In memoriam
Haim Gal (z”l)
1954 – 2011
Haim Gal will be remembered as the pillar of the Arabic Press Archive
(APA) of the Moshe Dayan Center. He served as the Archive
curator from 1979 until his untimely passing in August 2011.
Haim was a driven man, imbued with a sense of mission and dedication to his work. His efforts to expand the Archive and to acquire newspapers from every possible corner of the world were tireless.
Haim’s unceasing search for materials has made the Arabic Press Archive what it is today, an impressive collection of over 10,000 titles of newspapers in Arabic, Persian, Turkish and other languages, dating from 1877 to the present day.
Haim was endowed with a deep knowledge of the Arabic language and was well-informed of developments in the Middle East.
He himself wrote a thesis on the Jordanian education system, from its establishment to the end of the 1970s, for which he received a Master of Arts from the Department of Middle Eastern and African History at Tel Aviv University, in 1983. From 1996 to 2000, Haim published four catalogs of newspapers and periodicals from Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Egypt, which can be found in the APA.
Many scholars in Israel as well as others from the throughout the region relied on Haim for his helpful guidance, willingness to assist in their research, and facilitating access to this enormous collection of Arabic press sources. Many of these scholars have expressed their gratitude to Haim, personally, and by acknowledgement in their publications. He was also of great service to international media institutes, journalists, the private sector and museums.
His sudden death is a tragic loss deeply felt by his friends and family, as well as the international community of researchers. On behalf of the Moshe Dayan Center and the Arabic Press Archives, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife Ahuva and his family.