Hebrew University Honors Nobel Laureates, Israeli Artists with Honorary Degrees
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem awarded honorary doctorates to 11 individuals on October 19, including three Nobel laureates in Economics, Israeli singer Yehuda Poliker, and three members of the Azrieli family. The ceremony, part of the Board of Governors meeting, also saw announcements of major donations: $30 million from Steven Lavine's family for a medical education center and $250 million from John Paulson for research and trauma programs. The latter donation will lead to the Mount Scopus campus being renamed the Alina and John Paulson Campus.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Hebrew University awarded honorary doctorates to 11 individuals, including three Nobel laureates.
- Israeli singer Yehuda Poliker and three members of the Azrieli family were among the honorees.
- The ceremony was part of the university's 89th annual Board of Governors meeting.
- Steven Lavine's family donated $30 million for a new medical education center.
- John Paulson made the largest donation in the university's history with $250 million.
- The Mount Scopus campus will be renamed the Alina and John Paulson Campus following Paulson's donation.
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem held a ceremony on Monday, October 19, to award honorary doctorates to 11 distinguished individuals, including Nobel laureates, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and cultural figures. Among the recipients were three Nobel Prize winners in Economics: Joshua Angrist, Joel Mokyr, and Alvin Roth. Israeli singer Yehuda Poliker and three members of the Azrieli family were also honored.
The ceremony took place on the Mount Scopus campus as part of the 89th annual meeting of the Board of Governors, held from October 16 to 20. The event recognized significant contributions to science, education, culture, and society. Professor Shafrira Goldwasser, a leading researcher in cryptography and information security and a recipient of the Turing Award, and German researcher Sabine Schmidtke, specializing in Islamic thought history, also received degrees.
Yehuda Poliker, an Israeli singer, composer, and musician, was recognized for his significant contribution to Israeli culture, blending Greek musical traditions, rock, and themes of historical memory, including the Holocaust. The Azrieli family honorees were Dana Azrieli, head of the Azrieli Group's board; Naomi Azrieli, who leads the Canadian Azrieli Foundation supporting research and Holocaust remembrance; and Sharon Azrieli, an opera singer and patron of music education.
Also awarded were American entrepreneur and philanthropist Steven Lavine and cultural figure Marc Mayer, an expert in museum studies. The ceremony, originally planned for June 2025 as part of the university's centenary, had been postponed twice due to the war with Iran. Alvin Roth published the full list of honorees on his blog prior to the event.
In conjunction with the ceremony, Steven Lavine's family announced a $30 million donation to establish a center for advanced medical education, aiming to increase physician training and integrate AI into learning. Furthermore, American investor and philanthropist John Paulson made the largest donation in the university's history, contributing $250 million for engineering and medical research and trauma support programs. In recognition of this gift, the Mount Scopus campus will be renamed the Alina and John Paulson Campus. The Hebrew University, founded in 1918 and opened in 1925, was established by figures including Albert Einstein and Chaim Weizmann and remains a leading research institution in Israel.