Tel Aviv University Review | 2019

Alumni with Big Ideas Sustainable Development 12 TAU researchers and students are bringing novel solutions in agri-tech, water technology and food security to the developing world.

Cover story: From revolutionary science to global TV hits, TAU alumni AI and medicine 16 are breaking TAU researchers and their clinical colleagues are leveraging new AI convention. 6 techniques for medical treatments and diagnostics.

Tel Aviv University Review | 2019

Issued by the Strategic Communications Dept. Accessibility 20 Development and Public Affairs Division The Pinkas Accessible Learning Tel Aviv University Center is providing specialized Ramat Aviv 6997801 sections resources for disabled students on Tel Aviv, Israel campus. Tel: +972 3 6408249 Fax: + 972 3 6407080 E-mail: [email protected] innovations 2 www.tau.ac.il

Editor: Louise Shalev TAU global campaign 21 Contributors: Rava Eleasari, Ruti Ziv, Idit Nirel, Melanie Takefman, David Jozsef, Lisa Kremer, Mayan Hoffman, Shira Rubin, Claire Polansky, next big ideas Marina Gorbonasov, Tallie Lieberman 24 Graphic Design: TAU Graphic Design Studio/ Michal Semo-Kovetz Photography: Yehonatan Zur, Yoram Reshef, events 27 Galit Botzer, Chen Galili, Israel Hadari, Daniel Leightley/ Dan Dyball, Shmuel Marco, Idan Malka, Tavor Nakash Administrative Assistant: David Jozsef digest Printing: Shavit Print 29

newsmakers Follow us! Global TAU 34 TAU Review 2019 Issue

Officers of Tel Aviv University

Prof. Jacob A. Frenkel Chairman of the Board of Governors Mr. Eli Gelman Chairman of the Executive Council Prof. Ariel Porat Incoming President Prof. Yaron Oz Rector Mr. Gady Frank Director-General Prof. Raanan Rein Vice President Prof. Yoav Henis Vice President for Research and Development Mr. Amos Elad Vice President for Resource Development

Mr. Robert Goldberg, Dr. h.c. Michael H. Steinhardt Chairmen Emeriti of the Board of Governors Dame Shirley Porter Deputy Chairperson of the Board of Governors Dear Friends, Mr. Sylvan Adams, Dr. h.c. Marcus Besen, Dr. h.c. Josef Buchmann, Dr. h.c. Boaz Dotan, Another year of Big Ideas took a thrilling turn when, just as TAU Review Mr. James Dubin, Dr. h.c. Sami Sagol went to press, news broke of the first 3D printed heart engineered from Vice Chairpersons of the Board of Governors human tissue in the laboratory of Prof. Tal Dvir (Life Sciences), Head Prof. Eyal Zisser of the Sagol Center of Regenerative Biotechnology and a member of the Vice Rector Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. This global breakthrough Prof. Aron Shai opens the possibility of a safer, more reliable source for organ transplants. Pro-Rector Two weeks prior to the 3D heart story, the entire world followed Israel’s Prof. Zvika Serper Dean of the Yolanda and David Katz SpaceIL moon mission – brainchild of two TAU alumni, Yonatan Winetraub Faculty of the Arts and Yariv Bash, together with third co-founder Kfir Damari. Our wonder- Prof. Yossi Rosenwaks ful TAU alumni are proving again and again that they are committed to Dean of the Iby and Aladar Fleischman Israel’s scientific, economic and cultural advancement; in this issue you’ll Faculty of Engineering have a chance to meet a few more graduates who are making an outsized Prof. Michael Krivelevich impact on society. Other stories range from TAU’s inroads into medical Dean of the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences AI, to our Initiative for Sustainable Development in India and Africa, Prof. Leo Corry to a new model of academic-industrial partnership through TAU’s new Dean of the Lester and Sally Entin Samueli-Broadcom building. Faculty of Humanities TAU’s diverse achievements inspire great pride, and it has been one of Prof. Sharon Hannes the pleasures of my 10-year tenure as President to introduce each issue Dean of the Buchmann Faculty of Law of TAU Review to our circle of friends and supporters. As I complete my Prof. Abdussalam Azem Dean of the George S. Wise term of office, I wish to bid farewell to our readership and to thank you Faculty of Life Sciences for joining me on a rewarding journey. May we all continue to feel joy and Prof. Moshe Zviran pride in the Next Big Ideas coming out of TAU and Israel. Dean of the Coller School of Management Prof. Ehud Grossman Warm regards, Dean of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine Prof. Tammie Ronen Dean of the Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences Prof. Tova Most Professor Joseph Klafter Dean of Students Outgoing President 1 Calling for a New Social Order in Education

