afhu news fall 2014

AFHUnewsAFHUnews Volume 16 | Number 16 | Fall 2014

MILESTONESA S P E C I A L A N N I V E R S A R Y E D I T I O N

2 | AFHU NEWS www.afhu.org

2014 AFHU NATIONALLEADERSHIP

BoARd oF dIREcToRS oFFIcERS

daniel I. SchlessingerPresident

Michael S. Kurtzchairman of the Board

Lawrence E. GlickMark R. GordonFrances R. KatzRichard S. ZimanVice chairmen of the Board

Michael J. FreedExecutive committee chair

Ernest BogenRita Bogencharles H. GoodmanKenneth L. SteinRonald M. ZimmermanVice Presidents

Pamela N. EmmerichNational campaign chair

Joshua M. olshinTreasurer

Frances R. KatzAssistant Treasurer

Pamela N. EmmerichSecretary

Richard d. WeinbergAssistant Secretary

BoARd oF dIREcToRS

HoNoRARy PRESIdENTS & cHAIRS

Stanley M. BogenMartin E. KarlinskyHarvey M. KruegerBarbara A. MandelKeith L. SachsGeorge A. SchierenIra Lee SorkinHonorary Presidents

Stanley M. BogenHarvey M. KruegerKeith L. SachsGeorge A. SchierenIra Lee SorkinHonorary chairmen of the Board

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Daniel i. SchleSSinger

T he current issue of AFHU News is themed “Milestones” and heralds three anniversaries in2015: the 90th anniversary of The HebrewUniversity of Jerusalem, the 50th anniversary of the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for

the Advancement of Peace and the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Each of theseanniversaries deserves a celebration in its own right, and the confluence of allthree makes 2015 a wonderful moment in history for The Hebrew Universityand its proud American Friends.

The Hebrew University’s growth—from 140 students in 1925 to a current student body of 23,000—is a remarkable achievement. And when we consider other benchmarks such as seven Nobel Prizes for alumni and faculty in just one decade, or registering 8,300 patents for more than 2,300 HU inventions,we become even more impressed by the productivity and imagination of our university’s faculty and students.

In addition to the university’s outstanding reputation in the fields of humanities and Jewish Studies, a status enhanced by the creation of the MandelSchool for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, HU is Israel’s top-ranked university in large part due to its prowess in basic and applied sciences. AFHU News offers just a sampling of these myriad innovations.

The 50th anniversary of the Truman Research Institute reflects another vital dimension of Hebrew University and highlights its commitment to multiculturalism and pluralism. In “Expanding Horizons of Hope,” ProfessorMenahem Blondheim, director of the Truman Institute, reminds us that pursuing peaceful coexistence in the Middle East and other parts of the worldis integral to the university’s sense of mission.

Albert Einstein, a founder of The Hebrew University, advocated vigorously and raised funds in support of the university’s establishment. A Zionist, Einsteinwanted to provide an academic haven for scientists and scholars fleeing anti-Semitism in Europe. In these pages, we learn about Einstein’s legacy fromProfessor Hanoch Gutfreund, whose podcast about the 100th anniversary ofthe Theory of Relativity is available on AFHU’s website (www.afhu.org). In multiple ways, Einstein embodies the spirit of the university and its pursuit of miracles, whether in the realm of physics, cancer research or peaceful coexistence among peoples and nations.

Please enjoy AFHU News, and I hope you will consider joining me and my wifeMarcy for AFHU’s President’s Mission to Greece, Bulgaria and Israel this comingspring. We have major anniversaries to celebrate in Jerusalem. I promise youwon’t want to miss our “miraculous year” when Hebrew University’s achievementsand AFHU’s contributions to this world-class institution will be on full display.

AFHU National President

www.afhu.org AFHU NEWS | 3

Contents

EXECUTIVE COLUMNS . . . . . . . . 2

THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY

77TH BOARD OF GOVERNORS . . . 4

PLANNED GIVING . . . . . . . . . 10

CELEBRATING 90 YEARS

IN 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

EXPANDING THE HORIZONS OF

HOPE: THE HARRY S. TRUMAN

RESEARCH INSTITUTE. . . . . . . 16

AN EINSTEIN CENTENNIAL. . . . 19

HEBREW UNIVERSITY: RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS . . . . . 20

ACCOLADES AND HONORS . . . . 22

AFHU EVENTS: HONORING OUR OWN . . . . 24-30

EDUCATIONAL FORUMS . . . . . 31

ALUMNI NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . 32

IN REMEMBRANCE . . . . . . . . . 33

AFHU PRESIDENT’S MISSION . 34

UPCOMING EVENTS . . . . . . . . 35

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S COLUMN

Beth aSnien Mccoy

T his is my first column in AFHU News as national executive director of our organization. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation to our entire AFHU–HebrewUniversity family from coast to coast. your

commitment continues to inspire my desire to make AFHU the best organization it can be in the service of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

I have been with AFHU for 12 years, during which time I have developed a broad perspective on the needs of the university and the goals AFHU mustachieve in order to fulfill crucial fundraising priorities and foster new generations of leaders and philanthropists.

This past summer tested our organization’s need to be resilient andresourceful in light of the conflict in Gaza and the enormous challenges facingIsrael. Partnering with our friends in Jerusalem, AFHU organized HU operationProtective Edge in support of the students, especially the 1,000 young women and men called to active duty in the Israel defense Forces. We are continuing to raise scholarship funds to propel their educations.

When the sirens sounded due to Hamas-fired missiles, we raised funds for protective shelters for our Rehovot campus, home to the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Simultaneously, our dedicated staff and lay leaders pursued our goal of obtaining funding to assist Hebrew University’s recruitment of outstanding young faculty. Wereceived vital forms of support for exciting medical research projects. We developed an alumni program that will enable us to reach out to thousands of Hebrew University and Rothberg International School graduatesthroughout the United States.

Having spoken with our board members and supporters, I know that we allwant AFHU to contribute to Jewish continuity and Israel’s strength. Together, we represent the values and ideals so many of us associate with our Jewish heritage and upbringing. We are determined to help Hebrew University expand its record of cutting-edge research, work that will turn the world’s eyesto Israel with admiration.

AFHU News offers a glimpse of the regional events, educational programsand missions that we organized this year to keep American Friends informed,entertained and connected to The Hebrew University. We constitute a vibrantcommunity of leaders and supporters.

Please accept my thanks for your participation in AFHU’s mission and for thephilanthropic engagement that makes American Friends so very special.

AFHU National Executive director

Patricia L. Glaser, a national Scopus Award recipient, has been a champion of The Hebrew University ofJerusalem for more than three decades. She is a governor of the university’s International Board of Governors and received an Honorary Fellowship from Hebrew University in 2008. dedicated to AFHU’smission, Patricia Glaser provides exemplary leadership,currently serving on AFHU’s national board and as vice chairman of the Western Region board.

chair of the litigation department of Glaser Weil FinkHoward Avchen & Shapiro LLP, Patricia Glaser is amongthe short list of preeminent business trial attorneys in the United States. She also provides general legal counselto publicly and privately held companies in a variety of areas, including real estate, contracts, antitrust, entertainment, banking and securities.

Born in charleston, West Virginia, she earned herBachelor of Arts degree from The American University

honorary Doctorate anD Benefactor Patricia l. glaSer

The 77th Annual

HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM International Board of Governors Meeting

Patricia l. glaSer accepts her honorary Doctorate from hU PreSiDent, ProfeSSor MenaheM Ben-SaSSon and rector, ProfeSSor aSher cohen


AFHU NEWS | 5

and her Juris doctorate from Rutgers University.Esteemed within the legal community, Patricia Glaser has earned numerous accolades. chambers and Partnersdescribes her as a “trial icon” and gives her top california rankings in both General commercial Litigationand Media & Entertainment Litigation.

