The Association for Society and Culture Documentation and Research

The Association for Society and Culture Documentation and Research (Hebrew: האגודה לטיפוח חברה ותרבות, commonly known as the Association for the Promotion of Society and Culture, or simply Teman) is an Israeli non-profit organisation founded in 1970 by Ovadia Ben-Shalom. Its mission is to preserve, document, cultivate and commemorate the heritage of Yemenite Jews, one of the oldest and most distinctive Jewish communities of the Middle East. The association is headquartered in Netanya, where it also operates a museum dedicated to Yemenite Jewish history and culture. The association's activities span research, publishing, museology and public culture. It publishes two scientific journals devoted to Yemenite Jewry — Tema and Tehuda — and has produced the multi-volume Encyclopedia of the Culture of Yemenite and Adenite Jews. It organises conferences and study days, most prominently the International Congress on the Heritage of Yemenite Jews. It has established a scholarship fund for students and the MASHI Institute (Memorialising the Heritage of the Tribes of Israel), a framework for researchers working on Yemenite Jewish history. In 2009 it inaugurated the Ovadia Ben-Shalom Center for the Study of Yemenite Jewry and its Culture at the Ben-Zvi Institute in Jerusalem, whose academic committee has included leading scholars such as Prof. Yosef Tobi, Prof. Yaron Harel, Dr. Uri Melammed, Dr. Menashe Anzi and Dr. Carmela Abdar. The association's museum in Netanya holds documentation of thousands of items, photographs, books, manuscripts, cassettes and records, as well as an original reconstruction of Yemenite Jewish life. Its website, teman.org.il, serves as a portal for the association's cultural programming, including concerts, festivals, lectures and virtual museum tours. Recent programming highlighted on the site includes the Tema Festival 2026 in Jerusalem, selichot concerts in the Yemenite tradition, and a tribute to singer Ahouva Ozri. The association also maintains an online presence through video content, including clips of Yemenite liturgical poetry (piyyutim) and songs such as "Adon HaKol" by Rabbi Shalom Shabazi, the great 17th-century Yemenite poet. As a cultural non-profit rather than a commercial company, the association occupies a unique position in the Israeli cultural landscape, functioning as both a scholarly institute and a community heritage organisation. It is a registered association (amuta) under Israeli law and is not publicly listed.

The Association for Society and Culture Documentation and Research was founded in 1970 by Ovadia Ben-Shalom, a prominent figure in the Yemenite Jewish community in Israel. Its Hebrew name, HaAguda LeTipuach Chevra VeTarbut, reflects its dual mission: the promotion of society and culture, with a specific focus on the heritage of Yemenite Jews. From its early years, the association was based in Netanya, a city with a significant Yemenite Jewish population, and it established its headquarters and later a museum there. The association's founders and early members were part of a generation of Yemenite Jews who had immigrated to Israel and sought to preserve their distinctive religious, linguistic and cultural traditions. Yemenite Jewry, with roots in the Arabian Peninsula dating back millennia, possessed a unique liturgy, poetry (piyyutim), music, crafts and manuscript culture. The association aimed to document and transmit this heritage to future generations. In the decades following its founding, the association developed a wide range of activities. It began publishing scientific journals — Tema and Tehuda — which became important venues for scholarship on Yemenite Jewish history, literature and culture. It also undertook the ambitious project of the Encyclopedia of the Culture of Yemenite and Adenite Jews, a multi-volume work that remains a standard reference. The association organised conferences and study days, including the International Congress on the Heritage of Yemenite Jews, which brought together scholars and community members from Israel and abroad. A significant milestone was the establishment of the MASHI Institute (Memorialising the Heritage of the Tribes of Israel), which provided a framework for researchers working on Yemenite Jewish history. The association also created a scholarship fund to support students, reflecting its commitment to education and the next generation of scholars. In 2009, the association inaugurated the Ovadia Ben-Shalom Center for the Study of Yemenite Jewry and its Culture at the Ben-Zvi Institute in Jerusalem. This centre, named after the founder, became a leading academic hub for the study of Yemenite Jewry. Its academic committee has included prominent scholars such as Prof. Yosef Tobi, Mr. Michael Glatzer, Prof. Yaron Harel, Dr. Uri Melammed, Dr. Menashe Anzi and Dr. Carmela Abdar; Prof. Yom Tov Assis also served in the past. The association's museum in Netanya grew into a major repository of Yemenite Jewish heritage. It holds documentation of thousands of items, photographs, books, manuscripts, cassettes and records, and features an original reconstruction of Yemenite Jewish life. The museum offers virtual tours and serves as a cultural centre for the community. In recent years, the association has continued to expand its cultural programming. Its website, teman.org.il, lists a busy calendar of events, including concerts, festivals, lectures and performances. Notable events have included the Tema Festival, selichot concerts in the Yemenite tradition, and tributes to Yemenite singers such as Ahouva Ozri. The association also produces video content, including clips of liturgical poetry and songs, and maintains an online presence to reach a wider audience. Today, the association remains a vital institution for the preservation and celebration of Yemenite Jewish heritage, combining scholarly research, museum work and community cultural events. It operates as a non-profit association under Israeli law and is not publicly listed.

• 2026

  Tema Festival 2026 scheduled to take place in Jerusalem from 31 August to 4 September.

• 2009

  Inauguration of the Ovadia Ben-Shalom Center for the Study of Yemenite Jewry and its Culture at the Ben-Zvi Institute in Jerusalem.

• 1970

  Association founded by Ovadia Ben-Shalom.

A non-profit cultural and research association dedicated to the preservation and celebration of Yemenite Jewish heritage, operating at the intersection of academia, museology and community cultural life.

• Tema (journal)

  Scientific journal on Yemenite Jewry.

• Tehuda (journal)

  Scientific journal on Yemenite Jewry.

• Encyclopedia of the Culture of Yemenite and Adenite Jews

  Multi-volume encyclopedia published by the association.

• Yemenite Jewish Heritage Museum

  Museum in Netanya with thousands of items, photographs, books, manuscripts, cassettes and records, and a reconstruction of Yemenite Jewish life.

1. 1Official websiteteman.org.il
2. 2Wikidata entrywikidata.org
3. 3Hebrew Wikipedia articlehe.wikipedia.org