Portfolio
Here's a selection of books from Shlomi Rosenfeld's projects over the 2 past decades. These unique works are primarily published in limited, private editions in Hebrew. While not widely available for purchase, they are cataloged and accessible for scholarly review in select libraries and research institutes across Israel, reflecting the depth of research and dedication to each project. For specific inquiries about viewing or accessing these works, please feel free to contact the author or the respective publishers.
The Association for Volunteering
Fifty Years of National Service
The story of 'The Association for Volunteering' (originally 'HaAgudah LeHitnadvut' in Hebrew) is an Israeli tale of individuals who made history, placing National Service firmly on the map of Israeli society. It has been written over fifty years and more, chapter by chapter, and continues to be written as it moves into the coming years.
The Association began its operations from a small, modest office in Jerusalem, under its original name: 'The Association for Volunteering Among the People.' To this office came about a hundred 18-year-old religious young women, who had received exemptions from military service. They were sent to volunteer in frontier communities (settlements on the border/periphery), development towns, and deprived neighborhoods in large cities. Within a few short years, demand far exceeded supply. The hundreds turned into thousands, and then tens and hundreds of thousands who contributed a year or two of service in hospitals and Magen David Adom, in government ministries and intelligence organizations, in educational institutions and day clubs for the elderly, and in every corner where they could offer a helping hand.
Decades passed, and more decades. The volunteering initiative grew to encompass the entire country and even extended globally. The human pool expanded, and new dimensions were added: secular young women and young men who were unable to enlist in the IDF were integrated. Yeshiva students and young women from the Haredi sector who sought to contribute a year of volunteering also joined, as did young Druze people, and young people from the Arab sector...
...and the rest, is history.
The history of 'National Service' – the largest social initiative established in the State of Israel, opening the doors of service to young men and women from all segments of the population.
The history of The Association for Volunteering – which founded this initiative and celebrates fifty years of extensive activity to strengthen Israel's social resilience.
Research, Writing, and Editing:
Shlomi Rosenfeld
Graphic Design: Adi Tzur Studio
Editorial Supervision: Esti Bruchi
Pages: 275
Print Production: 2 Products Ltd.
Published by:
The Association for Volunteering (NPO) (2022)
One Hundred Years:
The Story of The Hebrew Gymnasium in Jerusalem
Written and Edited by :
Shlomi Rosenfeld
Graphic Design and Print Production:
Yael Boverman
Pages: 223
Printed by:
Old City Press, Jerusalem
Published by:
The Hebrew Gymnasium in Jerusalem (2009)
In the winter of 1909 (5669 by the Hebrew calendar),
The Hebrew Gymnasium was established in Jerusalem. Its founders, a group of prominent figures in finance and education, assembled a cohort of young teachers, among them Rachel Yanait and Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, who years later would become the second President of the State of Israel. Together, this determined group established the city's first secular high school.
Since its inception, the Gymnasium moved between various city neighborhoods until it found a permanent home in the prestigious Rehavia neighborhood. One hundred years have passed since its founding, and it stands firm, cast from Jerusalem stone.
'One Hundred Years' tells the story of the Gymnasium, whose alumni and teachers include: Three Presidents of the State, a Chief of Staff and generals in the IDF, government ministers and Members of Knesset, Israel Prize laureates, ambassadors and diplomats, researchers and scientists, journalists and media professionals, merchants and building contractors, artisans and service providers, clerks and laborers – all bearing the indelible mark of the Gymnasium.
Page by page, chapter by chapter, the history of The Hebrew Gymnasium is interwoven with the chronicles of modern Jerusalem and the history of Zionism that established the State of Israel.
One Hundred Years of My Life
The Diary of Tamar Eshel
The life story of Tamar Eshel is woven from the very fabric of a nation's and a state's history.
Tamar grew up among the branches of the Hankin-Belkind-Feinberg family dynasty, which was deeply involved in practical Zionism during the Ottoman rule in the Land of Israel. Her childhood and youth unfolded under the British Mandate, and in her adult life, following the establishment of the State of Israel, she served in various senior public roles.