Widely honored by the Jewish community, she is the recipient of AFHU’s Harvey L. Silbert Torch of Learning Award and the Bruce I. Hochman MaimonidesTorch of Justice Award from The Jewish Federation of

Greater Los Angeles’ Legal division. devoted to many causes, Patricia Glaser serves on

the UcLA Israel Studies Program Advisory Board, theBoard of Trustees for The National Judicial college and the Board of directors of the Jewish Federation ofGreater Los Angeles’ Legal division. She produces localplays in the california community where she resides with her husband Sam Mudie, an entrepreneur, and serves on the Board of directors of the Los AngelesMusic center Theatre Group and the Geffen Theater.

Patricia l. glaSer and SaM MUDie at the Benefactors Wall

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The 77th Annual Hebrew University International Board of Governors

afhU honorary PreSiDent, BarBara

ManDel, became an honorary chairMan

of the hebrew University Board ofgovernors at its 77th annual Meeting.

Leading businessman and philanthropist Morton L. Mandel received the 2014 Samuel RothbergPrize for Jewish Education during The HebrewUniversity of Jerusalem’s 77th International Board of Governors. The Samuel Rothberg Prize was awardedin recognition of Morton Mandel’s unparalleled contributions to education as exemplified by therecent establishment of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at The Hebrew University.

The Mandel School will spearhead a revival of the humanities across Israel and at The HebrewUniversity in particular, where it will anchor the Facultyof Humanities’ efforts to strengthen its five new disciplinary schools of History, Philosophy and Religion, Literature, Arts and Language Sciences.The Mandel School will be located on the northernedge of the Mount Scopus campus, proximate to the yitzhak Rabin Building, which houses theMandel Institute of Jewish Studies.

A transformative gift from the Mandel Foundationmade the Mandel School possible, and is among thelargest gifts in support of the humanities worldwide.

The 2014 Samuel Rothberg Prize for Jewish Education

Morton l. ManDel

AFHU NEWS | 7

honorary felloWShiPSarthUr gUtterMan

Arthur Gutterman was awarded an Honorary Fellowship at the 77th Annual Board of Governors. To read more, visit page 10.

arthUr gUtterMan and PreSiDent, ProfeSSor MenaheM Ben-SaSSon

lUcille aMSter

Lucille Amster of Fort Lee, New Jersey, has been a lifelong champion of Israel and Jewish concerns worldwide. An active member of AFHU’s national Boardof Regents, she serves as an associate governor of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Lucille, along with her beloved husband of 56 years,daniel (z”l), a successful attorney and real estate developer, participated in AFHU missions to Israel. Thephilanthropic couple fostered medical research and quality healthcare at Hebrew University and have provided unwavering support for university students. HU Benefactors, the Amsters have generously providedsupport for animal welfare at the Koret School ofVeterinary Medicine at the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment. This year, Lucillegraciously chaired the AFHU New Jersey Region’s scholarship luncheon to benefit students at the KoretSchool of Veterinary Medicine.

A graduate of the New york University School ofEducation, Lucille Amster is an enthusiastic communityleader and supports many causes in New Jersey andFlorida.

lUcille J. aMSter and PreSiDent, ProfeSSor MenaheM Ben-SaSSon

www.afhu.org


The 77th Annual Hebrew University International Board of Governors

Wall of lifeBari anD SteVen gooD

Bari and Steve Good are dear friends of The HebrewUniversity of Jerusalem and driving forces in AFHU’s Western Region. In tribute to their philanthropic leadership and support for Hebrew University scholarshipstudents, Steve and Bari received AFHU’s HumanitarianTorch of Learning Award during the Western Region’s Bel Air Affaire.

Steve Good is a member of AFHU’s national Board ofdirectors and helped develop the Western Region’splanned giving campaign. A certified public accountantand financial professional, he is a consultant to, andretired senior partner of, cohn-Reznick LLc.

Steve Good is the founding president of the SantaMonica Synagogue. He is a director and past president of The Guardians of the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging, the founding director of the ALS Associationand a member of the chancellor's circle of UcLA, wherehe received his Bachelor of Science degree and attendedgraduate school.

Bari Good is the former president of the Nationalcouncil of Jewish Women (NcJW), Los Angeles section,and previously served as an NcJW volunteer, counselingwomen and working with children to overcome learningdisabilities. Bari’s dedication to the Jewish communitywas instilled in her by her parents, Minnie and Juliancrystal (z”l). Bari Good has shared her passion for paintingwith elementary school children, volunteering as an artteacher at schools without an art program.

honorary felloWShiPS

SteVe and Bari gooD at the Wall of life

Mark S. ViDergaUz

Mark S. Vidergauz, a prominent investment banker and private equity investor, is an avid supporter of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an engagedAFHU leader whose efforts have advanced AFHU’s mission on the West coast. Mark has provided distinguished leadership to AFHU, previously serving aspresident of the Western Region and currently serving as a member of the national Board of directorsand the campaign committee.

A governor of The Hebrew University International Board of Governors, Mark is a university Guardian and national AFHU Scopus Award recipient along with hiswife, dr. Sharon Hirschowitz, a professor of pathology atthe david Geffen School of Medicine at UcLA. Mark andSharon have long shared a commitment to philanthropy,the State of Israel and to Jewish communities worldwide.

The founder and chief Executive officer of The SageGroup, a Los Angeles-based investment bank, MarkVidergauz advises private and public companies on merger and acquisition and corporate finance transactions in branded consumer industries. A memberof the State Bar of california and the American BarAssociation, he received B.A. and L.L.B. degrees, as wellas degrees in tax and business administration, from theUniversity of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, SouthAfrica, and an L.L.M. degree from the London School ofEconomics.

Mark S. ViDergaUz and PreSiDent, ProfeSSor MenaheM Ben-SaSSon

foUnDer


Wall of liferUth reSnikoff

Ruth Resnikoff of Princeton, New Jersey, has lived in England, South Africa and in the United States during the past five decades, throughout which time her commitment to the Jewish community and to Israel hasbeen steadfast. An enthusiastic Hebrew University supporter, Ruth received the Guardian Award from AFHU in November 2013.

Ruth was born in London to a South African motherand British father. In 1941, during the German Blitz onLondon, Ruth and her mother sailed for South Africa and Ruth completed her schooling in Johannesburg andcape Town. Upon returning to London, Ruth studied at the Royal Academy of dramatic Art (RAdA) andbecame a professional actor and drama teacher.

Upon returning to South Africa as a RAdA graduate, Ruth met and married Edward Feit. Edward’s father, Leo Feit (z”l), was a major philanthropist who helped to shape Ruth’s perspectives on Jewish communal leadership and social responsibility. Ruth subsequentlymarried Sam Resnikoff (z”l), with whom she lived in coconut creek and Boca Raton, Florida for 30 years,until Sam’s passing.

Ruth has visited Israel on many occasions and feels adeep connection to the Jewish community worldwide.

Dr. allen h. Bezner

in MeMory of hiS granDfather

rUBin greenSPan (z”l)

dr. Allen H. Bezner, a prominent Palm Beach, Florida neurologist, is a member of AFHU’s Southeast RegionBoard and has supported numerous Palm Beach ScopusAward galas. dedicated to Israel, he participated inAFHU’s 2012 national President’s Mission and attendedThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem 75th InternationalBoard of Governors.

dr. Bezner dedicated his Founders recognition in lovingmemory of his grandfather, Rubin Greenspan (z”l), whogreatly influenced his grandson’s life. In further tribute toRubin Greenspan, dr. Bezner has provided generousscholarship support for Hebrew University students.

dr. Bezner has maintained his private practice in PalmBeach since 1984. He earned his medical degree at the University of Miami School of Medicine and completed his residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He received his undergraduate degree from New york University.

In addition to being active within the medical community,dr. Bezner is involved in Boca Raton’s Jewish communalsphere as a member of chabad.

Dr. allen h. Bezner at the founders WallrUth reSnikoff at the Wall of life

Some philanthropists develop longstanding relationships with a particular organization or institution over a span

of decades. others fall in love with a charitable cause virtually “at firstsight,” and become supporters and leaders almost immediately.

