Archives for the History of Tel Aviv University TAU Archives

History and Founding

The Archives for the History of Tel Aviv University (TAU Archives) was established in 1970 by Moshe Shilo, a former director of the Israel Defense Forces archives, as the institutional memory of Tel Aviv University. In 2021 the Archive marked its 50th anniversary. It is housed within the Sourasky Central Library on the TAU campus in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv. The Archive's longtime director, Gedalya Zhagov—himself a TAU alumnus in History—celebrated his 40th work anniversary at the University in 2021. TAU itself was founded with the merging of several academic institutions from the 1950s and received full accreditation from the Council for Higher Education in 1969.

Collections and Holdings

The TAU Archives preserves historical materials documenting the founding and development of Tel Aviv University, including photographs from the University's earliest years at the Abu Kabir campus (1953–1965), images from the groundbreaking of the current Ramat Aviv campus in 1964, and the personal archive of the University's first President, Dr. George S. Wise. Holdings document TAU's role in Israeli public life, including records of the University's involvement in the movement to free Soviet Jewry in the 1970s. The Archive covers all aspects of the University's institutional history across its nine faculties, 29 schools, and 98 departments, as well as the history of Tel Aviv more broadly. Recent work has focused on digitizing records to improve access and reduce demands for physical space.

Access and Usage

The Archives are located within the Sourasky Central Library at the TAU campus in Ramat Aviv. Researchers can access an online catalog at tau.ac.il/tau-archives/catalog.html. TAU states that the history of the University is integral to the broader history of Tel Aviv and Israel, and preserving this record for future generations is considered a vital institutional mission.