Ephrat Pomerantz
Spotlight
Fourteen years ago, when Ephrat Pomerantz was offered the job of managing the project to construct the new National Library of Israel building, she jumped at the chance. But she wasn’t under any illusions that it would be easy. The ambitious building needed to advance the Library’s mission and “translate into something functional and practical.” Accessibility – in all its forms – was the number one priority, and “we needed the different types of Library users to be able to use the same space at the same time,” Ephrat explains, with the hope that “the building would invite users to become visitors, and visitors to become users.” Though the construction and move are now officially complete, work goes on. Ephrat recently was named Head of Operations and Logistics for the Library. She notes that “the Library is an active, dynamic place. It must continue to adapt to meet emerging public needs.” For now, though, Ephrat is proud to say, NLI is meeting expectations in terms of both form and function. For proof, one need look no further than the huge numbers of visitors to the Library. “Now everyone who comes to visit Jerusalem,” Ephrat says, “wants to put the National Library on their itinerary. It’s a destination!”
Ephrat Pomerantz directed the National Library of Israel building project and now serves as NLI Head of Operations and Logistics.
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