Such is the case with ArthurGutterman, who received an HonoraryFellowship during June 2014 and is aBenefactor of The Hebrew Universityof Jerusalem and an associate gover-nor of the International Board ofGovernors.

Arthur, a chicagoan who recentlyrelocated to Florida, was introduced to AFHU through a mailing in 2003. After meeting professional staff and lay leaders, he became involved in AFHU’s mission. Arthur joined the national board and traveled on AFHU missions to Israel. Firsthand exposure to the university’s brain trust led Arthur to fund pioneering medical research and scholarships for medical students.

“Leadership is rewarding. It feels good to be involvedand go beyond just writing a check,” said Arthur, who is the chairman of Jelmar, LLc, a household cleaningsupplies company that was founded by his father Manny and is headed by his daughter Alison. In 2012,AFHU’s Midwest Region celebrated Alison as a Leader of distinction. Arthur’s other daughter, Jamie Guttermandann, established a meaningful career in the field of social work.

Arthur credits his desire to “give back and do more forothers” to Emalie Gutterman (z”l ), his beloved late wifeand mother of Jamie and Alison. Guided by Emalie’s wisdom, Arthur created scholarships at his alma mater,Roosevelt University. In 2010, Arthur established theEmalie Gutterman Memorial Endowed Fund for MedicalResearch in chronic Pulmonary disease at HebrewUniversity. Several generations of the Gutterman

family, along with Arthur’s dear friend Jeannie Kohen,attended the Wall of Life ceremony commemorating this benevolent gift. Arthur has provided support for HU Professor Eran Meshorer’s laboratory. ProfessorMeshorer is an outstanding young member of the Edmond and Lily Safra center for Brain Sciences and isconducting pioneering kidney research.

Beth Asnien Mccoy, AFHU National Executive director,stated: “Arthur brings business acumen to his role on our board. At the same time, he cares so much aboutour cause. He believes in investment philanthropy that is directed toward achieving a positive outcome.”

AFHU has a robust planned giving program, includingAFHU Hebrew University Gift Annuities, which offer multiple benefits. The donor or a designee receives high fixed-rate income for the duration of his or her life.The residual of the gift annuity fosters AFHU’s missionand benefits The Hebrew University in future years.Arthur Gutterman recently established an AFHU HebrewUniversity Gift Annuity, and as he explains, “A gift annuityis a nice way of taking care of someone, and you canaccomplish several goals with one gift: you can providesupport for the university eventually while obtainingincome for life and a tax deduction.”

Arthur Gutterman Making a Difference

Charitable Giving


PLANNED GIVING

arthUr gUtterMan and Jeannie kohen at the Benefactors Wall in 2013

Sowing the Seeds for a Better Future

Learn more about pioneering research from The Hebrew University’s Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment: afhu.org/cga4

Outstanding new Hebrew University faculty member Dr.

Zvi Peleg is investigating the ways in which environmental

stresses such as heat and drought impact wheat growth.

By reintroducing the chromosomes of DNA from wild wheat

into modern cultivars, Dr. Peleg is creating hardier, higher-

yield wheat with more nutritional benefi ts. His work is

helping Israel and people throughout the world.

When you create a secure AFHU Hebrew University Gift

Annuity—with its high lifetime return, tax deduction

and annuity payments that are substantially tax-free—

you gain more income. You also help propel the

life-sustaining research of Israel’s top young scientists.

AFHU Hebrew University Gift Annuity Returns

For information on AFHU Hebrew University Gift Annuities, please call AFHU Midwest Region

Executive Director, Judith Shenkman at (312) 329-0332 or email: [email protected]

65

6.0%

Age

Rate

70

6.5%

75

7.1%

80

8.0%

85

9.5%

90

11.3%

What sets the AFHU Hebrew University Gift Annuity apart from all others?

MORE INCOMEFOR YOU.

RISING STARSFOR ISRAEL.

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Rates are based on a single life. Cash contributions produce annuity payments that are substantially tax-free.

CALL OR EMAIL NOW. The returns are generous. The cause is priceless.

The Hebrew University of JerusalemRESEARCH ENGINE FOR THE WORLD. ENGINE OF GROWTH FOR A NATION.

580 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1530Chicago, IL 60611 877-642-AFHU (2348) afhu.org/cga4


Many American Friends of The Hebrew University have established AFHU Hebrew University Gift Annuities. Here’s why:

Equally important, an AFHU Hebrew University Gift Annuity helps to provide future support for The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel’s intellectual and research beacon, and fosters AFHU’s enduring mission.

To learn more about AFHU Hebrew University Gift Annuities and other forms of AFHU planned giving, please contact our national office or an AFHU office in your region. Visit us online at www.afhu.org/CGA

Earn High Lifetime Income and Strengthen Israel’s Future

HIGH FIXED-RATEINCOME FOR YOU. HUGE RETURNS FOR ISRAEL AND THE WORLD.AFHU Hebrew

University Gift Rates AGE RATE65 6.0%70 6.5%75 7.1%80 8.0%85 9.5%90 11.3%Rates are calculated based on a single life. Cash contributions produce substantially tax-free annuity income.

• An AFHU Hebrew University Gift Annuity provides secure lifetime income at fixed rates well above what is now being paid on investments in cash or fixed income instruments.

• It offers fixed rates ranging from 6.0% for people age 65 to 11.3%for age 90 and older.

• It provides an income tax charitable deduction that may reduce income taxes.

• A substantial portion of the annual annuity may be paid to the annuitant tax-free.

What sets the AFHU Hebrew UniversityGift Annuity apart from all others?

T he Mount of olives is the ancient name for the ridge of three toweringpeaks flanking the eastern edge of Jerusalem; the highest, renamed Mount Scopus in modern times, became the site of The Hebrew Universityof Jerusalem. This area has long claimed an important place in Jewish consciousness. It was from here that the universal symbol of peace, a dove

holding an olive branch, spread its wings and returned to Noah’s ark, announcingthe receding flood. Jewish scripture also associates these hills with the advent of a Messianic era. However, the choice of this location for the “University of theJewish people,” explains President, Professor Menahem Ben-Sasson, was inspiredby “a concept of a secular messianism that envisioned this university as a temple to education – grounded in Jewish precepts and Jewish teaching methods, and acting as a beacon of learning and achievement for the benefit of mankind.”

It has been 90 years since Hebrew University opened. on April l, 1925, the occasion was marked by a ceremony on Mount Scopus, where some ten thousandvisitors sat perched on the rocky outcrops of a natural amphitheater looking outacross the Judean desert. dignitaries from all over the world attended, as did thelocal Jewish, Arab and christian leadership.

Celebrating 90 Years in 2015 The past informs our future

LOOKING AHEAD: THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM

BeloW: entrance to thehebrew University rehovotcampus, home to therobert h. Smith faculty ofagriculture, food andenvironment


The nascent university had three fledgling institutes: microbiology, chemistry, andJewish Studies. By the end of its first decade, Hebrew University established twofaculties in the humanities and science. However, the world was beset by economiccrises throughout the 1930s and the university struggled to survive financially.

As World War lI drew to a close, Hebrew University made plans for large-scale expansion that would begin to address the devastation created by the Holocaust, andrebuild the legacy of the Jewish people. Those plans were curtailed when in 1948,the newly declared State of Israel found itself in an existential war with its Arabneighbors. The Mount Scopus campus, including Hadassah Hospital, was highly vulnerable to attack. on April 15, 1948, a convoy bringing supplies, doctors, nursesand patients to the hospital was ambushed. In the aftermath of the deadly assault,the campus was virtually abandoned, with only a small garrison remaining.

