Alliance Story
The Alliance-Story of the Jewish Communities of the Balkans, Middle East and North Africa
‘Alliance-Story’ is a unique website that tells the Alliance story of the Jewish communities of the Balkans, Middle East and North Africa, through the perspective and human stories of key figures in the schools and communities that flourished in these regions.
The Alliance story is a tale of bold educational institutions, established with support from the local leadership, community leaders and rabbis, which revolutionized the status of Jews within their countries.
‘Alliance’ schools provided, side by side, modern Jewish education to boys and girls, universal education and vocational training – and Torah and Hebrew language studies.
Over one million children studied in the 280 Alliance schools, becoming the Orient’s new generation. An educated generation that embodied the connection between tradition and modernity, and the meeting of East and West.
By bringing the Alliance story to public notice we are providing new perspectives and knowledge of Jewish communities as they were in their countries of origin, and new opportunities to change misconceptions and prejudices about these communities, common today in Israeli society.
The Alliance story can be a positive identity anchor for Israeli-born generations, while opening a window to the generation that made Aliya to Israel in its first years.
‘Alliance-Story’ collects historical facts, testimonies and documents, and on this basis writes epic stories, each story revealing another facet of the Alliance story.
In addition to the stories, relevant historical backgrounds are provided as well as pictures and documents from the Alliance archive.
The ‘Alliance-Story’ website will include dozens of stories and links to thousands of documents.