A planned “Interdisciplinary Center David Mioduser and Fadia Nasser, all the highest number of pupils taking for Improvement of Education” at TAU of TAU’s Jaime and Joan Constantiner advanced math and eligible for high- is answering Israel President Reuven School of Education, aim to narrow school matriculation certificates, fol- Rivlin’s call for a new social order that social and academic gaps through lowed by the national religious popu- fosters equality and integration among large-scale research. The team conducts lation and then Arab students. The the secular Jewish, national religious, ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration Ultra-Orthodox, who are gradually Ultra-Orthodox and Arab sectors. with the Ministry of Education and integrating the national core-curric- Without adequate education, the other stakeholders in the education ulum of math and English into their doors to academic and career success sector. schools, remain the lowest performers. can be closed for pupils on the socio- With the support of Circle of Service These results will serve as a bench- economic and geographical periphery. (COS) and the Davidson Foundation, mark for planning interventions and To redress this, Prof. Audrey Addi- the first phase of study has been com- policies. Raccah, in collaboration with Profs. pleted. Findings reveal that the secu- Dan Gibton, Moshe Israelashvili, lar Jewish education system produces

Warding Off Evil Spirits One Amulet at a Time

2 TAU Review 2019 Issue

The Jedis of Messaging Apps

Apps like WhatsApp and Telegram have changed the way we communicate. We can affordably reach nearly anyone, anywhere, at any time thanks in part to the behind-the-scenes tree codes, a class of error-correcting code (ECC) that ensures the accuracy of transmitted messages. “Tree codes are pivotal to digital messages,” says Dr. Gil Cohen of TAU’s Blavatnik School of Computer Science. But the requirements are becoming increasingly complex, creating a demand for new algorithms. Now, Dr. Cohen and his co-researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and California Institute of Technology have made the biggest breakthrough in ECC tree codes since the 1990s. Their new algorithm removes the un- necessary repetitions from the prior code, which will improve upon the reliability and speed of messages. Imagine the code as an ever-growing pyramid of Jedi knights wielding colorful lightsabers, ready to defend your data. Although algorithms like this have their roots in the military and government, they are vital to all of us in the digital age. The research builds upon probability theory, perhaps best known for game of chance predictions like casino games, and algebraic structures to help computer engineers predict the seemingly unpredictable patterns in information transmission. “Now we have a better understanding of the theoretical core of interactive message encoding. Hopefully, this will equip us to handle the complexities of the evolving technology,” says Dr. Cohen.

Judaism is no stranger to protective ing such a vessel so close to the Temple a common item in Phoenician house- amulets and talismans, despite their mount is puzzling and intriguing as holds that settled in the Mediterranean resemblance to forbidden “idolatry.” it exposes popular beliefs that are not region. Similar vessels have been discov- From the mezuzah containing bibli- always mentioned in the Biblical text. ered in other parts of Israel, Shushan, cal scriptures to Kabbalistic jewelry The jar decoration they found, de- Persia, Persepolis, and other cities along engraved with mystical Hebrew letters, picting the Egyptian deity, Bes, can the ancient Persian trade route. any number of objects are said to possess be traced to the Persian period (4th–5th The round, cartoonish eyes, bulbous protective and healing properties. Thus, century BCE), the time of the Second nose, and other circular features on the it should come as no surprise that Prof. Temple. “Pottery from this period was “Bes-Vessel” fragment are believed to Yuval Gadot of TAU’s Lester and Sally exposed in the past in the City of David bring women and children joy and to Entin Faculty of Humanities and Dr. site, but this is the first time that such a ward off evil spirits. Having his image at Yiftah Shalev of the Israel Antiquities vessel has been found in archaeological home ensured good luck and protection. Authority have uncovered a fragment excavations in Jerusalem or anywhere in This finding reveals that no matter how of an ancient clay talisman in their joint the Judean highlands,” say Prof. Gadot secular or religious society becomes, excavation in Jerusalem’s City of David and Dr. Shalev. Although Bes originated superstition is ingrained in the human National Park in Jerusalem. Still, find- from the Nile region, this type of jar was psyche and culture.

