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The Israel State Archives were founded in 1949, one year after the establishment of the State of Israel to safeguard the records of the proceeding governmental administrations of Palestine from the Ottoman Period to the end of the British Mandate, and to document the development of Israel.
Very few governmental records of the Ottoman Administration survived in the country. Most of these records are in Turkey. Some records of the German and the British Consulates however which were considered at the time to have no archival value were acquired by the State Archives: they supplement the governmental records in many respects.
Israel Government institutions deposit their records at the State Archives when these records are no longer needed for their current work; generally this is done 10 to 15 years after the closure of a file. There are rules and regulations regarding access to files and records. Information pertaining to this can be obtained in the reading room of the State Archives.
Genealogical Resources:
Record Group 2 – Palestine Government. Chief Secretary's Office
1918-1948
The central executive office of the British Mandate government in Palestine. Includes personal files of the Government workers.
Record Group 11 – Palestine Government – Immigration Department
1920 – 1948
This record group includes material regarding passport control, pilgrims, data on immigration and absorption conditions, statistics on immigration, economics, labor conditions etc.
A large part of this record group consists of personal naturalization files of immigrants who applied to the Immigration Department in order to receive Palestinian citizenship – 508 boxes.
Note: Most of the material available is from the 1930s and pertains to German immigrants.
Record Group 17 – Palestine Government. Police Force
1933-1948
The material includes deportation orders of illegal immigrants, arranged according to dates of arrival and ships (10 boxes).
There are also marriage and divorce records of non-Jews, 1929-1947, (7 boxes).
Record Group 22
List of Mandate Property
Population records of Jerusalem of the Vaad Hakehila = Jewish Community 5707 (has not been catalogued)
Rabbinical Court records - Marriage and Divorce records (can be viewed only with permission of the court)
Supreme Court Records - can be viewed only with permission of the Supreme Court)
Record Group 39 - Ottoman Administration. Census and Population (Nefus) Registers
1884-1917
The material is arranged according to towns, and within these groups according to ethnic groups and religious affiliation. The registration was made for purposes of taxation and military service. The microfilms can be read in the Reading-Room of the State Archives. The catalogue can be purchased. There are over 450 registration books.
Record Group 52 – Ministry of Interior. Central Elections Committee for the Knesset
1949-1973
This committee is an independent body made up of representatives of the political parties which is concerned with the preparation of the voter register. Includes the lists of those who have the right to vote, 1951-1973.
Record Group 67 - Collection of Documents from the German Consulates in Palestine
1842 - 1939
Includes the material of the consulates in Jerusalem, Jaffa and Haifa. There are personal files of the consuls and of consulate workers, divorce and declaration of legal incompetence, lawsuits and claims, legacies, wills, guardianship, personal status like birth registers, marriage registers, and death registers, military service, correspondence and notices dealing with the adoption of Jewish first names and cancellation of name-changes, registration of German subjects, provision of passports, and revocation of German citizenship.
Record Group 75 – Moslem Shariy'a courts
1798-1936
Marriage and divorce records. (Can be viewed only with permission of the court).
Record Group 121 – Rabbinical District Courts
1923-1968
Files of marriage permits , divorces, conversions etc. of the Rabbinical Courts in Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv, Petah-Tikva, Haifa, Tiberias and Safad.
(Can be viewed only with permission of the court).
Record Group 123.1 - Collection of Documents from the British Consulate in Jerusalem
1838-1914
The records contain lists of British subjects and of persons enjoying British protection.
Record Group 136 – Ministry of Immigrant Absorption
1968-1976
This record group contains a large series of lists of immigrants to Palestine, arranged according to date of arrival and ships, 1921-1974.
Record Group 140 – The Israel Chief Rabbinate
1921-1975
Marriage records and marriage permit records
(According to the Archives Law this kind of record is classified for 70 years because of regulations of privacy).
Record Group 151 – Austrian Consulate in Palestine
1903-1937
Includes genealogical material such as lists of passport owners, visas, applications for passports and for visas to Austria, a list of Austrian war dead who were buried in the military cemeteries in Palestine.
Record Groups 72 and 153 – Private Papers and Collections
Papers of politicians and government officials pertaining to their official functions and their public activities. For example: Abba Eban, Ya'acov Herzog, Dov Joseph, Teddy Kollek, Pinchas Sapir, Shneur Zalman Shazar.
* Further material of genealogical interest will become available, as declassification progresses.
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