On November 25, 2014, ARCS hosted the premiere of the latest monograph in its academic series, “THE HISTORY OF A VANISHED COMMUNITY - THE JEWS IN KARNOBAT” by Dr. Zvi Keren from Israel.

Dr. Keren was born in Sofia in 1935. For over 20 years, he has been studying the history of the Jewish community in Bulgaria, including photographing, mapping, and researching extant cemeteries and epitaphs. He was in charge of documenting and photographing over 200,000 documents from the Archives in Sofia and other Bulgarian cities. Dr. Keren is responsible for editing and complementing the “electronic sheets” of 34 communities in Bulgaria in the Jewish Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv.

Dr. Keren’s study covers every important aspect of Jewish life in Bulgaria between 1610 and 1950 and adds a vast new source on the history of the Bulgarian Jewry. The book is based on documents, diaries, interviews and epitaphs from the oldest Jewish cemetery in Bulgaria.

The book’s premiere was co-sponsored by the “Red House” Center for Culture and Debate in Sofia (http://www.redhouse-sofia.org) and took place in their largest auditorium. The room was filled to capacity, with people standing in the hallway.

Drs. Kevin and Nora 

Clinton, Co-Founders and Co-Presidents of Foundation “American Research Center in Sofia,” described the Center’s programs, history, and activities and emphasized the significance of publishing epigraphical documents and other primary sources that shed light on the history of Bulgaria and the region. They underscored the contributions of Dr. Keren’s study for preserving historical memory and revealing new facts about the life of a community throughout the centuries.

The publisher, Anthony Georgieff of Vagabond Media shared a personal story related to the little-known but rather important Jewish necropolis in Karnobat and expressed his contentment that this valuable historical material has been studied and published. Dr. Keren recounted in perfect Bulgarian his challenging and rewarding experiences during the many years of painstaking research that led to his collection of epitaphs, including the decipherment, commentary and historical analysis of the inscriptions. He then treated the audience to three musical pieces that he performed on the flute.

 The Israeli Ambassador, H.E. Mr. Shaul Kamisa Raz, congratulated Dr. Keren on his impressive accomplishment and expressed his satisfaction that this fascinating book has been published by ARCS. Dr. Boni Petrunova, Bulgarian Vice-Minister of Culture, who as an archaeologist provided significant help to Dr. Keren in his research, shared highlights of her professional experience working with Dr. Keren and made an official announcement that the book will be presented for a special award. Members of Dr. Keren’s family, who had flown to Sofia especially for the occassion, expressed their gratitude and joy over the event. An informal reception followed, featuring select hors’d’oevres and wine from the book’s celebrated venue, the little town of Karnobat.

Additionally, Dr. Nora Dimitrova Clinton and Dr. Zvi Keren gave interviews on the Bulgarian national radio with the renowed journalist Irina Nedeva, who publicized the book and the event.