3 One of the most complex tasks hu- “If you know what’s wrong, you mans and animals have to face is social know what to fix,” he explains. Dr. behavior. Even a normally functioning Barak and his research team have made person can struggle to navigate social a promising discovery of a gene dele- norms. However, someone with a de- tion associated with the neurodevelop- velopmental disability such as autism mental disorder Williams syndrome. spectrum disorder or Williams syn- His findings reveal that when a gene drome can experience lifelong behav- called Gtf2i is missing from neurons, ioral challenges that can impact his or the protective myelin layer around them her education, human relationships, and becomes abnormally thin. Like electri- ability to live independently. cal wires, neurons need the protective Now, Dr. Boaz Barak sheath to transmit electrical impulses of TAU’s School of properly. When the myelin is too thin, Psychological the brain misfires signals between the Sciences and different brain regions responsible for social interac- According to the United tions and im- Nations, plastic waste accounts pulse control. for up to 90 percent of all the Locating the Brain’s Dr. Barak pollutants in our oceans, yet there believes that an are few comparable, environmen- Social Cues existing FDA- tally friendly alternatives to the Sagol School approved drug for multiple sclerosis material. Now, a TAU team of re- of Neuroscience (MS) that enhances myelin perfor- searchers has developed a process hopes to stop behav- mance could be repurposed to treat that produces alternative polymers ioral abnormalities in the disruptive behaviors associated with for “plastic” from marine micro- their tracks. Since his post- Williams syndrome and other myelin- organisms that feed on seaweed. doctoral research in neurogenetics at related disorders. “Now, with a better The new material is biodegradable MIT, he is identifying the neurobio- understanding of neuronal features of and produces zero toxic waste. logical mechanisms of developmental Williams syndrome, drugs on the mar- The finding was made by Dr. disorders and is studying how specific ket can potentially improve patients’ Alex Golberg of TAU’s Porter genes and specific areas of the brain lives,” says Barak. School of Environment and Earth can affect social behavior and anxiety. Sciences and Prof. Michael Gozin

Honey, should we vaccinate the kids against pneumonia? Are you on the fence on whether Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Head of the pneumonia vaccine works or not? the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit at Pneumococcal and other common the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, winter infections may be merely an wants you to know “the vaccine works.” inconvenience for healthy adults, but Following Food and Drug they can lead to life-threatening com- Administration (FDA) licensing in plications for small children and others the early 2000s, routine pneumococcal with compromised immune systems. conjugate vaccination (PCV) was intro- Prof. Galia Grisaru-Soen of TAU’s duced to the Israeli national vaccina- 4 TAU Review 2019 Issue

Ridding the Next Up: Bidding for Oceans of Parking?

Finding parking might be one of Plastic Waste the modern world’s most enduring an- noyances. Now, TAU’s Prof. Itzhak Benenson of the Porter School of Environment and Earth Sciences at of the Raymond and Beverly Sackler According to Golberg, the TAU’s Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Chemistry. It was recently new study could revolutionize the Faculty of Exact Sciences, and doctoral published in the journal Bioresource world’s efforts to clean the oceans student, Nir Fulman, believe they have Technolog y. without affecting arable land or found a solution that adjusts parking The TAU team harnessed microscopic wasting drinking water. “We prices to demand. In a parking area that sea creatures that eat seaweed to produce have proven that it is possible to is fully occupied, the prices will rise and a polymer called polyhydroxyalkanoate produce biopolymers completely (PHA) which can be used in plastics. based on marine resources in a “There are already factories that produce process that is friendly both to this type of biopolymer in commercial the marine environment and to quantities, but they are based on agricul- its residents,” says Golberg. tural land and fresh water,” says Golberg. The research was partially “Our process will enable countries with funded by the TAU-Triangle a shortage of water, such as Israel, India Regional R&D Center in Kfar and China, to switch from petroleum- Kara under the academic auspices derived plastics to biodegradable plastic of TAU and by the Israeli Ministry produced completely in seawater.” of Energy and Infrastructure.

