Koren Publishers Jerusalem is an Israeli publisher of Jewish religious texts. It was established in 1961 by Eliyahu Koren, with the aim of publishing the first

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. '' Koren Sacks Siddur in 2009, in addition to numerous editions of these books and other religious texts in Hebrew, English, and other languages.

History

Koren Publishers Jerusalem was founded in 1961 by Eliyahu Koren, who sought to publish the first Hebrew Bible designed, edited, printed, and bound by Jews in nearly 500 years. The first printed Hebrew Bibles from Italy (1488) were printed by Jews, but after

Daniel Bomberg Daniel Bomberg ( – ) was one of the most important early printers of Hebrew books. A Christian Hebraist who employed rabbis, scholars and apostates in his Venice publishing house, Bomberg printed the first Mikraot Gdolot (Rabbinic Bible) and ...

’s 1517 Venice printing, all editions up to the 20th century had non-Jewish publishers or printers, and errors had found their way into the text. The text, vocalization, and cantillation for The Koren Bible were based on an early 19th-century Bible edition of German-Jewish grammarian and masoretic scholar

Wolf Heidenheim Benjamin Wolf ben Samson Heidenheim (; 1757 – February 23, 1832) was a German Biblical exegesis, exegete and grammarian. Biography Early life Born at Heidenheim, Bavaria, Heidenheim, at an early age Heidenheim was sent to Fürth, where he stud ...

. Koren created a new font, Koren Bible Type, for the project, developed a graphic layout that allowed for the unity of the Hebrew type, and corrected numerous errors of earlier editions. The

Torah The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...

, the first part of The Koren Bible, was published in 1962, during the Chanukah holiday. The entire Bible followed nearly two years later. The Koren Bible quickly gained wide acceptance among many different Jewish communities. It is the edition accepted by the

Chief Rabbinate of Israel The Chief Rabbinate of Israel (, ''Ha-Rabbanut Ha-Rashit Li-Yisra'el'') is recognized by law as the supreme rabbinic authority for Judaism in Israel. It was established in 1921 under the British Mandate, and today operates on the basis of the ...

for reading the

Haftara The ''haftara'' or (in Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazic pronunciation) ''haftorah'' (alt. ''haftarah, haphtara'', ) "parting," "taking leave" (plural form: ''haftarot'' or ''haftoros''), is a series of selections from the books of ''Nevi'im'' ("Pr ...

(prophetic portions) in synagogues when the handwritten parchment scroll is not used, and, until the introduction of the

Jerusalem Crown The Jerusalem Crown ( Keter Yerushalayim) is a printed edition of the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) printed in Jerusalem in 2001, and based on a manuscript commonly known as the Aleppo Crown). The printed text consists of 874 pages of the Hebrew Bi ...

, was the Bible on which the

President of Israel The president of the State of Israel (, or ) is the head of state of Israel. The president is mostly, though not entirely, ceremonial; actual executive power is vested in the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet led by the Prime Minister of Israel, pr ...

is sworn into office. Koren Publishers Jerusalem later introduced a Hebrew/English edition of the Bible with a translation by Biblical and literary scholar Professor Harold Fisch. However, the quality of the text has been criticized by scholars. For example,

Moshe Goshen-Gottstein Moshe Goshen-Gottstein (; 6 September 1925 – 14 September 1991) was a German-born professor of Semitic linguistics and biblical philology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and director of the lexicographical institute and Biblical rese ...

said: "Since he was aware of his lack in

masoretic The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; ) is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (''Tanakh'') in Rabbinic Judaism. The Masoretic Text defines the Jewish canon and its precise letter-text, with its vocaliz ...

expertise, he sought the help of three scholars, all of who suffered from the same lack of masoretic expertise ... while the publisher made persistent claims that this was the first edition set and printed in their old/new homeland, this was, in fact ... hardly an edition like that of Dotan, but another rehash of the material prepared by ben Hayim." Koren Publishers Jerusalem went on to publish other Jewish religious texts, including a Passover Haggada,

Five Megillot The Five Scrolls or the Five Megillot ( , ''Hamesh Megillot'' or ''Chomeish Megillos'') are parts of the Ketuvim ("Writings"), the third major section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). The Five Scrolls are the Song of Songs, the Book of Ruth, the Bo ...

