General Director of the Druze Heritage Center in Israel
Adv. Mahmoud Shannan
As the General Director of the Druze Heritage Center in Israel, I have had the great privilege of being the Center’s first director and of contributing to the revival of this significant project for the Druze community in Israel and around the world. This project, which had remained in the planning stages since the mid-1990s, finally began to take shape in 2020 with the construction of the permanent building of the Center.
The Druze Heritage Center strives to tell a story spanning over a thousand years, a story woven by history around the Druze monotheistic community. It also aims to attract researchers and students – especially members of the Druze community – who seek to contribute to both theoretical and practical knowledge related to Druze heritage.
The Center is committed to operating according to the highest professional standards and to maintaining these standards throughout its development. In the future, the Center will include a museum that will share with its visitors the story of the distinguished Druze community and its deep historical roots. Alongside the museum, an archive will be established to preserve documents, correspondence, photographs, certificates, and audio and video recordings related to the Druze and the Druze community, for the purpose of scientific research. This archival collection will document the community’s heritage and will be accessible to all sectors and age groups, particularly the younger generation, supported by professional infrastructure to enable reliable historical research.
The library, which we are currently working to establish, will house a large and diverse collection of books, sources, and references closely related to the Druze, in various languages. Its purpose is to serve researchers, students, children, and adults alike.
In addition to its primary role, the research institute within the Druze Heritage Center will focus on developing academic relationships with higher education institutions and research centers in Israel and worldwide. The goal is to advance scholarly research and studies concerning the lives of the Druze in a scientific manner, and to support Druze researchers – both men and women – as they progress through the ranks of academic achievement.
I am fully aware of the importance of human resources as the driving force behind success. Therefore, I place great value on the Center’s professional team – both male and female employees – and I believe that together, we are moving in the right direction.
May success be our companion!
Respectfully,
Adv. Mahmoud Shannan