The late Rabbi Shmuel Gorr, a well-known genealogist in Jerusalem (died 1988) who specialized in rabbinical genealogy, bequeathed his archive to the Jewish National and University Library (now the National Library of Israel).

With the generous assistance of Rabbi Gorr’s sister, Ms. Reeva Gorr, and in conjunction with the National Library, the Institute catalogued in great detail the larger part of the Archive, made up of research papers relating to the genealogies of the many families who availed themselves of Rabbi Gorr’s professional services. These papers contain a wealth of information which is now freely available through the National Library’s catalogue.

A General Description of the Gorr Archive is located here.

The contents of the Archive can accessed by searching (a) the files; and (b) the individual names contained within the files, by taking the following steps:

1. For the List of Files contained in the Archive:
   1. Go to the General Description, as above.
   2. In the sub-menu of left of the page, click on 3^rd last item, beside “Down links (create)” = “List of Items”
   3. Identify desired file alphabetically and click on square to left.
2. For Names contained within the Files:
   1. Go to the General Description, as above.
   2. In the toolbar at top, click on 1^st tab = “Basic”.
   3. In the middle box on left (“Select Search Option”), select “Keywords Anywhere”.
   4. In the bottom box (“Search For”), enter name [e.g. Cohen, or Cohen, Isaac] and click Search button.
   5. Click on square to left of all items labelled “Genealogical Research”.

Other contents of the Archive, not catalogued by the Institute, were briefly described by Mr. Chaim Freedman of Petach Tikva in Nu – What’s  New? (IV, 21, December, 2003) as follows:

1. Family tree scrolls drafted by Gorr.
2. Data about Shadarim (emissaries) sent from Eretz Yisrael to Australia in the 19th century.
3. Lists of donors to Shemesh Tzedakah in Jerusalem, extracted according to communities overseas.
4. Articles written by Rabbi Gorr on a variety of genealogical and historical subjects, most unpublished.
5. Surnames – original research by Rabbi Gorr, unpublished.