Professor Batya Hurgin, Renowned Musicologist, Passes Away at 97

Bar-Ilan University announced with deep sorrow the passing of Professor Batya Hurgin at the age of 97. A leading figure in the study of classical music worldwide, she founded Bar-Ilan's Department of Music in 1970 and led it for its first 14 years until 1984. Under her visionary leadership, the department became a thriving center for rigorous musicological research, theory, performance, and musical life, establishing a professional library and broad academic programs.

Current department head praised Hurgin's lasting impact, noting that her values and broad vision continue to shape the department more than five decades later. Dr. Adina Portowitz also commemorated her dedication to music's power to nurture human potential and described her as an inspiring musician, teacher, academic, and person devoted to her path. Hurgin's death marks the end of an era for Israeli musicology.

Her funeral is scheduled for Sunday, July 26, 2026, at 6:00 PM at the "Eretz HaChayim" cemetery near Beit Shemesh.