Tamar's diary recounts events spanning one hundred years and numerous locations across the globe, where she actively worked for the Jewish people and for Israel.
During World War II, she served in the British Army. In the days of the 'State-in-the-Making' (pre-State era), she participated in clandestine activities for the Mossad LeAliyah Bet (illegal immigration organization) and the Shai (Haganah's intelligence service). After the establishment of the State, she became part of Israel's diplomatic establishment, serving as an ambassador and an ambassador's spouse at the United Nations (UN), and in various countries across Europe, North America, and South America. Upon her return, she was elected to serve as a Member of Knesset, served as a member of the Jerusalem City Council, and played a senior role in shaping the unified city after the Six-Day War.
A significant portion of her time and activities was dedicated to advancing the status of women. She headed the 'Na'amat' women's organization and represented Israel at women's conferences both domestically and internationally.
'One Hundred Years of My Life' is based on Tamar's personal diary, which she wrote for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The diary was adapted and edited by biographer Shlomi Rosenfeld, and is published on her one hundred and first birthday.
Adapted and Edited by: Shlomi Rosenfeld
Graphic Design: Efrat Rabi
Secondary Editing: Esti Bruchi
Pages: 306
Printed by: Old City Press, Jerusalem
Production: Yael & Yaakov Pedhatzur (2021)
Building on an Empty Lot
Research, Writing, and Lead Editing: Shlomi Rosenfeld
Editor: Esti Bruchi
Graphic Design: Claire Blomhoff
Pages: 238
Printed by: Ayalon Press, Jerusalem Published by: Rosenfeld-Yakobovich Publishing (2018)
'Building on an Empty Lot' is a story of creation from nothingness (Ex nihilo). Of filling the void. Of daily action free of grandiloquence and superfluous words. This is the story of one man: Moshe Yakobovich – the linking chain between his family, erased from the face of the earth, and his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Moshe Yakobovich was among the builders of Jerusalem for fifty-seven years. For most of his working life, he conducted an orchestra of tools and construction workers, presiding over building sites. He would receive an empty lot and return it to its owners with a complete structure standing tall – a residential building, an industrial facility, a public institution, a bank, a hospital, a hotel. Many of these adorn the city's landscapes and its surroundings, including some of its most famous landmarks.
A commemorative torch lit by Moshe at the Yad Vashem institution, a symbolic act deeply rooted in Holocaust remembrance, illuminates the story of his life, cast in concrete. From the tongues of fire flicker erased childhood images and memories locked behind walls. Flames of the past intermingle with the flames of the present, image chasing image, memory following memory, weaving a tale of destruction and construction, Holocaust and rebirth, Warsaw and Jerusalem.
In his late eighties, memories burn in his bones, and the walls of silence he built around himself for years begin to crack. The sole survivor of a multi-branched family embarks on a personal journey along a historical timeline that passes through the stations of his life, revealing what he is and what he was: a brand plucked from the fire of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising; a boy in Nazi concentration camps; an 'illegal immigrant' (Ma'apil) on a refugee ship and an exile on the island of Cyprus; a member of 'The Fighting Family' – a Betar youth movement trainee, and an Etzel fighter; a pioneer in rural settlement; a Jerusalem builder; a husband, father, and grandfather, head of a family that planted new roots and whose branches are spread throughout Israeli society.
From Babylon to Jerusalem
The Story of the Barazani Family
Between the village of Barazan and the town of Aqrah, in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan, began the life's journey of Yosef (Sasson) Barazani – a scion of a prominent Jewish family, wise and active individuals who resided in the mountains with his wives and children. From there, he embarked on a long and winding path that passed through the capital city of Baghdad and concluded at the gates of Jerusalem..
His youngest son, Akram Barazani, traveled with his wife, Rachel, back to those mountains to explore the landscapes of their origins and to gaze upon the scenery that accompanied their life story. Upon their return, they unfold a family saga full of dramatic turns, and a story that shapes a legacy – concerning the lost from the land of Assyria and roots that were uprooted thousands of years ago and replanted in a dramatic period that shaped the face of the State of Israel.
