Our project connects resources from three key repositories of Orthodox culture: the Bais Yaakov Project at the University of Toronto, which focuses on the ultra-Orthodox girls’ school system; the Digital Hasidism Project at the University of Wroclaw, which documents the rise and spread of Hasidism; and the Hasidic Stories Project at the Open University of Israel, which examines a vast collection of Hasidic tales. By integrating these diverse collections, HOP offers a unique platform for collaborative research and public engagement.

Through our searchable digital platform, users can access a vast corpus of maps, archival documents, publications, letters, images, and more. This resource will allow scholars to ask and explore big questions about the social structures, cultural practices, and historical transformations of Orthodox communities before and after the Holocaust. It will also enable the public to engage with this history in new ways, breaking down stereotypes and deepening the understanding of a group often perceived as insular and unchanging. 

HOP is committed to addressing the unique challenges of researching Orthodox history, including the loss of materials, language barriers, and the fragmented nature of archives. By using cutting-edge digital tools like social network analysis (SNA), computational analysis, and historical mapping, our project will bridge these gaps and open new pathways for research. We aim to integrate the often segregated study of Orthodox men and women, explore the cultural dimensions of Orthodox life, and provide a platform where scholars, students, and the general public can connect and collaborate.

Join us in preserving, exploring, and sharing the history of Orthodox Jewry. Through public conferences, academic publications, and an accessible digital platform, HOP is bringing this vibrant past to light, ensuring that it remains a part of our collective historical understanding.

Join us in preserving, exploring, and sharing the history of Orthodox Jewry. Through public conferences, academic publications, and an accessible digital platform, HOP is bringing this vibrant past to light, ensuring that it remains a part of our collective historical understanding.