The Koren Compact Tanakh – Magerman Hebrew and English Edition

Over half a century ago, in 1962, master typographer Eliyahu Koren produced the Koren Tanakh, the first Jewish Bible edited, designed, produced, and bound by Jews in nearly 500 years. Mr. Koren considered the precision of every letter, and the placement of every word on every page. He created a new font to ensure maximum clarity and reflect ancient Hebrew renewal in modern times. The Tanakh’s textual accuracy, pioneering design, and superior quality won worldwide acclaim. Under Mr. Koren’s leadership, Koren Publishers Jerusalem produced other exceptional editions of traditional Jewish texts. The Koren Siddur, published in 1981, featured a newly designed font and an insightful graphic layout that, in Mr. Koren’s words, “encouraged the worshiper to engross the mind and heart in prayer.” Like so many Koren titles, it became a classic.

From the first publishing, all soldiers in the Israel Defence Force have received a copy of the Koren Tanakh at their induction. This beautiful tradition has been unchanged for over fifty years.

Today, Koren Publishers Jerusalem proudly carries on Mr. Koren’s legacy. It maintains an unrelenting commitment to intellectual rigor, textual purity, and thoughtful design. From halakhic (Jewish law) research to literary scholarship, typographic design to final production, Koren Publishers Jerusalem upholds the highest possible standard. Koren brings people to the heart of the Hebrew sources, making those sources meaningful to an ever-expanding audience. It respects the rich body of Jewish thought as it offers wisdom from today’s leading Jewish thinkers.

Koren Fonts

Koren books use two fonts created by Koren Publishers Jerusalem founder Eliyahu Koren: Koren Tanakh Font and Koren Siddur Font. Koren Tanakh Font, designed to print The Koren Tanakh in 1962, is used for Koren biblical texts. Koren Siddur Font, created for The Koren Siddur in 1981, is used for other texts. Mr. Koren studied, and re-studied Hebrew manuscripts and early printing types, consulted with ophthalmologists and took a sensitive approach to modernization to create fonts of ultimate legibility and beauty. Both fonts are © Copyright Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd.