News Release
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The Hebrew University of Jerusalemהאוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים
Leading Financiers, Authors, Scientists, Theologians Among Ten
Receiving Honorary Doctorates at HebrewUniversity
Jerusalem, June 7, 2006 – Leading Israeli author Amos Oz, Governor of the Bank of Israel Stanley Fischer, Israeli high-tech and social entrepreneur Davidi Gilo, interfaith advocate Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, and eminent French financier Baron Eric de Rothschild will be among 10 distinguished figures to receive honorary doctor of philosophy degrees on Sunday, June 11, at the opening session of the 69th meeting of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Board of Governors.
Amos Oz is one of the most important Hebrew literary figures in Israel’s history. He has written and published dozens of works of fiction and social and literary essays that have become classics of modern Hebrew literature. In his works, he has probed the intellectual life of Israeli society and the individuals within it. He has received, among other awards, the Israel Prize for literature, the Bialik Prize for literature, and the Goethe Cultural Award. He is personally involved in activities striving for peace between Israel and its neighbors.
Davidi Gilo, chairman and CEO of Vyyo Inc., has devoted significant time, energy and resources to furthering the ideals of democracy, equality and peace. This can be seen through his founding of the Hebrew University's Gilo Center for Citizenship, Democracy and Civic Education, his support of initiatives such as the Hand in Hand Center for Jewish-Arab Education schools, and the NGT technological incubator for Jewish and Arab entrepreneurs in Nazareth..
Stanley Fischer, governor of the Bank of Israel, is a distinguished economist and one of the most renowned scholars in the fields of macro-economics and shaping Israeli and international economic policies. He served as vice-president for economic development and chief economist at the World Bank, as first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund, and as president of Citigroup International. For more than 30 years, Prof. Fischer has had close ties with the HebrewUniversity, where he has held a number of visiting positions. He is a member of the university's Board of Governors and a fellow of the AmericanAcademy of Arts and Sciences.
Baron Eric de Rothschild, eminent financier and distinguished leader of the French Jewish community, continues his family’s longtime commitment to the Jewish people, the State of Israel and humanitarian causes. He is a staunch supporter of higher education in Israel and has inspired numerous others to extend their generosity to the HebrewUniversity. His own philanthropy has significantly advanced scientific research at the university, particularly through his active support of the internationally recognized InterdisciplinaryCenter for Neural Computation. Baron de Rothschild was also the driving force behind the Shoah Memorial, a moving tribute to French victims of the Holocaust, which was inaugurated in France by President Jacques Chirac in 2005.
Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, archbishop emeritus of Milan and world-renowned theologian, is a pre-eminent scholar who has steadfastly promoted Jewish-Christian dialogue. His academic career has included terms as rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute, where he has been a professor of Bible for over 40 years, and rector of the PontificalGregorianUniversity. In 1980 he was appointed archbishop of Milan, and was elevated to cardinal in 1983. His strong ties with the Italian Jewish community, the Jewish people and Israel date back to his key role in the 1960s in instigating the revolutionary changes in policy of the Catholic Church towards Jews and Judaism. He was instrumental in the creation of the Pontifical Biblical Institute’s Jerusalem study program in conjunction with the HebrewUniversity’s RothbergInternationalSchool and supported the establishment of the university’s Center for the Study of Christianity. He also worked to establish the CardinalBeaCenter for Judaic Studies at the PontificalGregorianUniversity.He currently resides in Jerusalem.
Others who will be receiving honorary degrees on June 11 are:
Prof. Carlo Ginzburg, professor of Italian renaissance studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, is a prolific scholar and writer, and was instrumental in transforming the history of popular culture into a mainstream field of academic study, while also creating new avenues of historical research. Prof. Ginzburg’s intellectual accomplishments and contributions to diverse fields of study are reflected in his membership in the AmericanAcademy of Arts and Sciences and the BritishAcademy.
Michal Smoira-Cohn has worked to advance Israeli culture and art in general, and music in particular. Founder and editor of the Bat Kol music journal, director of the Israel Northern Symphony Orchestra, Haifa, and one of the initiators of the musicology department at TelAvivUniversity, she has left an indelible impression on Israel’s musical landscape. In 1968, she was appointed director of the music division at the Voice of Israel, a role she filled for 23 years. She also headed The Jerusalem Rubin Academy of Music and Dance, and the music department of the culture and arts council at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport.
Theodore N. Lerner, real-estate developer and entrepreneur and leader of the Washington, D.C., Jewish community, has generously committed his time, energy and resources to promoting Jewish causes in the United States and Israel. He established the Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation and played a key role in the creation of the United StatesHolocaustMemorialMuseum, for which he received a presidential appointment to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. His longtime involvement with the HebrewUniversity is exemplified by the state-of-the-art Theodore N. and Annette M. Lerner Family Indoor Sports Complex on MountScopus.
Prof. Marlene Belfort, professor of molecular genetics at the State University of New York and director of the Division of Genetic Disorders for the New York State Department of Health, is a groundbreaking molecular biologist and geneticist who has successfully applied her expertise to public health issues and, through personal example and public outreach, promoted the advancement of women in science. She is a longtime friend of the HebrewUniversity, where she conducted her postdoctoral research. She is a member of the AmericanAcademy of Arts and Sciences and was awarded the Alice Evans Award for 2002 in recognition of her contribution to the promotion of careers in science for women.
Prof. Fritz Eckstein, Professor emeritus of bioorganic chemistry at the Max-Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in Göttingen, Germany, is a pioneering biochemist whose seminal studies of nucleotides have had a far-reaching impact on experimental research in the life and medical sciences, as well as in biotechnology. In 1997, he was the Joels Visiting Professor at the HebrewUniversity.
In addition, the Solomon Bublick Prize will be awarded to Prof. Alexander Keynan and the Samuel Rothberg Prize to Prof. Alice Shalvi.
For further information:
Rebecca Zeffert, Dept. of Media Relations, the HebrewUniversity, Tel: 02-588-2904,
orOrit Sulitzeanu, HebrewUniversity spokesperson, Tel: 02-5882910 or 052-260-8016.
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