Undaunted, the university, now with more than 7,000 students, relocated to buildings throughout Jerusalem. classes were held in teachers’ homes; monasteries

aBoVe: the hebrewUniversity – hadassahSchool of Dental Medicinefounded by the alphaomega fraternity; etzShalom, the tree of Peacesculpture

right: the cornerstsone laying of hebrew Universityon Mount Scopus in 1918

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AFHU NEWS | 13

were rented for teaching and administrative purposes; scientific research continuedin huts that lined the Mamilla Road. The university’s medical school and HadassahHospital were re-established in a forested area known as Ein Kerem. In 1954, a 70-acre site in the undeveloped neighborhood of Givat Ram was allocated to the university. It immediately became a hive of construction activity, with the firstcampus buildings opening in 1965.

Sadly, peace was short-lived. on June 5, 1967, war again erupted with neighboringArab states. This time, triumph was swift and within four days the road to MountScopus was reopened. The campus was restored to the reunited city of Jerusalemand an extensive program of rebuilding was initiated. In 1981 the Faculties of SocialSciences and Humanities returned to Mount Scopus after an absence of more than 30 years. The expansion of the university has continued with dedication anddetermination, making it one of the great universities of the world.

Hebrew University’s scholarly and scientific contributions have made a positiveimpact on every field of human endeavor. The university’s global reputation is resulting in a “brain gain,” explains Professor Ronnie Friedman, Vice President ofAdvancement and External Relations and former dean of the Robert H. SmithFaculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment. outstanding Israeli academics whowere working in prestigious institutes abroad are returning home to take up newlyestablished positions at Hebrew University. This reversal of the “brain drain,” and its accompanying research achievements, depends on the university maintainingworld-class research facilities, states Professor Friedman.

Celebrating 90 Years in 2015 continued from previous page

BeloW: research at thefaculty of Medicine

toP right: early agricultural research

BottoM right: Students between classes on therehovot campus

LOOKING AHEAD: THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM


He identifies three essential elements that make Hebrew University anexceptional academic community: highly motivated students exposed to a teaching system rooted in the Jewish tradition of asking questions; acommitment to maintaining advanced research facilities; and an atmosphereof community which supports and nurtures academics and students. Today,the university welcomes as part of its extended family hundreds of studentsfrom places such as Africa and china.

“through education we invest in a future committed

to excellence, for the benefit of humanity.”

– ProfeSSor MenaheM Ben-SaSSon

For President Professor Ben-Sasson the concept of family also encompasses generations of diaspora Jews who have shared and supported the university’scommitment to serving mankind. “As Jews, we look to our past to inform our future,” says Professor Ben-Sasson. “Through education we invest in afuture committed to excellence for the benefit of humanity.”

Welcoming Outstanding Young Faculty

“It’s such a lively, open intellectualcommunity,” says Dr. Inbal Arnonwhen asked about why shejoined The Hebrew University’sDepartment of Psychology. Asenior lecturer in the departmentand an affiliate member of theLanguage, Logic and CognitionGroup in the Faculty ofHumanities, Dr. Arnon is pursuinginterdisciplinary studies on language acquisition. She isaddressing the question of whychildren are better languagelearners than adults, a topic thatwas the subject of her doctoralthesis at Stanford University.

Dr. Arnon explains, “My researchis undermining traditional assumptions as to why childrenare better learners, and suggestspractical ways to enhance language learning in adults.”Part of this work is being done inthe new Living Lab: a collaborative,community-oriented initiative with the Bloomfield Children’sScience Museum in Jerusalem.

Born and educated in Israel, Dr. Arnon yearned to build hercareer in Jerusalem. “I was fueled by a desire to be part of a community to which I feel aresponsibility. This holds true for both Israel’s academic community and Israeli society as a whole.”

AFHU NEWS | 15www.afhu.org

F rom the perspective of today’s headlines, conflict isgrowing, and militarism is on the rise. However,from the panoramic rooftop of The Harry S. TrumanResearch Institute for the Advancement of Peace onMount Scopus, a new perspective – one that begins in

Jerusalem and extends far beyond the horizon – is providing hopefor a better future. combining top-level scholarship with real-world initiatives, the Truman Institute is a unique environment where coalitionsof academics, policy makers and community leaders come together to alterthe strategic calculus and to promote the trust that is necessary for peace.

celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015, the Truman Institute was the first peace research institute in Israel and remains its largest, with more than a hundred research fellows. It sponsors an equal number of events, most open to the public, each year. According to Academic director, Professor Menahem Blondheim, the scope of institute activities has created a rich intellectual environment in which new ideas can take root.

“the truman institute offers a powerful model

for promoting dialogue and for working

toward the resolution of regional conflicts.”

– ProfeSSor MenaheM BlonDheiM

“Truman scholars come from universities and colleges in Israel and from leading institutes around the world to pursue research related to the Middle East, as well as Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe,” says Professor Blondheim, an expert in history, communication and media who studied at Hebrew University and Harvard. “We train young diplomats, and through our Abba Eban centre for Israeli diplomacy we host ambassadors, foreign ministers and policy makers for briefings. The Truman Peace Prize has been awarded to leaders who have made significant contributions to the pursuit of peace in troubled areas. Balancing academic research with a wide range of practical projects that require ‘brainstorming’ among experts who would not otherwise

50th Anniversary of The Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace

EXPANDING HORIZONS OF HOPE


meet, the Truman Institute offers a powerful model for promoting dialogue and working toward the resolution of regional conflicts.”

Promoting local dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians has long been a focus while some of the institute’s initiatives cast a wider net. “This past September we sponsored an international conference in crete in which Israelis and their colleaguesfrom abroad discussed how the Mediterranean Basin’s natural gas reserves could be leveraged as a basis for economic partnership and regional stability,” says NaamaShpeter, Truman Institute’s administrative director. “Even in a time when tensions were high due to the Gaza war, this working group included experts from Lebanon,Jordan, Algeria and, for the first time, even Saudi Arabia. This shows the value of thebridge we create.”

According to dr. Micha’el Tanchum, a Truman researcher who is an expert on Islamand politics in Turkey, Iran and central Asia, and who was a delegate to the energy conference, the idea of “peace economics” can promote stability. “The proposed Israelisale of natural gas to Egypt has added to Egypt’s support for Israel,” he says, “and economic cooperation may eventually encourage countries like Turkey to restore fulland friendly relations. This practical engagement incentivizes regional cooperation.”

Ambassador William A. Brown, longtime chair and current Acting chair of the Boardof Trustees, is proud to note that despite massive changes that have taken place in the geo-political realm, the respect given to the Truman Institute has remained constant. “Truman is highly influential because it is the only research institute for theadvancement of peace in the entire Middle East,” he says. Ambassador Brown adds that while other organizations do important work, they tend to be based on advocacyrather than analysis. “By supporting the work of outstanding Ph.d.s and post-doctoralresearchers and by bringing in important speakers, we make a unique contribution.”

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at left, aBoVe: PreSiDent

harry S. trUMan

at left, BeloW: hU PreSiDent

eliahU elath at a ceremonyinaugurating the trumaninstitute

aBoVe: Media coverage of war and terrorist activity was the focus of a conference held to mark the publication of Transforming MediaCoverage of ViolentConflicts: The New Face of War. the book wasauthored by truman scholars Dr. zohar kampfand Professor tamarliebes.


continued from previous page


50th Anniversary of the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace

EXPANDING HORIZONS OF HOPE A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

aBoVe: henry kiSSinger speaks withProfeSSor ShloMo aVineri

BeloW: the truman researchers of 2014are exploring vital topics, among these:speech acts of threats and condemnationin different conflicts; the role of popularnarratives of homeland and identity inthe resolution of international territorialconflict; the arab christian population of Jaffa, whose language is shifting from arabic to hebrew; the role of private peace entrepreneurs in conflict resolution; and ways in which womencross “borders” outside their personaland cultural territory.

Hebrew University Rector, Professor Asher cohen, points out that another factor in the institute’s success is its independence. “Rather than operatingunder the rubric of one of our academic faculties, Truman is administeredjointly by the university and an independent board of trustees,” he says.“The Hebrew University is proud of its dual role as a leading research institution and as an active player in the promotion of the public good.”

celebrating this double legacy will be at the heart of the upcoming 50th anniversary festivities. While preparations for the Jubilee celebrationsare under way, the Truman Institute community will continue with whatAcademic director Blondheim describes as “a humbling exercise in failureand fortitude.”