Their life journey spans a historical timeline of over a hundred years. Woven throughout this journey are chapters of a formative existence in the life of the Jewish people in modern times: The chronicles of the 'Akrana'im' – Jews from an ancient and vibrant community that voluntarily disbanded and dispersed throughout Israel; the daily life of Baghdad Jews during the decline of their glorious community; immigrant experiences during the 'Ezra and Nehemiah' Aliyah and encounters with Israeli reality; the story of Maoz Zion neighborhood in the Jerusalem mountains – from the tin shacks of the Kastel transit camp (Ma'abara) to the establishment of the Mevaseret Zion local council; combat service in the IDF and Border Police; public service for the community and individuals; war and peace between enemies, and a daily struggle for existence and survival.
The archive of memories of Akram and Rachel, the elders of the clan, is full and overflowing with unforgettable sights and figures, sounds and tastes. All of them are accompanied by the Kurdish identity that was etched into their souls, adding a unique hue to the melting pot of Israeli society.
Research, Writing, and Editing:
Shlomi Rosenfeld
Book Layout and Graphic Design:
Efrat Rabi
Cover Design: Efrat Edry
Associate Editor: Esti Bruchi
Pages: 194
Printed by: Zvi Print Industries Ltd.
Published by: Barazani Publishing, Mevaseret Zion (2017)
Sixty Years of Moshav
The Story of Kerem Maharal
Research, Writing, and Editing:
Shlomi Rosenfeld
Graphic Design and Print Production: Yael Boverman
Language Editing: Nurit Braverman
Pages: 216
Printed by: Old City Press, Jerusalem (2010)
It all began with a fantasy. Jewish refugees on Czechoslovakian soil organized to establish a commune whose members would fight in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and settle its land. This dream was born out of their deep desire to immigrate to Israel and participate in its establishment. The organized group dispersed, and in 1949, just a year after the State of Israel was founded, only its remnants remained to realize this pioneering ideal on a remote hill amidst the Carmel Mountains.
They received a plot of land, a cow, and a single horse intended to be shared between two families. The cow demanded their entire daily schedule, and they became utterly dependent on it. The land was stubborn, strewn with rocky boulders, refusing to quench their thirst with water, but they were more stubborn. Surviving together and apart, fighting for every clod of earth, for every calf, for every boy and girl, for their future in the new land that became their homeland. Families came, families left, friends vanished, nature struck them down, the economy made their lives difficult, yet they stood stoically, letting the waves pass, raising a second, third, and fourth generation.
Sixty Years of Moshav' weaves pieces of history into a captivating settlement narrative. Among its chapters intermingle black and white with green and gold; the sun-scorched farmer with the government office clerk; the secular with the religious; the shrinking Lira with galloping inflation; a chicken with an American car; a family farm (Nachala) with a fortified castle.
This is the story of Kerem Maharal – a moshav at the end of the road climbing a hill, nestled in the bosom of the Carmel. Sixty years after it was planted, its fruits ripened, becoming a community embodying all the good that a vineyard can offer: beautiful and new fruits, and wine with an old, good taste.
Petrushka – A Family Story
The last taxi ride of Avraham Petrushka is a journey through the stations of his life. From the city's streets and landmarks, his and his family's private history, past and present, is reflected.
The route passes between a luxurious Tel Aviv neighborhood and the alleys of the Lodz Ghetto; between Santa Maria Street and Ibn Gabirol Street (in Tel Aviv); between the Nebi Daniel Convoy (a pivotal event during Israel's War of Independence) and the Ayalon Highways; between the Ural forests in Russia and Charles Clore Park (in Tel Aviv); between the distinctive green license plate of a taxi driver and a nurse's white hospital uniform; between Ramat Yitzhak (a neighborhood in Ramat Gan) and Silicon Valley in California.
