institutions Building, and since 1987 – in its expansive home near Binyenei Hauma, which is included in the future City Gate Compound.
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