“Every day, before I start work, I climb up to the roof of the institute, look out over Jerusalem, and say to myself: we have to bring all our energyand goodwill to bear, to find a peaceful solution for this amazing environment,” he says. “Just because we haven’t succeeded yet, doesn’tmean it’s not possible.”

The 100th Anniversary of Einstein’s Discovery of General Relativity

In 2015, the world will celebratethe anniversary of AlbertEinstein’s greatest intellectualachievement: the 100thanniversary of Einstein’s

discovery of general relativity.Professor Hanoch Gutfreund,director of the EinsteinArchives and an eminent theoretical physicist, spokewith AFHU about Einstein. VisitAFHU’s discoveries podcastseries and listen to ProfessorGutfreund’s interview atafhu.org/discoveries/.

Einstein’s theoriesapply to everyday life. For example, technologies such asthe Global PositioningSystem (GPS) areonly possible with the knowledge of relativity. The GPSsatellites orbiting the Earth must beprecisely synced with GPS receiverson the ground inorder to functionproperly; their synchronization isachieved through a constant stream of radio signals transmitted back and forth throughspace. With thesetransmissions, however, the earth’s gravitational field willdistort the perception of time on a satellite comparedwith a GPS receiver on earth, causing GPS locators to significantly miscalculate positions. If scientists could not

correct for gravity’s effect on time, the GPS would not be possible.

Einstein’s contributions to humanity extend beyond revolutionary theorems of physics. Einstein was active in founding The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and authored Hebrew University’s mission statement,expressing his vision for the university as an international center of learning, “a place where the universality of the human spirit manifests itself.” (The Mission of our University, 1925)

Albert Einstein remained committed to The HebrewUniversity throughout his life, bequeathing his intellectuallegacy to the institution. Thousands of scientific papers,letters and personal journals have been compiled into the Albert Einstein Archives and can be accessed atalberteinstein.info/.

AFHU NEWS | 19

A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

www.afhu.org

hebrew University founders alBert

einStein and chaiM WeizMann

alBert einStein, who raised funds on behalf of the hebrewUniversity, visited new york

Crowdfunding Levels the Financial Playing Field for Women Entrepreneurs

Crowdfunding is a recent form of fundraising that involves funding projects orventures by raising small amounts of money from many people, usually via the

Internet. Researchers from The Jerusalem School of Business Administration at TheHebrew University, dr. dan Marom and Professor orly Sade, along with colleaguesfrom Uc Berkeley, studied a major Internet crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter, and compared the ability of men and women, respectively, to get their projects

funded. Researchers found that although on average, men on Kickstarter asked for and received more business seedmoney than women, women enjoyed a 69.5% success rate in getting their projects funded versus 61.4% for men. Thestudy results are encouraging for women entrepreneurs who have traditionally struggled to obtain business investmentcompared with their male colleagues. The project was cited in The New york Times (August 18, 2014).

Novel System Prevents Microbial Contamination of Food Packaging

Water alone may not be enough to wash away the harmful germs clinging to the surfaces of the fruits

and vegetables that we eat every day. Even after we wash produce, resilient germs called bacterial biofilm can survive and multiply on the surface of produce as well as on the packages growers use to ship theirproducts. Kaye Prize Winner, Michael Brandwein, a graduate student mentored by Professor doronSteinberg at The Hebrew University’s Biofilm ResearchLaboratory at the dental faculty, discovered a new molecule that prevents bacteria biofilm from reproducing.Mr. Brandwein’s synthesized polymer called TZd interferes with bacterial and fungal reproduction. yissum,

Hebrew University’s technology transfer company, patented the design for the TZd anti-biofilm polymer and has partnered with B.G. Tech of Kibbutz Beit Guvrin for further development.

20 | AFHU NEWS

Mobileye is the Biggest-Ever Israeli IPO in the U.S.

Mobileye technology, with its patented EyeQ® chip, prevents automobile collisions before they happen. The Israeli startup founded by Amnon

Shashua, the Sachs Family Professor of computer Sciences at The HebrewUniversity of Jerusalem, raised a record-breaking $890 million in its initialpublic offering on NASdAQ on August 1, 2014. Mobileye software is being installed in cars and trucks from BMW, Mercedes, Ford and othermanufacturers, keeping drivers safe by alerting them to unintended lane departures or collisions. By 2016, Mobileye expects to produce ahands-free highway driving system.

www.afhu.org

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

l–r: Michael BranDWein and ProfeSSor Doron SteinBerg

AFHU NEWS | 21

Technology to Help the Visually Impaired “Hear” Colors and Shapes

New technology developed by Professor Amir Amedifrom the Edmond and Lily Safra center for Brain

Sciences allows the visually impaired to “see” the visualworld with their ears. Using Sensory Substitution devices(SSds)—a special camera mounted to a headset—and anew app for the IPhone called EyeMusic, the visual worldis scanned and translated into auditory representations. The EyeMusic app takes colors and shapes captured by the SSd camera and converts them into “Soundscapes,”with different instruments corresponding to colors and pitch corresponding to the height of the objects.

Yissum and Lockheed Martin to Fly High in Joint Research Agreement

Lockheed Martin, a global security and aerospace company, strengthened its relationship with Israel when it agreed to a long-term research deal with yissum, the technology transfer company of Hebrew University. While being known

for its defense and weapons work, Lockheed Martin also has a large IT division and is the largest IT solutions providerto the U.S. federal government.

Atox Bio Treats a Rare Disease with New Success

Necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI)—commonly known as “flesh-eating” bacteria—is a frightening condition with few effective treatment options. doctors typically treat NSTI with powerful antibiotics and emergency surgery,

but such methods are not always effective. Studies conducted by Hebrew University’s Raymond Kaempfer, the dr. Philip M. Marcus Professor of Molecular

Biology and cancer Research, and dr. Gila Arad, have produced a promising new treatment to combat NSTI. Their new therapy, AB103, is an immunomodulator that does not directly attack the bacterial infection, as an antibiotic would, but which helps bolster the patient’s own immune system to fight the NSTI. AB103’s initial success in clinical trials has led to the establishment of a new startup, Atox Bio. Investors recently raised $23 million for further development of AB103.

Questioning the Jewish Identity of the Khazars

It turns out that the ninth-century Khazars, whose kingdom spanned the caucus Mountainsbetween the caspian and Black Seas, were not Jewish after all. Shaul Stampfer, the Rabbi

Edward Sandrow Professor of Soviet and East European Jewry at The Hebrew University,argues in the Jewish Social Studies Journal: Volume 19, Number 3, that the Khazars neverconverted to Judaism despite popular myths suggesting otherwise. Professor Stampfer’spaper critiques various popular and academic literature supporting the Jewish Khazar conversion theory.

www.afhu.org

ACCOLADES


A HIGH RANKING FOR HEBREW UNIVERSITYThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem is ranked first in Israel, third in Asia, and 70th worldwide in the 2014 academicranking of top universities. The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), is conducted annually by the center forWorld-class Universities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and is considered the most objective and important rankingsystem in the academic sphere.

THE 2014 RAPPAPORT PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCHdr. yaakov Nahmias, director of Hebrew University's Alexander Grass center forBioengineering, received the 2014 Rappaport Prize for Excellence in BiomedicalResearch. dr. Nahmias was recognized for his innovations and scientific leadership,including his discovery that naringenin, a grapefruit flavonoid, is capable of blockingvirus production. dr. Nahmias also established Biodesign-Israel, a joint effort of theHadassah Medical center, the HU School of Business Administration and theAlexander Grass center for Bioengineering, to spearhead innovative medical devices.

