An International Clearinghouse for Judaic Studies

    He'Asif is introducing the benefits of electronic
communication to the Judaic Studies community. Our steadily
growing electronic mailing list (from 15 in February 89 to 200
currently) reveals an audience of professors and scholars in more
than 75 institutions of higher learning from Jerusalem to
Singapore.

    In addition to creating a focal point for addresses and
encouraging international communication, we provide expertise in
the full use of the system's advanced capabilities. A
constellation of fileservers (computers which automatically store
and dispense information) record discussions, accept files and
disseminate them on demand. The sum of the information held
constitutes a database that can be electronically searched for
references to specific topics or types of data.

The Promise of Electronic Information Handling

    Information in electronic form is collected from a wide
variety of sources. He'Asif encourages the conversion of hardcopy
(paper) catalogs and collections into electronic format. (Our
recipients include Judaica library associations in the US and
Europe. We also work closely with a number of institutions e.g.
in Jerusalem, such as Yad HaRav Herzog and Machon Ben Zvi, who
are considering how best to electronically store years of
accumulated research.)

* Publishers in Israel and abroad provide lists of forthcoming
  books and contents of journals as they are made ready for
  print.
* Major topical bibliographies are available for efficient
  electronic inquiry as well as collective comment and completion
* Centers of Judaic Studies submit course offerings, syllabi and
  reading lists.
* Dissertations in progress, conference schedules and calls for
  papers indicate current directions and new trends in research.

Enhancing Scholarly Interchange

    He'Asif has assisted at the World Union of Jewish Studies
Congress, summarized events such as the recent Colloquium on
Hebraica Resources in Europe, and will be involved in the
European AJS Rashi conference, as well as upcoming conferences of
Judaica Librarians and Judeo-Linguists.

    Assistance begins well in advance of the conferences by
posting schedules, offering rapid contact. Entire lectures can be
pre-posted for comment and discussion, enabling listeners to come
better informed and prepared, and allowing for more integrated
presentations.

Interdisciplinary Cooperation

    He'Asif's expanding readership interacts collectively with
developments outside the world of Judaic Studies. Academic
communities which deal with Biblical Studies (AIBI),
Religious Studies, and Humanities (Humanist Electronic Bulletin
Board) follow our newsletter.


Interested computer professionals contribute their expertise
(Weizmann Electronic Bulletin Board, various corporate nets).
We publish popular reports and technichal reviews of
* Hebrew wordprocessing (e.g. Hebrew in the new Wordmill),
* optical character recognition (an expert system designed to
  evaluate the halakhic validity of Hebrew characters),
* cataloging (such as the Hebrew Palaeography Project), and
* information storage & retrieval (like the Saul Lieberman
  Institute databases of talmudic texts).
The size and influence of the participating members can be used
to guide and suggest further developments in these areas.


  The cumulative effect of our activities is to build an
infrastructure which allows for an integrated, responsive
academic community of Judaic Studies.