tion program for infants in 2009. Prof. Prof. Grisaru-Soen also found that prevent drivers from coming there for Grisaru-Soen led a team of researchers the vaccines protect against antibiot- just desperate searching. Drivers will to investigate the efficacy of PCVs. ic-resistant pneumococci, but there know about the price in the area in ad- They evaluated the records from will be a need for a new generation vance via a smartphone and can choose three Israeli children’s hospitals in Tel of vaccines before long because new to pay or avoid the areas where vacant Aviv and Jerusalem and found a marked strains of pneumococci are emerging. spots are scarce and prices are high. The decrease in pneumococcal diseases such “If you decide not to vaccinate new study, recently published in IEEE as pneumonia, bacteremia, and men- your children, you’re not only harm- Intelligent Transportations Magazine, ingitis. “Hospitalizations for bacterial ing them, you’re harming other kids suggests that this adaptive parking pric- infections decreased by 22% after these as well,” says Prof. Grisaru-Soen. ing could help combat urban traffic vaccines were routinely administered to “Being a part of society means also congestion. infants,” Prof. Grisaru-Soen reported. taking responsibility for the health Moreover, the overall risk of infection and welfare of other children who was reduced by 62%, on par with the for medical reasons may not be able United States’ post-vaccination results. to be vaccinated.” 5 Tel Aviv University Review presents some of the best and brightest of its alumni community who are pushing the envelope in neuroscience, social work, medicine, banking and entertainment – while looking to give a leg-up to the

By Shira Rubin next generation along the way.

At the helm of “radical science” As an aspiring young painter, Oded Rechavi, who graduated with a PhD in biology from TAU, moved to Paris after his service in the IDF to discover, like many other would-be young painters, that he didn’t want to be an artist after all. The stint abroad brought Rechavi back home to Tel Aviv to claim his part in the family business: science (his par- ents are both medical doctors and sci- entists and his brothers are MD PhDs). In his “laboratory for radical science,” manned by a team of some twenty re- searchers, Prof. Rechavi is plumbing the depths of human heredity mechanisms and expanding on a once-revolutionary idea that DNA only tells part of the story. “I’m very interested to see how memories are encoded on a molecular level,” a topic that for years was seen as strictly non-scientific, said Prof. Rechavi, who is a graduate of TAU’s Adi TAU Alumni Make Waves Lautman Multidisciplinary Program for Outstanding Students. Today an associate professor at Tel Aviv University graduates TAU’s George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and the Sagol School of are applying their TAU acquired Neuroscience, Rechavi is recipient of the 2018 Blavatnik Award for Young knowledge toward forging Scientists and the 2019 Kadar Family Award for Outstanding Research and new frontiers in traditional and is funded by the Adelis Foundation and Schmidt Futures. He remembers the emerging professions – in Israel and days when his research raised eyebrows; abroad. But how, exactly, did they get it tapped into the same questions that, for centuries, had occupied the world’s to the top of their game? And what greatest philosophers regarding the ori- gins of the human condition. The ques- can their stories tell the students tions included both the esoteric, like memories and character traits, and the of tomorrow? physical, like diabetes or other medical ailments. Fundamentally, Prof. Rechavi 6 TAU Review 2019 Issue global edge