A biographer accompanies the ride, collecting landmarks, and weaving a family narrative from the life stories of Hanna and Avraham Petrushka and their three children. Street signs and intercity roads guide the narrative from points of origin in Israel and around the world to key moments in the modern history of the Jewish people – from the death cellars of Dachau to the communal apartment building in Ramat Gan; from carpet warehouses in Warsaw to the early structures of Tel HaShomer Hospital; from the Sinai Desert to The Hebrew Gymnasium in Jerusalem; from the 'Oath of the Fawns' of the Tzofim (Israeli Scouts) movement to a major electronics company; from the Hapoel Ramat Gan sports club to a rapid tech exit among high-tech companies.
'Petrushka' is a book about a person, a family, a state, and a people. The family's chronicles are brought to light through the book's chapters, passing on to future generations a legacy rich in values of loyalty and respect, tradition and humble conduct, determination and perseverance
Research, Writing, and Editing:
Shlomi Rosenfeld
Graphic Design and Print Production:
Yael Boverman
Language Editing: Nurit Braverman
Pages: 246
Printed by:
Old City Press, Jerusalem (2013)
Ascend, Mevaseret *
A Story of Women, a Club, and a Community
Research, Writing, and Editing:
Shlomi Rosenfeld
Graphic Design and Print Production: Efrat Rabi
Associate Editor: Esti Bruchi
Photography: Gal Nevo
Production:
Katia Ben Yair, Mevaseret Zion Local Council
Pages: 162
Printed by: Printiv Press, Jerusalem (2016)
* The title "Ascend, Mevaseret" echoes the biblical verse "Go up on a high mountain, O Zion, you who bring good news" (Isaiah 40:9), with 'Mevaseret' meaning 'bearer of good news.' It also reflects the name of the local council, Mevaseret Zion, which was formed by merging the communities of 'Mevaseret Yerushalayim' and 'Maoz Zion'.
On a hillside in the Jerusalem mountains stands a modest building. Its stone-clad walls have witnessed the history of 'Mevaseret Yerushalayim' – a community established in the 1950s by immigrant families from North Africa.
The building faithfully served the founding families from their very first day on the land, becoming part of the local community's landscape, even after its unification with the neighboring community – a merger that gave birth to the 'Mevaseret Zion' local council.
Within the walls of this building, women's activities thrive. As part of the 'Women's Club,' women from Morocco and Tunisia, from Turkey and Iraq, from Israel and the Soviet Union, have been meeting weekly for many years. Older members and newer ones who chose to be part of the thriving community in Mevaseret Zion – all together, they blend past with present and look towards the future. They enrich their world, contribute to the community, and pass on a legacy.
They are the embers whispering stories from the distant past, of women who contributed, each her modest share, to the establishment of the family, the community, the state. They were the 'little women' whose voices were lost amidst the authoritative male voices. In the fervor of daily work for others, they had no time to labor for themselves. Until the club's doors opened, and their hidden yearning to step out of the confines of home, to leave their families for a short while, and to be part of a large, embracing sisterhood came to light.
'Ascend, Mevaseret' gives voice to these women. Within the book's pages, short and long life stories are woven, intertwining with the chronicles of the community and the tale of a thriving communal culture – a rich and diverse culture in which the power of women is evident.
Maoz Hayav**
The Life Story of Haya and Dodo Appel
Dodo Appel was among the educational trailblazers of the 'HaKibbutz HaMeuchad' (United Kibbutz Movement) – the largest and leading movement that settled the Land of Israel from the days of the British Mandate until after the establishment of the state. He left a unique educational mark on 'Kibbutz Collective Education' – an innovative and unique educational method in Israel and globally.
Dodo was born and raised in a petite bourgeois family in Jerusalem. From there, his life's journey began, passing through stations that shaped the history of the Jewish people in the 20th century: riots and wars; the 'HaMahanot HaOlim' (The Ascending Camps) youth movement; road paving and work in Sodom and the Dead Sea; Tower and Stockade settlements (Homa U'Migdal); teaching and managing educational institutions.