QLIGHT NANOTECH WINS BEST NANOTECHNOLOGY COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARDQlight Nanotech, developer of products based on semiconductor nanocrystals for usein flat panel displays and efficient LEd lighting, won the Best Nanotechnology companyof the year Award at the NanoIsrael 2014 conference. Qlight Nanotech was foundedby Professor Uri Banin, the incumbent of the Alfred & Erica Larisch Memorial chair at the Institute of chemistry. Professor Banin was the founding director of the HarveyM. Krueger Family center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

THE ISRAEL PRIZE, 2014

PROFESSOR JAACOV KATAN, AGRICULTURAL RESEARCHProfessor Jaacov Katan, the Buck Family Professor Emeritus of Plant Pathology and a HebrewUniversity alumnus, was awarded the Israel Prize for his work in developing an environmentally safe,solar energy-based method to manage soil-borne pests.

PROFESSOR HAIM LEVY, POLITICAL AND MANAGERIAL SCIENCEThe Israel Prize for Political and Managerial Science was conferred upon Professor Haim Levy, the Myles S. Robinson Professor Emeritus, Jerusalem School of Business Administration.

PROFESSOR MARTA WEINSTOCK-ROSIN, MEDICINEProfessor Marta Weinstock-Rosin, the Leon and Minna deutsch chair ofPsycho-pharmacology and Professor Emeritus of the School of Pharmacy –Institute for drug Research, received the Israel Prize for developing the block-buster drug Exelon and other pharmaceutical treatments for diseases such asAlzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

THE EMET PRIZE, 2014Professor Itzchak Zamir, an alumnus of The Hebrew University Faculty of Law, former faculty member and the faculty’s 12th dean, is the co-recipient of the 2014 EMET Prize in Law. The EMET prize is awarded by the AMN Foundation, under the sponsorship of Israel’s Prime Minister,to individuals whose academic and professional achievements have contributed to society.


WE CONGRATULATE Professor Amnon ShashuaFROM A REVOLUTIONARY CHIP TO A RECORD-BREAKING IPOMobileye, invented by Amnon Shashua, The Sachs Family Professor of Computer Science and

Engineering at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, raised $890 million in its U.S. IPO—the largest in Israel’s history.

By the end of this year, 160 car models from eighteen manufacturers will be equipped with this

revolutionary life-saving collision-avoidance system. EyeQ®, Mobileye’s System-on-Chip, provides

real-time visual recognition and scene interpretation for cars and trucks, preventing accidents and

saving countless lives every day.

American Friends of The Hebrew University salutes Professor Shashua and all The Hebrew University

innovators who are making our world a better, safer place. For more information about The Hebrew

University innovation, please call AFHU National Executive Director, Beth Asnien McCoy at

(212) 607-8555 or email: [email protected]


One Battery Park Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10004 800-567-AFHU (2348) afhu.org

American Friends of The Hebrew University salutes Professor Shashua and all The Hebrew

University innovators who are making our world a better, safer place. For more information

about the Hebrew University innovation, please contact AFHU’s national office in your region.

WE CONGRATULATE Professor Amnon ShashuaFROM A REVOLUTIONARY CHIP TO A RECORD-BREAKING IPOMobileye, invented by Amnon Shashua, The Sachs Family Professor of Computer Science and

Engineering at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, raised $890 million in its U.S. IPO—the largest in Israel’s history.

By the end of this year, 160 car models from eighteen manufacturers will be equipped with this

revolutionary life-saving collision-avoidance system. EyeQ®, Mobileye’s System-on-Chip, provides

real-time visual recognition and scene interpretation for cars and trucks, preventing accidents and

saving countless lives every day.

American Friends of The Hebrew University salutes Professor Shashua and all The Hebrew University

innovators who are making our world a better, safer place. For more information about The Hebrew

University innovation, please call AFHU National Executive Director, Beth Asnien McCoy at

(212) 607-8555 or email: [email protected]


One Battery Park Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10004 800-567-AFHU (2348) afhu.org

Ambassador Stuart Bernstein and WilmaBernstein received the national Scopus Award onJanuary 18, 2014, at a gala held at the BreakersHotel in Palm Beach, Florida. The Bernsteins,prior Scopus honorees, were lauded for their

dedication to Israel, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem,and AFHU’s mission.

For more than five decades, Ambassador StuartBernstein has been a leader in real estate developmentin the Mid-Atlantic Region. He has served as ambassadorto the Kingdom of denmark and as a commissioner ofthe International cultural and Trade center. AmbassadorBernstein is also a member of the National Financecommittee for the George W. Bush Presidential center.

Wilma Bernstein has maintained a lifelong commitmentto cultural, philanthropic and political pursuits. A trusteeof the Kennedy center for the Performing Arts, she serveson the Board of Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies. She has chaired and co-chaired events forthe Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, the Ambassador’s Ball for Israel Bonds, the 50th Anniversary of the State of Israel and the125th Anniversary of Adas Israel congregation.

co-chairs of the gala were Roberta and Stanley Bogen, Suellen andMelvyn (z”l) Estrin, Barbara and Richard Rothschild, Judy and RobertSnyder, and Robbi and Bruce Toll. The elegant event supported HebrewUniversity’s Edmond and Lily Safra center for Brain Sciences.

Scopus AwardsSOUTHEAST REGION

AFHU EVENTS: HONORING OUR OWN

aBoVe: WilMa and aMBaSSaDor WilliaM

BernStein

BeloW l-r: Dinner chairs: SUellen eStrin,richarD and BarBara rothSchilD, roBBi

and BrUce toll, roBerta and Stanley

Bogen and JUDy and roBert SnyDer



Sir Martin Sorrell, founder and cEo of WPP, theworld’s leading communications services group,received AFHU’s national Scopus Award onNovember 6, 2014 in New york. The successfulgala was chaired by Ronald o. Perelman. Among

the evening’s highlights was a spirited conversationbetween charlie Rose, the renowned journalist andbroadcast anchor, and Sir Martin. Guests included manyleaders in the global media and communications industries.

Sir Martin Sorrell, who was recognized as “one of the world’s most influential figures in business,” by TIME Magazine, is a dedicatedphilanthropist and humanitarian. “I am honored and extremely flattered to receivethe Scopus Award,” said Sir Martin. “Throughits Nobel Prize-winning research and historyof academic success, The Hebrew Universityis one of the finest institutions of higherlearning in the world.”

The congenial event raised more than $1 million in support of The HebrewUniversity of Jerusalem.

Vice chairmen of the Scopus gala were:donald A. Baer of Burson-Marsteller, Bank of America, Phillippe dauman of Viacom,

discovery communications, Irwin Gotlieb of GroupM,christopher Graves of oglivy Public Relations, James R.Heekin of Grey Group, donna Imperato of cohn & Wolfe,Lois Jacobs of Landor Associates, Bob Jeffrey of JWT,Robert K. Kraft, Jack Martin of Hill+Knowlton Strategies,Avner Mendelson of Bank Leumi USA, daniel Morel of Wunderman, curt Myers of davis & Gilbert LLP, Newscorporation, david Sable of y&R, Eric Salama of Kantar,Jon Steinberg of daily Mail, Miles young of oglivy &Mather, Time Inc. and condé Nast.

GREATER NEW YORK REGION

l-r: hebrew University Vice PreSiDent, ProfeSSor ronnie frieDMan, aMBaSSaDor ron

ProSor, roBert kraft and Sir Martin Sorrell

l-r: honoree Sir Martin Sorrell, charlie roSe and ronalD o. PerelMan, Scopus gala chairman

O n September 13, 2014, Bari and Steven Good and Ronda and Barry Lippman received theHumanitarian Torch of Learning Award at the glamourous Bel Air Affaire fundraisingevening held in Los Angeles. The Goods

and the Lippmans were recognized for their dynamicleadership and Jewish communal service. Both coupleshave strong connections to the LA Jewish community and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Earlier this year, Bari and Steve Good were recognizedas Guardians during The Hebrew University’s Board ofGovernors meeting. Steve Good is a consultant, a certifiedpublic accountant and a retired senior partner ofcohnReznick LLc. Active in numerous local charities, heserves on AFHU’s national board of directors. devoted

to many types of community service, Bari Good is the former president of the National council of JewishWomen (NcJW), Los Angeles section. She has worked with NcJW to counsel women and help children to overcome learning disabilities.

