The National Library of Israel’s Solomon Judaica Collection

Since 1972, Irving Langer has been at the helm of E & M Associates, a property management firm boasting one of the largest portfolios of New York City multifamily properties. Irving Langer also possesses a profound interest in Jewish art and culture. He authored The Kosher Grapevine, a book that celebrates Jewish wine traditions, and he has a strong enthusiasm for Judaica collections.

The Haim and Hannah Solomon Judaica Collection was established in 2013 after a large endowment was bestowed upon the National Library of Israel by former Royal British Air Force volunteer Naomi Solomon. The Solomon Collection, which contains thousands of Jewish books, manuscripts, music pieces, and religious scriptures, is now considered the largest in the world.

The collection is curated by Dr. Yoel Finkelman, who carefully selects additions to the library by considering the age, historical impact, and rarity of the acquisition. During Dr. Finkelman's tenure, the library has purchased more than 250 pages of the 1,000-year-old Afghan Genizah, a collection of Jewish manuscript fragments that were found in caves in Afghanistan. Dr. Finkelman is currently leading efforts to digitize the entire collection.