, and The Koren Siddur (Prayerbook), introduced in 1981, which featured a new font, Koren Book Type, to maximize legibility, and a new graphic layout to facilitate proper reading, reinforce the inner meaning of the text, and create an elegant overall appearance. Koren Publishers Jerusalem continues to publish a wide variety of Jewish religious texts in Hebrew, English, and other languages. Since 2007, the publisher has been Matthew Miller. Rabbi Reuven Ziegler serves as

Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

of the

Editorial board The editorial board is a group of editors, writers, and other people who are charged with implementing a publication's approach to editorials and other opinion pieces. The editorials published normally represent the views or goals of the publicat ...

Primary publications

Koren Sacks Siddur

In 2009, Koren published its first Hebrew/English prayerbook, The Koren Siddur. This prayer book is based on The Koren Siddur and with an English introduction, translation, and commentary by Rabbi

Jonathan Sacks Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks (8 March 19487 November 2020) was an English Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and author. Sacks served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013. As ...

, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth. It is the only Orthodox siddur that includes prayers for the state of Israel, its soldiers and national holidays, and a halakhic guide for visitors; prayers following childbirth and upon the birth of a daughter; and citations of modern authorities. Upon its release, the siddur was "widely celebrated among Modern Orthodox Jews". The Koren Sacks Siddur is published with the

Orthodox Union The Orthodox Union (abbreviated OU) is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs f ...

Koren Talmud Bavli

In May 2012, Koren launched the Koren Talmud Bavli, a bilingual edition of the

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

with translation and commentary by Rabbi

Adin Steinsaltz Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz (; 11 July 19377 August 2020) was an Israeli Chabad Chasidic rabbi, teacher, philosopher, social critic, author, translator and publisher. His '' Steinsaltz edition of the Talmud'' was originally published in ...

. The layout features side-by-side English/Aramaic translation, maps, diagrams and explanatory notes based on Rabbi Steinsaltz's original Hebrew commentary on the Talmud. The project was hailed by Commentary Magazine as "a landmark in making the text accessible to the millions of Jews whose native (and often only) tongue is English." Subsequently, the

Jewish Book Council The Jewish Book Council (Hebrew: ), founded in 1943, is an American organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature. The goal of the council, as stated on its website, is "to promote the reading, writing and publishing of quali ...

named the Koren Talmud Bavli a 2012 National Jewish Book Award winner in the category of Modern Jewish Thought and Experience. Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Koren Talmud Bavli. Rabbi Shalom Z. Berger serves as Senior Content Editor.

Koren Magerman Educational Siddur Series

In May 2014, Koren, along with

Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a Private university, private Modern Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City.

, announced the launch of a new series of siddurim with "a new approach to tefilla (prayer) education in the school, home, and synagogue." The series editor is educator Daniel Rose, PhD. The Koren Children’s Siddur is an illustrated prayer book intended for early elementary grades (ages 5–7). It was designed to encourage and facilitate children’s engagement in the prayer experience. The Koren Ani Tefilla Weekday Siddur was developed for the inquiring high school student and thoughtful adult. It features a unique layout and multi-tier commentary by Rabbi Jay Goldmintz, EdD, along with explanations, reflective questions, FAQs on Jewish prayer and spirituality based on real questions collected by Rabbi Goldmintz's students, alumni and colleagues.

Divisions and imprints

Maggid Books

Created in 2009, Maggid publishes books that offer contemporary approaches to traditional Jewish texts and themes. The imprint stands on three pillars: scholarship, loyalty to Jewish tradition, and popular appeal. In recent years, Maggid has published works by well-known Jewish thinkers such as former Chief Rabbi of the UK Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Rabbi Berel Wein, Erica Brown and others. The imprint has partnerships with a number of Jewish institutions including

Yeshivat Har Etzion Yeshivat Har Etzion (YHE; ), commonly known in English as "Gush" and in Hebrew as "Yeshivat HaGush", is a Hesder yeshiva located in Alon Shvut, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. It is considered one of the leading institutions of advanced T ...

Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a Private university, private Modern Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City.

, Rabbi

Shlomo Riskin Shlomo Riskin (; born May 28, 1940) is an Orthodox rabbi, and the founding rabbi of Lincoln Square Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York City, which he led for 20 years; founding chief rabbi of the Israeli settlement of Efrat in the Is ...

's Ohr Torah Stone Institutions, Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, and the City of David. Its acclaimed series include

Norman Lamm Norman Lamm (December 19, 1927 – May 31, 2020) was an American Modern Orthodox rabbi, scholar, academic administrator, author, and Jewish community leader. He was the Chancellor of Yeshiva University until he announced his retirement on July ...

’s Derashot LeDorot: A Commentary for the Ages, Torah MiEtzion: New Readings in Tanakh, Torah Lights by

, and the Maggid Studies in Tanakh. The Torah MiEtzion series presents essays on the five books of the Bible from the rabbis of

. The approach of the series is "centered on learning the 'simple meaning' of the text but also incorporating the disciplines of literary theory, geography, archeology and history in order to better understand the text." The series "resurrected and revolutionized the study of the Torah." The Maggid Studies in Tanakh series explores the texts, themes, and personalities of the Bible through both classic rabbinic interpretation and modern scholarly investigation. Featuring English translations, timelines and maps, the first two books in the series — "Jeremiah: The Fate of a Prophet" by Binyamin Lau and "I Kings: Torn in Two" by Alex Israel — reveal hidden layers of meaning in these ancient texts for a contemporary audience. A companion to the scriptural text, Israel's study of remains faithful to

I Kings The Book of Kings (, '' Sēfer Məlāḵīm'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Kings) in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It concludes the Deuteronomistic history, a history of ancient Israel also including t ...

even as it rises above a strictly technical understanding and establishes this oft-overlooked segment of the canon as highly relevant for the modern world. Lau's volume on

Jeremiah Jeremiah ( – ), also called Jeremias, was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition, Jeremiah authored the Book of Jeremiah, book that bears his name, the Books of Kings, and the Book of Lamentations, with t ...

, available in both Hebrew and English, is "a very lucid and readable book that...challenges us to grapple with our understanding of one of our most beloved prophets who was charged with a terrible message." The third volume, "Joshua: The Challenge of the Promised Land" by Michael Hattin, will be published in July 2014. In February 2013, Maggid Books "set an all-time record" at the Jerusalem International Book Fair as it launched the book, "Radical Responsibility: Celebrating the Thought of Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks". More than 1,000 guests came to hear Rabbi

, Rabbi Dr. Binyamin Lau and Professor Moshe Halbertal address the topic of leadership.

Toby Press

Created in 1999, The Toby Press publishes literary fiction, non-fiction and poetry on Jewish and Israeli themes. It is also the US distributor for Koren Publishers Jerusalem.

Awards and honors

The house was commended by '' The Jewish Week'' for its "fastidiously accurate and aesthetically sensitive presentation of the Hebrew Scriptures and the prayer book." In December 2012, the Israel Postal Authority issued an official postage stamp honoring the 50th anniversary of the Koren Jerusalem Bible. In addition, a number of publications under Koren Publishers Jerusalem have received honors from the

, known as "the longest running awards program of its kind in the field of Jewish literature and is recognized as the most prestigious." * (2013) National Jewish Book Award Winner – Koren Sacks Pesah Mahzor, * (2012) National Jewish Book Award Winner – Koren Talmud Bavli, * (2011) National Jewish Book Award Finalist – Koren Sacks Rosh HaShana Mahzor, * (2010) National Jewish Book Award Winner – Mesorat HaRav Kinot (with the

), * (2009) National Jewish Book Award Winner – Covenant & Conversation, Rabbi

, * (2004) National Jewish Book Award – The Blessing of a Broken Heart, Sherri Mandell,

References

External links

Company website
{{Authority control Book publishing companies of Israel Jewish printing and publishing Publishing companies established in 1961 Mass media in Jerusalem