Prof. Oded Rechavi and his lab team

TAU Alumni Make Waves

pondered: Are individuals born tabula Pushing the limits, post-grad rasa, or are our lives and personalities molded before we even enter the world? Tel Aviv University’s 192,000 alumni are pioneers in the arts, business, The ethics and feasibility of such science, tech and academic sectors in Israel. Many of them credit their an ambitious line of enquiry have long path to success to their time spent as students and researchers at Tel remained outside of the purview of sci- Aviv University, the largest and most influential higher learning institution entific research. But during his post-doc in the country and, in recent years, ranked among the top 100 Global research at Columbia University from Innovation Universities. 2010 to 2012, Prof. Rechavi sought Since its founding in 2015 under the auspices of President Prof. Joseph an empirical approach to deciphering Klafter, the Tel Aviv University Alumni Organization has worked to strengthen whether hereditary memories could, ties among the community and today is in contact with around 70,000 alumni. in fact, be proven on a molecular level. It has recruited more than 220 for its growing mentor network. “We see He succeeded in showing that simple our alumni as Tel Aviv University ambassadors in Israel and abroad,” said worms infected with viruses generate Head of the Alumni Organization Sigalit Ben Hayoun. “By consolidating the heritable immunity in order to protect connections between our alumni and the institution, we will form a united their progeny. In fact, the type of worms force able to influence and contribute to society as a whole. Recently, the he studied were found to be completely Alumni Organization launched a global fundraising campaign with the goal of resistant to viruses. raising 300 student scholarships. So far, 78 have been raised.” 7 After returning to Tel Aviv University TAU, he recalls his mentor Prof. Yoel in 2012 to establish his own lab, Prof. Kloog telling him to “be bold and try Rechavi discovered that his most valu- everything,” a value he today tries to able clues came from recent history. He impart to young mentees in the field. found a somewhat obscure chapter of “You make mistakes and failures the Second World War known as the anyway. It only increases your chances “hunger winter,” in which the Nazi of finding something new. Every time regime starved large populations from you do an experiment, in the tube that the Netherlands from 1944 to 1945. As you use there are ten Nobel prizes that it turned out, large-scale studies showed no one has discovered yet,” he said. that descendants of “hunger winter” He’s optimistic, too, that multidisci- victims passed on trauma-associated plinary developments in his and other traits that made their descendants more fields are becoming more possible as susceptible to conditions like diabetes or academia evolves, especially in recent schizophrenia. With the historical indi- years, with calls for more diversity in cator established, Prof. Rechavi sought old-school institutions gaining mo- to translate the idea to the molecular mentum. Prof. Rechavi has hosted, level, using tiny, simple organisms to along with other Israeli and German test the theory that memories of physical researchers, “DIY,” youth-oriented sci- and emotional trauma could, in fact, ence conferences in which students are be transmitted genetically. invited to informal meetings for col- “We made it clear that we were study- lective brainstorming and collaborative TAU Alumnus ing this idea rigorously and we got to activities. The idea is to get feedback on a mechanistic understanding of the unpublished theories while encouraging Appointed Governor Prof. Amir process,” he recalled of the early phase of a vibrant scientific community. Yaron of the Bank of Israel his research, which almost immediately “The science departments were once Prof. Amir Yaron, an alumnus of Tel generated buzz and excitement among very male-dominated, hierarchical and Aviv University, started his five-year the scientific community. Prof. Rechavi formal. But I think many of the old term as the Governor of the Bank of observed worms as they gave birth to ways that should have changed, have Israel in December 2018. Born and hundreds of new offspring every three changed,” Rechavi explained. “I think raised in Israel, Prof. Yaron received days. Their traits were passed down the culture of science is changing for his BA and MA in economics from through RNA, DNA’s smaller, lesser- the better.” TAU. He earned his PhD from the known molecular relative that also, as University of Chicago and spent 25 we now know, seems to be responsible Role model for inclusion years abroad before returning to Israel for some of the most complex processes Talia Bejerano, who graduated to fill his new role. Prof. Yaron is an within the human cell. from TAU with an MSc in business expert in macro-finance, asset pricing Prof. Rechavi predicts that the find- management, has also taken up the and applied time series econometrics. ings – still under examination at TAU torch to enact social change, but in the as to their human relevance – will have somewhat more obvious field of social massive, wide-reaching implications. As work. It all started in 2009 when at the the topic of molecular inheritance, which age of 26, for the first time, Bejerano he helped to advance, ramps up, he hopes met a “disabled” person. The 12-year- that he and his colleagues are laying old boy was paralyzed from head to the groundwork for new understanding toe and sat in a wheelchair holding an of and new medicines for diseases like electric keyboard for communication. cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. She introduced herself but wasn’t sure Prof. Rechavi credits his years in the boy understood her. He responded academia – which allowed him to make simply, through his electronic board: mistakes, U-turns, and revelations – for “Don’t pity us here.” leading him to deepen and hone his Bejerano remembers it as a formative promising research. During his PhD at experience. “When I was in youth move- 8 TAU Review 2019 Issue

ments, everyone had been the same,” she said often operated, both physically Nations’ Economic and Social Council, she recalled. Suddenly, she realized how and emotionally, in a “place that’s sad Bejerano has begun to formulate plans little she knew about children with dis- or miserable.” She was disturbed by for world-wide courses and training abilities, having never encountered them what she felt was a self-aggrandizing workshops in inclusive education, to in any of her academic, social or public attitude among the normative volun- be provided by the Israeli team. circles. Years later, she came to lead an teers: that they were there to help the “This new generation has already organization that is also very much a less fortunate. accomplished their revolution. They community, “Krembo Wings,” which While pursuing a master’s degree in understand that it’s all about mak- focuses on children with conditions business management at TAU, she con- ing things accessible in a human way, ranging from autism to cerebral palsy templated ways to replace that paradigm not just through a physical ramp, but and Downs syndrome. The set-up is with a space through which she could through a change in thinking,” she said. simple: “abled” volunteers socialize, cultivate mutually-beneficial relation- “Ten years from today, we’ll see the play, and hang out with their “disabled” ships between mentors and mentees. graduates from this program spreading peers. The result, says Bejerano, is a At Krembo Wings, she found a that acceptance. It’s going to be huge.” “win-win” for both groups. surprising opportunity, ripe for the startup touch, where she could apply Breaking the glass ceiling new, administrative skills and methods Dr. Osnat Levtzion-Korach, who she had acquired as a university student. holds an MA in health administration With a business-oriented intuition and from TAU, has served as the director a belief in effecting real social change of the Shamir (Assaf Harofeh) Medical through incremental steps, she aimed to Center in central Israel since 2017. She make Krembo Wings an organization is the first Israeli woman to ever be for children by children, led by mostly appointed to run a public hospital, in teenage volunteers who could receive this case, one of the largest and busiest on-the-job training. hospitals in Israel. Initially, some parents were made anxious by the idea of sending their disabled kids to be with young, unquali-

