Grapevine May 26, 2024: A noted absence

FINANCE MINISTER Bezalel Smotrich, who has thrown a wrench at almost every proposal to end the war and overcome the economic crisis, is conspicuously absent from the list of government ministers among attendees and speakers at the two-day Israeli Revival conference in Tel Aviv on June 9 and 10. In addition, he has been exceedingly insulting and insensitive to the families of the hostages. Ministers who will join mayors and representatives of leading NGOs, banks, major employers, and health officials include National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Health Minister Uriel Buso, Minister for Innovation, Science, and Technology Gila Gamliel, and Foreign Minister Israel Katz. MK Mansour Abbas will also be in attendance.

Engineering student soliders

IN RESPONSE to the profound impact of the war against Hamas on its students, Afeka Academic College of Engineering in Tel Aviv has launched the “AsOne”  student support fund. The initial goal is to raise NIS 15 million ($4 million) to provide comprehensive support to the overwhelming high ratio of Afeka students who have been called to active military duty since October 7. Some 42% of the student body are serving or have served in the IDF since then.

Nonetheless, Afeka College’s fund keeps all its students on a path toward filling a vital role in Israel’s engineering industry and contributing to Israel’s crucial hi-tech sector. Engineering has taken on unprecedented importance for the country following the heinous Hamas massacre.

“Engineers are a key component in the success of Israel’s economy and global positioning as a leader in quality human capital and pioneering technology,” said Prof. Ami Moyal, president of Afeka College. “It is our duty and moral obligation to support the young generation of Israel. Today, they are bravely defending their nation, and when they enter the workforce, they will play a pivotal role in shaping the country’s future.”

Because the studies of so many students have been disrupted by the war, Afeka College has committed NIS 5 million from internal resources to fund various help projects for students within the framework of the AsOne campaign. It hopes to raise additional funding from external sources.

The idea is to ensure that no student drops out because of the war, said Moyal. “This has become a number one priority for Afeka, “ he emphasized. “It is our mission to make sure all students serving the country are given every opportunity to complete the academic year successfully and on time.”

Afeka College has developed a comprehensive support package to address the diverse needs of students during this challenging period. As the academic year began two and a half months late due to the war, all courses are now being taught through Afeka’s synchronous hybrid model for simultaneous in-person and remote classes.

The college recognizes that online learning alone is not enough for many students who are either missing substantial portions of the semester or constantly transitioning between military service and their studies. To support these students, Afeka offers personalized academic assistance, including advising, mentoring, private and group tutoring sessions, time-condensed course options, and personalized solutions when necessary.

Media Heroes

OBJECTIVITY IS one of the cardinal rules of journalism, though not all journalists abide by it. Political bias often influences the breaking of the rule, and journalists in question may face considerable criticism. But when it’s a humanitarian issue, not only are they praised, but they also receive public recognition.

Two media heroes were recognized last week at a ceremony in Beersheba, hosted by the spokespeople of the member municipalities of the Federation of Local Authorities. Among the scores of local and foreign journalists who flocked to the south of the country on October 7 or who happened to already be there were Ilana Koriel of  Yediot Aharonot, who saved the lives of two of the children of murdered Yediot photographer Roy Edan and his wife Smadar in Kfar Aza; and Army Radio reporter Rami Shani, who saved many lives; Channel 12 reporter Adva Dadon, who risked her own life by reporting from the field  as atrocities were happening around her and thus alerted the nation.

Chaim Weizmann

BEFORE IT wasnamed the Weizmann Institute in honor of Israel’s first president, Chaim Weizmann, who was a noted scientist, the institute was called the Daniel Sieff Research Institute, and as such, this year it celebrates its 90th anniversary.

The Weizmann Institute last week held the 75th annual general meeting of its international board – somewhat later than originally intended due to Israel’s war against Hamas.

Among the events that are traditionally part of the program of meetings of the international governing boards of institutes of higher education in Israel are the conferring of honorary doctorates on scientists and other academics of note as well as people who have distinguished themselves in other fields.