Fellow Humanitarian Torch of Learning recipients, Ronda and Barry Lippman, have helped propel AFHU’s mission and fostered diverse philanthropic causes. BarryLippman, president and founder of West coast Roofing,co., is a governor of Hebrew University’s Board ofGovernors and serves on AFHU’s national board. He is apast president of the Western regional board. RondaLippman, a professional travel agent with PlazaTravel/calig, serves as a board member of the LosAngeles chapter on the crohn’s and colitis Foundation of


l–r: honorees Barry and rhonDa liPPMan and Bari and SteVen gooD


Humanitarian Torch of Learning AwardsWESTERN REGION

The Bel Air Affaire


America and is a Lion of Judah with the Jewish Federationof Greater Los Angeles.

This year’s Bel Air Affaire, the seventh such event, wasthemed “Architecture in Motion.” The evening raised arecord-breaking $900,000 for student scholarships and was generously supported by Brindell Gottlieb. A national board member, HebrewUniversity Benefactor and recipient of an Honorary Fellowship, Brindell Gottlieb hosted the Bel Air Affaire for six years at her own lovely home, The Milton,named in memory of her beloved husband.

The 2014 Bel Air Affaire provided aunique architectural experience for 260 guests, who were welcomed to thebeautiful and scenic hilltop home ofAnthony and Jeanne Pritzker.

Hebrew University special guest speakers were Professor Shy Arkin, Vice President for Research and

development, and dr. daniel-Robert chebat, a post-doctoral fellow at the Edmond and Lily Safra centerfor Brain Sciences.

co-chairs of the unique event were Renae Jacobs-Ansonand dr. david Anson and Helen Jacobs-Lepor and dr. Norman Lepor. Honorary chairs were Western Regionchair, Patricia L. Glaser and Sam Mudie, and May andRichard Ziman, former chair of the Western Region.

l–r: event chairs Dr. DaViD anSon and renae JacoBS-anSon, Bel air affaire founder and sponsor BrinDell gottlieB, event chairs helen

JacoBS-lePor and Dr. norMan lePor

RIGHT: Diavolo, a celebrateddance troupe, performed

O n May 20, 2014, Susan E.Brune and Edward G.Turan accepted the 44thGeorge A. Katz Torch ofLearning Award before an

audience filled with friends, colleaguesand family. The prominent attorneys were recognized for their careerachievements and civic involvement.Proceeds from the luncheon providedfunding for the clinical Legal Educationcenter at Hebrew University’s Faculty of Law.

Susan E. Brune, a partner at Brune& Richard LLP, has been recognizedfor excellence in the practice of law bychambers USA and is the recipient ofthe Thurgood Marshall Award foroutstanding Practitioner. In additionto representing clients in criminal and regulatory proceedings, and incommercial litigation, Susan Bruneprovides counsel for entities in the financial services and energyindustries. She has served as anAssistant United States Attorney forthe Southern district of New york.Susan is a member of the Board of Trustees of the criminal JusticeFoundation and is active in the Mccarton Foundation, which seeksto empower autistic individuals through educational means.

Edward G. Turan is among the most respected in-house attorneyson Wall Street, serving as Special counsel and a Managing directorof citigroup. He previously served as Head of Litigation for citi’s Investment Bank. A member of the Securities Industry andFinancial Markets Association (SIFMA), Edward Turan serves on the clearinghouse Litigation committee and on the Board of directors of the Urban Justice center, from which he received thecommunity Justice Award.

Guest speakers for the George A. Katz Torch of Learning Awardluncheon were Bret Stephens, deputy Editorial Page Editor of The Wall Street Journal and Professor yuval Shany, dean of HU’sFaculty of Law. Event co-chairs were Barry H. Berke, Brad S. Karp,Andrew J. Levander, George A. Schieren, Jane c. Sherburne, Rohan S. Weerasinghe and Richard d. Weinberg.


Torch of Learning AwardsGREATER NEW YORK REGION

honorees SUSan e. BrUne and eDWarD g. tUran


keynote speaker Bret StePhenS


P rominent attorney Alan B. cohn waspresented withthe Torch of

Learning Award onSeptember 18, 2014, at the Marriott HarborBeach Resort & Spa inFort Lauderdale, Florida. The notable event benefited The HebrewUniversity’s pediatriccancer research efforts.

Mr. cohn is a shareholder atGreenspoon MarderLaw in Fort Lauderdaleand has extensiveexperience in tax, estateand probate law. He has been named onannual lists of Super Lawyers and selected as a “Top RatedLawyer” by ALM and Martindale-Hubbellin Taxation since 2012.

Highly regarded as a civic and Jewish communal leader, Alan cohn serves onthe boards of the Broward PerformingArts Foundation, Nova SoutheasternUniversity, Rotary club of FortLauderdale/cypress creek, I care I curechildhood cancer Foundation, JewishFederation of Broward county, Jewish community Foundation ofBroward, Israel Bonds, Jewish FamilyService, Inc. of Broward county, the Rose and Jack orloff central Agency for Jewish Education, Israel Elwyn,University of Florida Hillel and Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El.

The award dinner was chaired byGerald Greenspoon, Alan P. Fiske, andSheri Fiske Schultz.

SOUTHEAST REGION

l-r: afhU SoUtheaSt region PreSiDent, Mitchell l. ShaDoWitz, torch of learning honoree alan B.cohn, esq. and afhU SoUtheaSt region PaSt PreSiDent, ShelDon hechtMan

l–r:Dinner chairs Sheri fiSke SchUltz, alan P. fiSke and aDrienne fiSke


American Friends of The Hebrew Universityhonored William J. Kilbergwith the Torch ofLearning Award on

September 17, 2014. The eventsupported the Aharon Barakcenter for Interdisciplinary LegalResearch at HU’s Faculty of Law.Keynote remarks were provided byU.S. congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin’s First district.

Mr. Kilberg is the most senior partner in the Labor andEmployment Law Practice Group atGibson, dunn & crutcher LLP,arguing significant matters beforeeight United States courts ofAppeals and the United States Supreme court. In 1973, President RichardNixon appointed him as the Solicitor for the U.S. department of Labor. He served as Associate Solicitor of Labor, General counsel of the FederalMediation and conciliation Service and as a White House Fellow and Special Assistant to Secretary of Labor George P. Shultz. In 1982, PresidentRonald Reagan appointed Mr. Kilberg to the commission on White HouseFellowships.

Recently, Mr. Kilberg served as a co-chair of the National Financecommittees for the John Mccain and Mitt Romney presidential campaignsand as chair of the Policy committee on Labor for the Romney campaign.

A dedicated American Friend, William Kilberg serves on the AFHU Mid-Atlantic Region Board. He is onthe board of The Potomac School, the Virginia Israel Advisory Boardand serves on the United StatesHolocaust Memorial MuseumLawyers committee.

The lively dinner was chaired byFred and Marlene Malek. Serving as honorary chairs were The Honorabledick cheney and The HonorableLynne cheney, the HonorableGeorge P. Shultz, Senator JohnMccain, Senator Tim Kaine, The Honorable Mitt Romney, TheHonorable Eric cantor, and The Honorable Joseph Lieberman.

Torch of Learning AwardsMID-ATLANTIC REGION

aBoVe: WilliaM J. kilBerg (c) accepts the torch of learning award presented by teD olSon (l) and freD Malek (r)

BeloW l–r: congreSSMan PaUl ryan,BoBBie kilBerg, the honoraBle rUth

BaDer ginSBUrg and WilliaM kilBerg



On January 19, 2014, more than 250 AmericanFriends participated in AFHU's AnnualLeadership Education Forum (ALEF) in PalmBeach, FL. Entitled “Advancing Israel’s Future,” the event featured Hebrew University faculty

and speakers from other leading institutions. Topicsranged from Middle East affairs to interdisciplinary brainsciences.

