Van Leer Jerusalem Institute

What Van Leer Jerusalem Institute does

The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute is a nonprofit research organization founded in 1990 in Jerusalem, Israel, dedicated to scholarship in the humanities and social sciences. It operates a dual model that combines a convening platform for academic and public intellectual exchange with a publishing house, producing books, journals, and digital content. Its primary audience includes academic researchers, university faculty and students, policymakers, and the broader Israeli public interested in philosophy, political theory, history, religion, and related disciplines.

The Institute's publishing arm produces the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute Press, the Maktoob book series targeting Arabic-language readership, the Hazman Hazeh magazine, and the Theory and Criticism journal. Beyond publishing, it runs structured academic and public programs including the Polonsky Academy for higher-education initiatives, the Intellectual Journeys program, and a Documentary Cinema Program. It maintains formal academic partnerships with Hebrew University, Ben-Gurion University, and Tel Aviv University domestically, and a network of international institutions including Cambridge, Georgetown, Stanford, NYU, and the Max Planck Society.

As a non-profit, the Institute is funded primarily through philanthropic contributions, with the Van Leer Foundation (Netherlands) acting as founding anchor and additional support from the Polonsky Foundation and other donors. It also operates US Friends, a U.S. 501(c)(3) entity, to facilitate American-donor fundraising. Revenue from publications, events, and program fees supplements philanthropic income, but the organization's financial model is grant-and-donation-driven rather than market-revenue driven, and no proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities are part of its offering.

Name

Van Leer Jerusalem Institute

Legal name

Van Leer Jerusalem Institute

Website

https://vanleer.org.il

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Van Leer Jerusalem Institute is a 1990-founded Jerusalem nonprofit advancing humanities and social sciences through publishing (books, journals, Hazman Hazeh magazine), academic programs (Polonsky Academy, Intellectual Journeys), and public events for scholars, policymakers, and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Institute (Think Tank)

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Humanities & Creative Research Universities (EDAHABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC), Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK), Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE)

Keywords

• Interdisciplinary humanities research
• Academic publishing press
• Public intellectual discourse
• Think tank programs
• Social science research

Headquarters

HQ city

Jerusalem

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute is a nonprofit interdisciplinary research institute that conducts and publishes research in humanities and social sciences through its in-house Van Leer Institute Press. It sells academic books, journals, and magazines (including the Theory and Criticism journal and Hazman Hazeh magazine), runs academic and leadership programs such as the Polonsky Academy and Intellectual Journeys, hosts public lectures and conferences at its Jerusalem campus, and operates a documentary cinema incubator program.

Product overview

Van Leer Jerusalem Institute is a research institute focused on innovative interdisciplinary research with deep public commitment to Israeli society. The organization operates as a platform-plus-publishing house model, combining academic research programs with Van Leer Institute Press as its principal publishing platform. Key offerings include: Van Leer Institute Press for publications in humanities and social sciences; the Maktoob bilingual book series translating Arabic literature to Hebrew; Hazman Hazeh magazine for political thought and culture; Theory and Criticism academic journal; Polonsky Academy for advanced study; Intellectual Journeys for young leadership development; and documentary cinema programs. The institute serves as a bridge between worlds through research, publications, events, and educational programs addressing topics including democracy, gender, Middle East studies, religion, and shared life challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Theory and Criticism: A journal for theoretical thought and critical study appearing twice a year in Hebrew, dealing with critical theory in local contexts.
• Hazman Hazeh (הזמן הזה)
• Maktoob (מכתוב)
• Polonsky Academy
• Intellectual Journeys (מסעות דעת)
• Documentary Cinema