Altogether, six people received honorary doctorates, including internationally acclaimed chess champion Gary Kasparov – and it was not his first time in Israel – along with Prof. Sarab Abu Rabia Kedar, a sociologist of education; Prof. Elaine Fuchs, a geneticist specializing in skin cells; Israel Makov, a founder of Israel’s pharma industry; and husband and wife Larry Marks and Dr. Gladys Monroy, who are scientists and philanthropists.

“We are living through an extremely difficult time in Israel,” said Weizmann Institute President Prof. Alon Chen at the conferment ceremony held a week ago at the Michael Sela Auditorium of the Institute’s campus in Rehovot. “The country is mourning over the loss of life, waiting and hoping for the return of the hostages, and looking forward to a successful resolution to the war. We are also witnessing growing antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment globally, protests on college campuses that breach the boundaries of free speech into hate speech and violence, and calls for academic boycott and divestment. So far, Weizmann scientists have not been directly affected, and our collaborations are solid. But the concern exists, and we look forward to better days ahead.”

Prof. Abu Rabia-Kedar, who was born and raised in a Bedouin village, was the only Arab in her elementary school class. Despite many obstacles on the road, she was the first-ever Bedouin woman to earn a doctorate and has a brilliant academic career.

Fuchs, an American scientist, is an internationally renowned expert on the rejuvenation of stem cells.

Kasparov retired from professional chess competitions in 2005 and has been lecturing widely, including at various technological institutes, on the nexus between human and machine minds.

Makov, a native of Rehovot and a member of one of its founding families, has led various pharma industries, including Teva and Sun Pharm, to global recognition and success. Through research and development conducted by these companies, he has established a long and solid bond with the Weizmann Institute and sits  on the boards of several of its committees, including the Yeda Research and Development company, the  technology transfer arm of the Institute. One of his grandchildren is currently a student at the Weizmann Institute.

Marks and Monroy are longtime devotees of the Weizmann Institute. After working for leading tech firms, Marks, a chemist, switched from science to real estate and became a commercial property mortgage broker and property developer, although he never lost interest in scientific research.

Deeply committed to the Weizmann Institute, he serves on the National Board of Directors of the American Committee for the Weizmann  Institute as well as on the boards of other Weizmann Committees.

Monroy, an intellectual property lawyer, is also a biochemist with a PhD from New York University. She conducted post-doctoral research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

From Weizmann to Ben-Gurion

TWO DAYS after the Weizmann Institute conferred its honorary doctorates, the same was carried out by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, which is somewhat younger than Weizmann, with its annual meeting of the Board of Governors taking place for the 54th time.

The honorees at BGU were somewhat more varied. They included Beersheba-born Israeli singer and songwriter Yehudit Ravitz; Katharina von Schnurbein, the European Commission coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and fostering Jewish Life, who has paid several visits to Israel in recent months; Arizona State University President Dr. Michael M. Crow; and Harvard University historian of medicine Prof. Allan M. Brandt.

In addition, President’s Awards were presented to BGU faculty member and former hostage Nili Margalit and to Soroka University Medical Center, Barzilai University Medical Center, and Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital in recognition of the instant and most professional manner in which they rose to new challenges presented by the war, including the intake of injured civilians and wounded soldiers.

BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz said that the university’s focus this year has been on the virtue of resilience, “a quality that has been especially pivotal to our university and community over the past seven months. In times of crisis and challenge, resilience becomes our guiding star.”

In reference to what is happening on American and European university campuses, Chamovitz said the incidents had given him cause to think “that the pursuit of truth and knowledge is no longer perceived to be the central essence of academia.”

Noting how little intelligence it takes, after reading many of the reports about the massacre, to understand that its purpose was the destruction of Israel, Chamovitz found it beyond belief that “world-leading academic institutions and academics are unable to come out with clear, concise, and definite condemnations of the massacre and instead support the students when they speak out in support of Hamas terror.”

In calling for the immediate release of the hostages abducted by Hamas, Chaimovitz made particular mention of Noa Argamani, a BGU student.