The Evolution of a Transnational Rabbinical Network: The Periodical Ha-Me’asef, 1896-1914

This paper deals with the gradual spatial expansion of the international rabbinical network of writers in the Jerusalem-based periodical, "Ha-Me`asef", during the years 1896-1914. The periodical, which was established by Rabbi Ben-Zion Abraham Koenka in 1896, was exceptional since it aspired to reach beyond the Jerusalem social circle, from where it originated, and become the center of a global communication network. At its apex, some of the leading rabbinical figures in Palestine, the Middle-East, Europe and America became active writers. This paper will describe the historical processes (social, cultural and personal) that led to the geographical expansion of the circle of writers, as well as the effects of the physical space on this expansion.

The journal wished to take apart the borders of the isolated spatial unit, in this case Jerusalem, and suggest in its place a new perception of "place", which is part of a relational and trans-local network. By using methodologies from digital humanities, such as geographic mapping (GIS) and network mapping (SNA) I will show the differences between a noticeable spatial expansion of the network and the concealed spatial divides that still separated between geographical regions, such as the Levant and western Europe. In addition, by using digital tools I identify social groups among the participating rabbis, and ongoing changes in the internal hierarchy of the contemporary rabbinical centers, as they were reflected in the periodical. The paper shows that the success of the transnational network relied on the decline of Jerusalem as its center.