The WIDE World Web

First Few Days: WIDE's Research Trip to Israel

May 26, 2009 - by Michael McLeod, from the blogs The Samaritan Archive Blog, WIDE World Web

We are currently meeting with the Samaritan (Shomronim) community, living in both Holon, Israel and on Mount Gerizim, West Bank as part of our NEH-funded research project. We're doing interviews with members of the community about what they want to see in an online archive, and how they currently use digital technology.

The first part of our work began on Sunday, May 24 when we met with the leadership of the Samaritan community in Holon. After lunch we left Holon with Benny for Ben Gurion airport where we met Gus Walen and his son Eddie. Gus is the great-grandson of EK Warren, who was a benefactor to the Samaritan community in the early 1900s and who donated the MSU-held Samaritan manuscripts to the university upon his death. We then left the airport with Gus and Eddie and drove to Mount Gerizim in the West Bank, the home of the majority of the Samaritan community as well as their most important holy sites. Once we had safely arrived on the mountain we engaged several members of the community in brief usability interviews where we inquired into their access to and experience with digital technologies as well as their personal and social use of their sacred texts.

The next day (Monday, May 25) we had a series of meetings with many members of the community. The beginning of the day was spent touring the Samaritan village, including their school and their museum, where we we gained some insight into how Samaritan children acquire their literacies and the extent to which ancient texts form a core part of Samaritan identity. We were taken on a tour of several Samaritan holy sites, including their pilgrimage trail inside the remains of an ancient Byzantine fort. We met with their religious leader, the Samaritan High Priest Elazar ben Tsedaka ben Yitzhaq, who gave us significant insight into the community's drive to preserve their sacred texts as well as a tour of his personal library. From there we were graciously invited into several community members homes, where we were able to discuss their family histories and how their texts are passed down from one generation to the next. We gained important insight into not only how their personally-held ancient manuscripts (many of which are older than anything in the MSU collection) continue to be used in rituals, but also how those texts are stored and maintained and how they are passed from one generation to the next.

Our work with the community will continue later today (Tuesday, May 26) when we will conduct formal interviews with several members of the community in Holon. We have been moved by the hospitality of the Samaritan community. They have opened up their homes to us and we are grateful for their continued support.

For photos of our trip, view Jim's Flickr collection, Mike's Facebook albums (group one and group two), and follow our Twitter stream.