Hebrew University presenters included: Professor ShyArkin, Vice President for Research and development;Professor Elie Podeh, former chair of the department ofIslamic and Middle Eastern Studies; Professor HermonaSoreq, the charlotte Slesinger Professor of MolecularNeuroscience; and dr. Zvi Granot, an outstanding youngspecialist in cancer research and biology. congressmanTed deutch of Florida’s 21st district offered opening

remarks and William Kristol, founder and editor of TheWeekly Standard, was the keynote speaker.

Annual Leadership Education Forum SOUTHEAST REGION

Nearly 500 guests attended a “Weekend of Learning” in and around cleveland from June 27-29, 2014. Incisive discussions on Israeli politics and democracywere led by Professor Reuven Hazan, chair of the Faculty of Political Science at The Hebrew University. Event co-chairs Ellen cohn and Victor cohn, an AFHU Board of Regents member, hosted a cordial reception in their home.

co-chairs for the Weekend of Learning were: carol and Scott Burg, Rina and SamuelFrankel, Elaine and Beno Michel, and Barbara and Norman Wain.

A Weekend of LearningMIDWEST REGION

l–r: Middle east affairs panel featuring Dr. Michael Doran, theroger hertog fellow at the Brookings institute’s Saban center,ProfeSSor elie PoDeh, aMBaSSaDor WilliaM BernStein (moderator),Stanley Bogen, afhU honorary PreSiDent and honorary

chairMan, and aMBaSSaDor carMi gillon (at podium)

ANew Jersey scholarship luncheon drew guests to Le Jardin Restaurant in Edgewater, New Jersey

on June 18, 2014. Hosted and chaired by Lucille Amster, Hebrew University Benefactor and AFHU Board of Regents member, the event provided scholarships for students at The HebrewUniversity’s Koret School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Gillian Dank, a Koret School alumna and Israel’s foremost veterinary oncologist, spoke about animal welfare. The luncheon was co-chaired by Yvette Tekel and Martha Zilbert.

Supporting Our Students

l–r: Dr. gillian Dank, raMBo aMSter and lUcille

ProfeSSor reUVen hazan

AFHU EVENTS


New york Governor Andrew cuomo visited Israel as part of a solidarity

delegation that included several New york state legislative leaders. on Wednesday, August 13, 2014, thegovernor met with overseas studentsfrom New york studying at TheRothberg International School of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

ALUMNI NEWS

Dr. cheBat and alumni of hebrew University from the new york area

ProfeSSor Shy arkin meets alumni before his presentation,“from research to application.”

Dr. Daniel-roBert cheBat shares how the “voice” technologyaids the visually impaired.

cliVe kaBatznik, chair, afhU alUMni relationS speaks with fellowalumni at the october event.

T his year AFHU launched a dynamic alumnioutreach initiative. created to reconnect classmates, the alumni initiative helps keepalumni engaged and provides news and

updates from our favorite alma mater, HebrewUniversity. To sign up and receive information aboutnews and programs, visit alumni.afhu.org or emailAlana cooper at [email protected].

SEPTEMBER ALUMNI EVENT IN NYC

INAUGURAL BAY AREA ALUMNI EVENING


In RemembranceWe mourn the passing of

Sylvia Amada

Morton Amsterdam

Yigal Arnon

Harold Berry

Sanfurd Bluestein

Patte Bogen Roberts

Leah Eisemann Conn

Jennie “Jay” Coral

Gisela Kohn Dollinger

Daniel Drench

Melvyn Estrin

Leah Bornstein Franklin

Herman Gelman

Ralph I. Goldman

Abner Golieb

Sylvia K. Hassenfeld

Anne Heyman

Jacqueline Jubas

Sara Hirsch Kaplan

Richard M. Karp

Eleanor Meyerhoff Katz

Dr. Herbert J. Kayden

Marjorie Kohrman

David Btech Levy

Ambassador Samuel W. Lewis

Margit Lowenstein

Robert L. Marcalus

Irene Newman

Jean Richek

Helen C. Rowen

Sara Sandler

Dr. Wilbur Schwartz

Esther Seiden

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon

Letty Stein

Harriet Turan

Gerhard J.Weir

Helen Ziman


4 N I G H T S I N T H E S S A L O N I K I + 2 N I G H T S I N S O F I A + 5 N I G H T S I N J E R U S A L E M

AFHU PRESIDENT’S MISSION TO

GREECE, BULGARIA AND ISRAELMAY 23– JUNE 3, 2015

In Thessaloniki, Greecel Receive private tours of ancient and Jewish Thessaloniki;

visit the central Synagogue, the Jewish Museum, the Holocaust Memorial

l Journey through history at the Museum of Byzantine culture, the historic Rotunda and the ornate Arch of Galerius

In Sofia, Bulgarial discover the unique architecture of the Rila Monastery and

explore Sofia’s magnificent Great Synagoguel Enjoy a VIP reception with the Israeli ambassador to Bulgaria

at the National Archaeological Museum

Jerusalem, Israell Experience the festivities surrounding the 90th anniversary

of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the 50th anniversary of the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace

l Learn from Israeli political dignitaries and international leaders during the 78th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of The Hebrew University

For more information, contact Judith Shenkman at (312) 329-0332 or [email protected]


REGION DATE EVENT

Southeast Region JANUARY 18 Palm Beach Annual Leadership Education forum (ALEF)Making a Global ImpactThe Four Seasons Palm Beach – Palm Beach, Florida

Southeast Region JANUARY 18 Palm Beach Gala 10th Anniversary celebration, A Night in the Garden of EdenHonoring: diane Belfer, Wilma Bernstein, Roberta Bogen, Barbara Eichner, Sherry Endelson, Ellen Levy, Barbara Rothschild, Louise Stein (z”l ), Joy Weinberger, Lois Zelman Mar-a-Lago – Palm Beach, Florida

National JANUARY 19 National Board of directors MeetingThe Four Seasons Palm Beach - Palm Beach, Florida

Greater New York MARCH 12 45th George A. Katz Torch of Learning Award LuncheonRegion Honoring Meredith E. Kotler, Partner, cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, LLP

cipriani, New york

Western Region APRIL 20 Harvey L. Silbert Torch of Learning Award 2015 Law Society dinner Honoring Jonathan Anschell, Exec VP and General counsel, cBS Television, & dick Volpert, Sr. Partner, Glaser Weil LLP co-chairs: Patricia Glaser, chuck Hershson, Leslie Moonves, Lynne Silbert, Peter Weil The Beverly Hilton - Beverly Hills, california

National MAY 3 AFHU Annual Board of directors MeetingNew york

Midwest Region MAY 23–JUNE 3 President’s Mission 2015 Thessaloniki, Greece, Sofia, Bulgaria and Israel

National MAY 29–JUNE 3 78th Hebrew University International Board of Governors Meeting Jerusalem

Learn more about these and other events at www.afhu.org/events

AFHUnewsPublished by American Friends of The Hebrew University One Battery Park Plaza, 25th Fl., New York, NY 10004-1405

Tel: (212) 607-8500 1-800-567-AFHU (2348) Fax: (212) 809-4430 E-mail: [email protected] website: www.afhu.org

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PACIFIC NORTHWESTREGION

(415) 231-6720

Daniel I. SchlessingerPresident

Michael S. KurtzChairman of the Board

Beth Asnien McCoyNational Executive Director

Linda ZiskNational Director of Development

James L. RothkopfChief Financial Officer

Daniel RutbergChief Information Officer

Joyce GrossmanNational Executive Director,Marketing Communications

SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS IN 2015

AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY

One Battery Park Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10004-1405

Non-Profit org.U.S. PostagePAID

New york, NyPermit No. 811

SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 2015

MAKING A GLOBAL IMPACT

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For more information, contact Laura Abrams at (561) 750-8585 or [email protected]

afhu news fall 2014

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