Ruth Kark (born 1941) is an Israeli historical geographer and professor of geography at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Professor Kark is a well-known researcher and expert in the field of the historical geography of Palestine and Israel.

Biography

Early life and education

Ruth Kark (née Kleiner) was born in Herzliya in 1941 to Shoshana Moczan and Avraham Kleiner. Kark completed her B.A. at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1964, was awarded an MA in 1972 and earned her doctorate in 1977, becoming the first female Israeli geographer with a PhD and a pioneer of historical geography research in Palestine and Israel. Kark's PhD thesis was on The Development of the Cities Jerusalem and Jaffa from 1840 up to the First World War (A Study in Historical Geography).

Personal life

Kark was married to Jeremy David Kark, with whom she had three children.

Academic career

Kark has written and edited more than 20 books and over 250 peer-reviewed articles on the history and historical geography of Palestine and Israel. Kark is noted for her work on settlement in the Land of Israel in the 19th-century and Western influences on the Holy Land. More recently, she has published works about women and land ownership in both traditional and modern cultures across the Middle East. Kark is often brought into court hearings in Israel as an expert on land disputes and as an academic with a reputation in the field of pre-State landownership in Israel.

Published works

Books

Edited books

Awards and recognition

Professor Kark has received numerous scholarships and awards. These include the Jerusalem Bank award, a Fulbright scholarship (USA-Israel), and many more. In 2009, Kark and co-author Joseph Glass won an award for their research on the development of banking in Ottoman Palestine. In 2013, Kark was awarded the Yakir Yerushalayim prize for her contributions to the city of Jerusalem. In 2014, she received the Herzl prize for her research on the settlement in Israel, and in 2016 she was awarded a recognition of gratitude award from the Israeli Geographical Society.