Encompassing 30 years of the Institute's activity, the Research Archive offers a comprehensive look at the scholarly work, public life, and international reach of its founder, Prof. Dr. Miriam Gillis-Carlebach. The bulk of the MGC Archive collection is housed at the CAHJP in Jerusalem. A significant portion of the research materials and media holdings is retained at the Carlebach Institute. The JCI Library provides also digital access to a growing selection of publications, printed works, manuscripts, and photographs.
You can learn more about our historical collections in the sections below:
Miriam Gillis-Carlebach (1922-2020) was born in Hamburg, the third daughter of Chief Rabbi Dr. Joseph Zvi Carlebach and Lotte Carlebach (nee Preuss). In November 1938, at the age of 16, she immigrated to Mandatory Palestine, where she continued her studies at the Religious Youth Village under the guidance of Dr. Eugen Michaelis.
In 1944, she married Moshe Gillis, a nature teacher, and the couple settled in Kfar Avraham near Petah Tikva. Early in her career, she served as a remedial teacher at the Amishav transition camps (Ma'abarot). Her academic journey culminated in 1985 when she earned a Ph.D. in Special Education and Hebrew Reading Instruction.
In March 1992, she established the Joseph Carlebach Institute for Modern Jewish Thought and Education. The Institute commemorates the life and legacy of her father, Rabbi Dr. Joseph Zvi Carlebach (1883-1942), and the Jewish community of Hamburg.
CV and Publications [2012]The Institute was founded in March 1992 in honor of Joseph Zwi Carlebach, the last Chief Rabbi of the Hamburg Jewish community. This was a joint academic initiative in partnership with the Joseph Carlebach Workgroup of the University of Hamburg.
From its founding until 2015, the Institute was led by its founder, Prof. Dr. Miriam Gillis-Carlebach. In May 2015, the directorship was assumed by Prof. Dr. George Yaakov Kohler.
JCI FlyerJoseph Zvi Carlebach (1883-1942) was a prolific writer and the Chief Rabbi of the Jewish communities in Altona and Hamburg. He perished along with his wife, Lotte, and their three young daughters in March 1942 in the Bikernieki Forest near Riga.
This series comprises materials personally assembled and preserved by Miriam Gillis-Carlebach over several decades. It includes handwritten documents, correspondence, and photographs.
Microfilm Collection Copies
Contains manuscripts and letters coordinated in 1976 by the Leo Baeck Institute (New York).
Das Joseph Carlebach Archiv
The archive's foundation lies in the Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Carlebach Collection. Following the family's immigration to Israel in 1936, these records were donated to the JCI between 1996 and 1998.