Products and services

• Van Leer Institute Press The publishing arm dedicated to promoting research and critical thought in humanities and social sciences, fostering a civic space that supports inclusive democracy. Publishes groundbreaking ideas and connects diverse fields of knowledge across sociology, political history, anthropology, political economy, political science, Jewish studies, literature, and gender studies.
• Hazman Hazeh (הזמן הזה) A magazine of political thought, culture, and science publishing articles by leading writers and scholars. Appears weekly online and twice yearly in print, available free of charge.
• Theory and Criticism Journal A biannual Hebrew-language journal for theoretical thought and critical study, dealing with critical theory in local contexts, offering theoretical discussions and new forms of critique from scholarship and social praxis.
• Maktoob (مكتوب / מכתוב) A bilingual Arabic-Hebrew book series dedicated to translating Arabic literature into Hebrew in a collaborative Jewish-Palestinian model. Publishes fiction, poetry, and historical journals, co-published with Pardas Publishing House.
• Polonsky Academy Academy for advanced study in humanities and social sciences, hosting fellows, seminars, and academic events. Supported by the Polonsky Foundation.
• Intellectual Journeys (Mas'aot Da'at / מסעות דעת) Program for developing young intellectual leadership, founded by Dr. Adam Klin-Oron and honoring the legacy of Prof. Ruth Gavison.
• Documentary Cinema Program Program supporting documentary filmmakers with an incubator, screenings, and public discussions. Collaborates with Docaviv International Documentary Film Festival.
• MUSA (Law and Other Languages) Program addressing law and languages for a just society in Israel.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain publishing partner for Hebrew-language publications. Long-standing collaboration for book publishing.
• Pardas Publishing HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publisher of the Maktoob series (Arabic literature in Hebrew translation) along with the institute's press.
• The Hebrew University of JerusalemmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaborator including joint events and the Harry S. Truman Research Institute partnership.
• Ben Gurion University of the NegevmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaborator.
• Cambridge UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partner.
• Georgetown UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic collaborator.
• Stanford UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partner.
• Tel Aviv UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaborator.
• New York UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partner.
• The Max Planck InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic collaborator.
• Docaviv International Documentary Film FestivalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on documentary cinema programs and screenings.
• The Forum for Regional ThinkingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for regional thinking initiatives.
• U.S. Friends of the Van Leer Jerusalem InstitutecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTax-exempt American 501(c)(3) charitable organization acting as the institute's fundraising arm in the United States (EIN: 20-5813075).
• Forum to Study Europe in the Middle East - The Middle East in Europe (EUME)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative forum based in Berlin. Writer Loay Wattad serves as a research fellow through this partnership.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Brill Publishers: International academic publisher specializing in humanities and social sciences with journals and book series. Comparable as the publishing arm of a humanities research organization: journals, scholarly monographs, and edited volumes with academic editorial structure.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Global think tank with regional programs covering the Middle East and society/politics research. Comparable as a large-scale policy research organization with publications, fellowships, and a diversified philanthropic donor base, though operating at a much larger scale.
• MIT Center for International Studies: Major US university-based research center producing interdisciplinary social science research on international affairs and regional studies. Comparable as an academic research hub with fellowship programs, publications, and convening authority on Middle East and identity-related issues.

Others

• Forum for Regional Thinking (Van Leer adjacent): Regional Middle East strategic dialogue initiative mentioned as a strategic partner of Van Leer Jerusalem. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem player supporting convening and cross-border intellectual programming in the same regional thought-leadership space.
• Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House: Major Israeli Hebrew-language publisher and Van Leer's primary publishing partner. Comparable as the co-publisher on humanities/social science Hebrew titles, with overlapping catalog focus on Israeli thought, politics, and culture.

Direct peers

• Shalom Hartman Institute: Jerusalem-based research and education institute advancing Jewish thought, pluralistic identity, and democratic values. Direct peer in the humanities/social science research institute space with academic programs, publications, and a similar funder ecosystem.
• Israel Democracy Institute: Israeli policy research institute focused on democracy, Israeli society, and governance. Direct peer to Van Leer: same Israel-based think-tank model, interdisciplinary social science research, and active publications/events program targeting policymakers and the public.
• Taub Center for Social Policy Studies: Israeli social policy research institute publishing data-driven studies on Israeli society. Comparable in being an Israel-focused interdisciplinary social research organization with a research-to-publication model and policy/public audience.

Regional players

• BESA Center for Strategic Studies (Bar-Ilan): Bar-Ilan University-affiliated Middle East policy and strategic research center publishing studies, briefs, and books. Comparable as an Israel/regional academic-affiliated research and publishing operation with similar publication formats and English-language outreach.
• INSS (Institute for National Security Studies): Tel Aviv-based think tank publishing research and convening policymakers on Israeli strategic issues. Comparable Israeli research institute with similar publishing operation, fellowship programs, and broad donor base, but with a strategic-security rather than humanities focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/VanleerInstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/vanleer.institute
• LinkedInil.linkedin.com/company/van-leer-jerusalem-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/van_leer_institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Van Leer Jerusalem Institute