Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is one of Israel's oldest, largest and most important institutes of higher learning and research. It is one of eight universities in Israel and is recognized internationally as a member of the 100 most outstanding academic institutions in the world. Founded by Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Martin Buber and Chaim Weizmann, Hebrew University has developed a world renowned reputation for its studies in the sciences and in religion, a subject in which it possesses abundant resources, including the world's largest Jewish studies collection, and has been home to many seminary teachers including Gershom Scholem, Yeshayahu Leibowitz and Robert Aumann. The university has educated four of Israel's prime ministers, as well as its current president, deputy prime minister and president of the Supreme Court. Twenty-five percent of the Knesset are graduates, as are 12 of the country's 15 Supreme Court Justices. Also counted among its graduates are Nobel laureates in science and economics, leading scholars and humanists, and many of the nation's foremost professionals. Israel's Council for Higher Education recently ranked the nation's universities according to criteria of academic excellence. Hebrew University received the top ranking among all academic institutions.

History

One of the Zionist movement's dreams was to establish a Hebrew university in the Land of Israel. The establishment of the university was proposed as far back as 1884 in the Kattowitz conference of the Hibbat Zion society. A major supporter of the idea was Albert Einstein, a Jewish physicist, who later bequeathed all his property and writings to the University, currently held in the Albert Einstein Library.

The cornerstone for the university was laid in 1918, and, seven years later, on April 1, 1925, the Hebrew University campus on Mount Scopus of Jerusalem was opened at a gala ceremony attended, among others, by leaders of world Jewry including the University's chairman of the board, Chaim Weizmann, distinguished academic and communal figures, and British dignitaries including Lord Arthur James Balfour, Viscount Allenby and Sir Herbert Samuel. The university's first Chancellor was Dr Judah Magnes.

By 1947, the University had grown to become a large, well-established research and teaching institution. It comprised faculties or other units in humanities, science, medicine, education and agriculture, (the last at a campus in Rehovot); the Jewish National Library (later becoming the National Library of Israel), a University press; and an adult education center.

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the Arabs repeatedly attacked the University, located to the north east of Jerusalem, and convoys moving between the Israeli controlled section of Jerusalem and the University. After the attack on the Hadassah medical convoy in 1948, the Mount Scopus campus was cut off from the Jewish part of Jerusalem. When the Jordanian government reneged on the 1949 Armistice Agreements and refused Israeli access to the Mount Scopus campus, the University was forced to relocate to a new campus in Givat Ram in western Jerusalem which was completed in 1953. A few years later, together with the Hadassah Medical Organization, a medical science campus was built in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ein Kerem in southwest Jerusalem.

By the beginning of 1967, the students numbered 12,500, spread among the two campuses in Jerusalem and the agricultural faculty in Rehovot.

After the reunification of Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of June 1967, the University was able to go back to its original campus in Mount Scopus, which had to be reconstructed. In 1981, the construction work was completed, and the Mount Scopus campus again became the main campus of the University.

The university was again touched by conflict on July 31, 2002 when a Palestinian construction worker (a resident of East Jerusalem) exploded a bomb in the crowded "Frank Sinatra" cafeteria during lunch hour. Nine people — five Israeli citizens, three American citizens, and one citizen of both France and the United States — were killed by the deadly explosion and many more injured. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. World leaders including Kofi Annan, President Bush, and the President of the European Union issued statements of condemnation.^*^*

Libraries

The Jewish National Library is the central library of Hebrew University and one of the most accomplished book and manuscript collections in the world. It houses all materials published in Israel and attempts to acquire all materials published in the world related to the country. It possesses over 5 million books and thousands of items in special sections, many of which are unique to the world. Amongst these are the Albert Einstein Archives, Hebrew manuscripts department, Eran Laor map collection, Edelstein science collection, Gershom Scholem collection, and a unique collections of Maimonides' manuscripts and early writings. These culturally rich repositories are a destination for tourists along with the university's students.

In addition to the National Library, Hebrew University has numerous subject related libraries throughout its campuses.

Campuses

As of 2003, the University has four functioning campuses - three in Jerusalem municipal boundaries and one in Rehovot - and nearly 23,000 students. It is considered by many as one of the world's leading universities.

Mount Scopus

Mount Scopus (Hebrew: Har HaTzofim הר הצופים), in the eastern part of Jerusalem, is the primary campus for humanities and social studies.

Givat Ram (Edmund J. Safra)

Givat Ram campus contains the scientific departments, as well as The Jewish National and University Library.

Ein Kerem

The Ein Kerem campus is located in the same complex as the Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital. Although the primary focus of the campus is the medical and dental departments of the university, the molecular biology department also finds its home here.

Rehovot

The Faculty of Agriculture and the Veterinary School are located in the city of Rehovot.

Distinguished faculty

Louis Guttman, social scientist and statistician
Michael O. Rabin, computer scientist and mathematician, 1976 Turing Award recipient
Avi Wigderson, computer scientist and mathematician
Daniel Kahneman, 2002 Nobel Prize laureate for Economics
Robert Aumann, 2005 Nobel Prize laureate for Economics
Ephraim Halevy, former Director General of Mossad
Aharon Katzir, chemist
Gershom Scholem, professor of Jewish mysticism
Martin Buber, professor of religion

Alumni

In 2004, three graduates of the University received the Nobel Prize (David Gross in physics; Aaron Ciechanover and Avram Hershko in chemistry).

Presidents of Israel: Yitzhak Navon, Moshe Katsav
Prime Ministers of Israel: Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert
Deputy Prime Minister of Israel: Yigael Yadin
Members of the Knesset:
Archaeologists: Amihai Mazar, Eilat Mazar, Yigael Yadin
Activists: Yael Dayan
Writers: Amos Oz
Winner of Des Lee Visiting Lectureship in Global Awareness at Webster University: Leonard Suransky

External links

Educational institutions established in 1918 | Universities in Israel | Education in Jerusalem

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