It's that time of the year again, when Israel’s universities are preparing for the annual meetings of their respective boards of governors, the awarding of honorary doctorates, and the rejoicing in awards and appointments for members of their various faculties.
Coming up next Tuesday is the awards ceremony for Honorary Doctorates that Ben-Gurion University of the Negev will confer on seven exemplary individuals. The ceremony, as always, will take place within the framework of the meeting of BGU’s Board of Governors, which will be convening for the 55th time.
The seven honorees are widely acclaimed artist Zoya Cherkassky, Social Media star Nuseir Yasin, internationally best-selling author Nicole Kraus, philanthropist Sami Sagol, singer Andrey Makarevich, nursing advocate Prof. Judith Shamian, and endocrinologist Prof. Moshe Philip.
■ AT THE Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which is celebrating its centenary year, quite a number of faculty members and researchers have been the recipients of prestigious prizes this year. Among them is Eva Ilouz, a professor of sociology who was supposed to be among the HU recipients of this year’s Israel Prize, but it was withdrawn from her by Education Minister Yoav Kisch. Not only was the prize withdrawn, but Kisch canceled the category altogether.
The reason was political. Way back in 2021, Ilouz had signed a petition asserting that Israel should not be permitted to investigate its war crimes. The Hebrew University argued that the adjudicating committee that had decided to award her the prize had done so in recognition of her academic achievements, not her political views. But the argument fell on deaf ears. So the university decided to give her its prize.
Sources of pride
In recent weeks, several HU faculty members have been awarded prizes of distinction.
Prof. Yuval Shany of the Faculty of Law was awarded the 2025 Landau Prize for Sciences and Arts.
A gifted and committed teacher, Prof. Shany has mentored generations of students, many of whom now hold leadership positions in law, diplomacy, and academia.
Dr. Chaim Garfinkel, together with Dr. Yonatan Stelzer from the Weizmann Institute of Science and Dr. Benjamin Palmer from Ben Gurion University of the Negev, has been named a 2025 Laureate of the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel, one of the country’s most encouraging honors for early-career researchers.
Garfinkel is a recipient of the Physical Sciences & Engineering category for his pioneering work in climate modeling and atmospheric dynamics. He will receive $100,000 in unrestricted funds for his research, which focuses on advancing the global scientific community’s understanding of how large-scale atmospheric phenomena influence climate variability and change.
“My dream is to issue bias-corrected forecasts in near real time – forecasts that can reliably predict extreme weather events and allow communities to better prepare,” he said.
“Extreme weather causes tens of billions of dollars in damage every year. If we can predict it even a few weeks earlier, that gives decision-makers time to act, adapt, and potentially save lives.”
■ YET ANOTHER source of pride for the Hebrew University is the election of Prof. Sergiu Hart as an International Member of the US National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors in the global scientific community.Established in 1863, the NAS recognizes distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Election to the Academy is considered a hallmark of scientific excellence.
Prof. Hart, a renowned scholar in game theory, economic theory, and mathematics, is affiliated with the Bogen Family Department of Economics and the Einstein Institute of Mathematics at the Hebrew University. He is the founding director of the multidisciplinary Center for the Study of Rationality, and his groundbreaking work has reshaped understandings of strategic decision-making, equilibrium behavior, and adaptive processes in economics and beyond.
■ BAR ILAN University has announced the name of the recipient of the inaugural Jonathan Sacks Institute Prize. Prof. Robert Putnam, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, has been recognized for his ground-breaking research that is very much in line with the work and values espoused by the late Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.
The prize was established by the Gewurz family of Montreal in memory of Samuel Gewurz, to recognize individuals who have made exceptional contributions as public intellectuals, advancing the ideas, values, and practical concerns central to the work of the late distinguished leader and thinker.
Speaking about the award, Prof. Jonathan Rynhold, Academic Director of the Jonathan Sacks Institute, remarked: “Both Prof. Putnam and Rabbi Sacks highlighted the threats posed by excessive individualism, religious extremism, and polarization. Their research emphasizes the necessity of dramatically increasing social capital – the networks, norms, and trust that enable cooperation for mutual benefit, both within and between groups.”
Prof. Putnam’s groundbreaking research has significantly shaped global discourse on social capital, civic engagement, and community cohesion. His seminal works, including Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (2000) and American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us (2010), were frequently engaged with by Rabbi Sacks in his writings, such as The Home We Build Together and Morality.
With over fifteen books translated into twenty languages, Putnam is the most cited academic in the field of political science in the past fifty years. A recipient of the National Humanities Medal, America’s highest honor for contributions to the humanities, his expertise has been sought out by global leaders, including presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, as well as British prime ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron.
When informed that he had been selected for the prize, he stated: “Jonathan Sacks was one of the greatest moral, intellectual, and religious leaders of the last half century. I am deeply honored to receive the inaugural Jonathan Sacks Prize.”
BIU President Prof. Arie Zaban, in congratulating Putman on the award, thanked The Rabbi Sacks Legacy “for their confidence in Bar-Ilan University by supporting the establishment of the Institute and entrusting BIU with the mission of preserving and advancing Rabbi Sacks’ legacy for the benefit of Israel, the Jewish people, and humanity at large.”
The Jonathan Sacks Institute Prize carries a monetary award of NIS 100,000 ($30,000) and will be formally presented at a special ceremony to be hosted this month by BIU.
The Jonathan Sacks Institute at BIU was established in 2023 to honor and perpetuate his legacy through programs and research, geared to ensure that Rabbi Sacks’ ideas receive the attention and recognition they deserve within academia, especially as they relate to contemporary moral, social, and political challenges. In addition, the institute is developing a diverse network of alumni with leadership potential who can make a practical impact on the future of Israeli, Jewish, and world society, inspired and guided by his vision.
■ THERE ARE ARAB students at all of Israel’s universities, but it is rare for Arabs to outnumber Jews at university lectures or public events.
But there’s always an exception to the rule. That exception may be seen on May 13 in the Hecht auditorium of the University of Haifa at the third Haifa Conference on politics and Arab Society in Israel. The number of Arab politicians, academics, NGO representatives, lawyers, et al, by far outnumber their Jewish colleagues, and leaders of the various Arab parties in the Knesset, including Mansour Abbas, Ayman Odeh, and Ahmad Tibi, will be among the participants.
Haifa has long been known for its coexistence status, with Jews and Arabs living side by side and interacting in business partnerships, social welfare organizations, and simply socially.
WHILE ON the subject of Haifa, the Ofer Mall, better known as the Grand Canyon, is not just a shopper’s delight, but also a hub of culture and social life. Last week, celebs, prominent business people, influencers, artists, and cultural figures flocked there for the launch of its new representative installation. The Who’s Who of the north included Mayor Yona Yahav, Deputy Mayor Shmuel Savyon, and real estate businesswoman Liora Ofer.