The book 'Maoz Hayav' recounts the lives of Dodo and Haya, his wife and partner on his path and in raising a family. Both were instrumental in establishing and solidifying Kibbutz Maoz Haim in the Beit She'an Valley. Their story intertwines with the story of the kibbutz and its members, who struggled to build an unprecedented new community – by cultivating a barren and scorching valley; by creating a cooperative and egalitarian society based on secular Jewish culture; and by attempting to forge a new Israeli through an inclusive educational system. The life story of Haya and Dodo is an exemplar of loyalty to the movement, to their family, to their people, and to the Zionist path and its values
Research, Writing, and Editing:
Shlomi Rosenfeld
Graphic Design and Production:
Erela Tal, Shakof Studio
Associate Editor:
Esti Bruchi
Pages: 270
Production and Publishing:
Appel, Maoz Haim Printed by:
Millennium Ayalon (2016)
**The title "Maoz Hayav" (Fortress of His Life) refers both to the resilience and foundation of Dodo Appel's life, and to Kibbutz Maoz Haim (Fortress of Life) itself, which he helped found in the Beit She'an Valley.
Public Representative
The Story of Shalom Habshush
Research, Writing, and Editing:
Shlomi Rosenfeld
Graphic Design and Print Production: Ron Haran
Associate Editor:
Esti Bruchi
Production: Orit Friedman
Pages: 160
Printed by: Printiv Press, Jerusalem (2015)
The life story of Shalom Habshush, a public representative, spans a historical timeline from Yemen to Jerusalem. At the age of 9, he covered thousands of kilometers by walking, riding a donkey, sailing on a ship, and traveling by train and bus.
His final stop, in a picturesque neighborhood in Jerusalem, was the launching point for his next path. From there, he went on to work with engraving and milling machines, get married and raise a family, lead workers, serve as a member of the Jerusalem City Council and as a director in public companies, manage a government company, and as a leader of tens of thousands of workers, preside as a judge in the National Labor Court.
The story of Shalom Habshush is also the story of Israel's overt and covert military industries, and of Mandate-era Jerusalem and the united city. Woven through the book's chapters are the chronicles of two crucial centers of power in the State of Israel: the Histadrut – the powerful workers' organization, and Mapai – the omnipotent ruling party.
The book 'Public Representative' unfolds a life full of events that left a significant mark on Israeli society and economy. In many of these, Mr. Habshush took part – as a grassroots activist or a central figure, as one who adhered to organizational discipline and as a partner in momentous decisions, as one who followed instructions and laws, and as a judge rendering verdicts with the majority opinion or in dissent.
Shalom Habshush is a public representative whose roles were founded on values of justice, integrity, and loyalty, and who stood by his principles even when he had to pay a personal price for it.
We Are the Women of the Castel*
And Each Has a Story
The women of the Castel, the 'Castelianot,' are members of the women's club of Maoz Zion (known to its residents as 'The Castel,' named after the historic hill) within the Mevaseret Zion community, nestled in the Jerusalem mountains.
They have stories to tell. From their advanced age, they reflect on their life journeys, on the history of their people and state, and of the community that became their stronghold in Zion. Most of them grew up with the community, having been there since it was still a transit camp (Ma'abara). Others were born in its early years or came to live there over time. For all of them, Maoz Zion is the very landscape of their lives. They are proud 'Castelianot' – proud of their heritage and the ethnic group they belong to, proud of the community where they reside, and proud of the long journey that brought them to peace and legacy.
The chapters of this book were written as oral accounts from their own mouths. On a small historical stage, their memories gathered and coalesced into a written narrative. The curtain is raised, and anonymous heroines of life ascend, one after another, presenting excerpts of their private lives with candidness and willingness. And each excerpt touches another, integrating into the wonderful mosaic that was created in the Land of Israel, during a period when its sons and daughters gathered from all corners of the world to establish a Jewish state.
Research, Writing, and Editing:
Shlomi Rosenfeld
Graphic Design and Print Production: Racheli Yefet
Pages: 184
Printed by: Old City Press, Jerusalem
Production: Lili Chen, Mevaseret Zion Local Council (2012)
* The "Castel" is the common name for a neighborhood in Mevaseret Zion, located on a historic hill with a memorial site commemorating a battle during Israel's War of Independence.
From the Valley of Achor to Petah Tikva (Opening of Hope)*
The Chronicles of Hava and Nathan Goldstein
Research, Writing, and Editing:
Shlomi Rosenfeld
Graphic Design and Print Production:
Galit Feigin
Language Editing: Moriah Glantz
Pages: 109
Printed by: Shalom Press, Pardes Hanna (2013)
Two stories of miraculous survival embark on their journey, from distant localities – Püspökladány in Hungary and Săpânţa in Romania.
The stories of Hava and Nathan Goldstein traverse time, intertwining pages of personal and local history. They fly on speeding trains towards death, trudge through refugee convoys, walk amidst the drops of blood that drenched Europe, wander from place to place, held by the protective hands of their parents, and sail to Israel, the Promised Land.
The chronicles of Hava and Nathan intersect on a street in the city of Petah Tikva, where they built a family and an extensive lineage. Their personal story is a tale of family and community, the Bnei Akiva youth movement and the Israel Defense Forces, Torah and labor **, immigration and absorption, and a new homeland for future generations.
*The title alludes to the biblical "Valley of Achor" (Valley of Trouble/Affliction), signifying difficult times, and "Petah Tikva," which is both the name of the city where the protagonists settle and literally means "Opening of Hope" in Hebrew, symbolizing a new beginning.
**"Torah and labor" is a key Zionist-religious ideology emphasizing the synthesis of religious study and productive work, especially in building the Land of Israel
Assaf HaRofeh (Assaf the Doctor)
The Life Story of Dr. Oren Assaf
'Hello. Assaf the Doctor speaking.'
This was Dr. Oren Assaf's standard phone greeting in his Jerusalem clinic – a kind of characteristic humor, a decisive self-response to the obstacles and impediments he faced on the long journey until he became Assaf the Doctor.
For three decades, Oren practiced medicine, primarily pediatric medicine. He loved children, and they loved him. He spoke to them at their level, and they saw before them a tall man with mischievous blue eyes. Parents came to him from afar for their children's treatment, students admired him, and the medical establishment valued his expertise.
Assaf HaRofeh' is an Israeli story about a native son of this land (Israel) who followed the furrows plowed for him, and also forged his own paths. His life story intertwines with the lives of the Tron, Yuskovitz, and Rosenshine families – who immigrated from Poland in the early 20th century – and the Salem family, who immigrated from Egypt after the establishment of the state.
Woven through the book's pages are chapters of immigration and absorption; Tel Aviv urbanism and Jerusalem neighborhood life; Hasidism and tradition; religious Zionism and challenged secularism; military service; academia; and a warm, embracing family life. From all these, the unique character of a man of many deeds emerges – a devoted father, a romantic husband, playful and serious, a doctor who was gathered to his death prematurely."
Research, Writing, and Editing:
Shlomi Rosenfeld
Assistant Editor:
Esti Bruchi
Graphic Design:
Claire Bloemhof
Pages: 100
Printed by:
Ayalon Press, Jerusalem Published by:
Ruti Assaf (2017)
A Hundred Years of Simcha (Joy)*
The Chronicles of Simcha Tsuri
Research and Writing:
Shlomi Rosenfeld
Graphic Design:
Hadas Zohar
Pages: 100
Production:
Yael Tsuri (2011)
The story of Simcha Tsuri is also the story of the Tsuri family, a branch of a magnificent family whose roots are deeply embedded in the Land of Israel for over 200 years.
'A Hundred Years of Simcha' unfolds short chapters from the history of the ancient Jewish community of Acre, the local history of the Hadar neighborhood in Haifa, and the life story of one family, the Tsuri family. Chapter by chapter, a broad historical tapestry is woven, moving from the Turkish rule in the Land of Israel, through the British Mandate, and leading to vibrant life in the independent State of Israel.
Simcha Tsuri's life was a hundred years of joy and love for humanity and family. Her life story is crafted from historical sources and personal memories, accompanied by photos and documents, alongside a platter (magash) offering small tastes from the kitchen of Simcha – the woman, mother, and grandmother.
* The title "A Hundred Years of Simcha" plays on the protagonist's name, Simcha, which also means "Joy" in Hebrew, reflecting a life filled with joy and love.