Talia Bejerano fied caregivers. But, their fears quickly faded as the model proved its worth. A decade after that first encounter, At Krembo Wings, the children’s main Krembo Wings, where Bejerano cur- resource was their friendship, Bejerano rently serves as CEO, is recognized as found. They were able to find creative among the world’s most innovative ap- workarounds to any communicative or proaches to special-needs education, physical obstacles. “If one of the kids is with 70 branches throughout Israel serv- physically unable to run,” she boasted, ing more than 6,000 members from “a volunteer will run for them.” the age of 7 to 22. It serves religious, A proud mother of three, Bejerano secular, Jewish, Arab, new immigrant, believes that all children need to be Dr. Osnat Levtzion-Korach and the many other subgroups that surrounded by diversity. Children who make up Israel’s diverse tapestry, all participate in Krembo Wings return of whom, Bejerano believes, are part to their families as ambassadors of In 2017, Deputy Minister of Health of her ambitious vision for authentic tolerance, correcting their parents or Rabbi Yakov Litzman asked Levtzion- inclusivity in Israeli society. friends if they, for example, use the Korach to head the hospital, with the From her teenage years, Bejerano word “retarded” derogatively. aim of leading a significant change in was drawn to volunteering. “Being with With plans to expand further into the national healthcare system. “It was people who are different from you al- all sectors in Israel, Bejerano sees the a once in a generation opportunity – lows you to think more creatively, to organization not as a charity, but as a great honor and privilege as well as get outside of your own narrow space,” a business opportunity that is prime a huge responsibility,” says Levtzion- she explained. For years, she was disap- for international export. Since being Korach. “It’s a male world out there,” pointed by traditional charities, which named a Special Advisor to the United she says. 9 When Levtzion-Korach began listic look at the situation and getting “Career-wise, I think you have to having children – she now has four creative with solutions. think about your next role, what skills boys – and needed, like many working you have, what you want to gain, and mothers, to juggle various obstacles, she Reaping the fruits of TAU’s on the other hand be very flexible to initially struggled to figure out what global reach see where the world is changing and be was expected of her. But at TAU she As the CEO of Bank Discount – willing to pursue it,” she said. received support. She often took her one of Israel’s leading banks – since Now, after more than a decade and third son to class with her, even when 2013, Lilach Asher- a half in banking, he was just ten days old. “He was a great Topilsky has reached she’s witnessed the student,” she laughed. When she would the pinnacle of her sector’s dramatic leave him at home during the finals field with an ear to revolutions and has period, her lecturers inquired after his the ground. She’s made a name for whereabouts. “As a mother, I think it a strong believer in herself in instituting was important for my boys to see me confronting deeply a culture of innova- as a role-model, to see that I can multi- traditional, often tion and flexibility task,” she recalled. male-dominated at what is today one That same knack for multi-task- fields with inno- of Israel’s top banks. ing has carried over into her work at vative approaches In retrospect, with Assaf Harofeh, where she’s instituted that are simply too the help of mentors interdisciplinary and increasingly important to deny. and colleagues, she’s patient-focused approaches to care. From 1998, Asher- Lilach Asher-Topilsky come to understand That is possible, she says, through a Topilsky worked in that in both her ca- “lean” approach by which processes several positions at Bank Hapoalim, reer and her personal growth, “it’s been are mainstreamed so as to cut waste including as deputy CEO and head of a marathon, not a short-distance sprint.” of precious time and resources. In the retail banking division including the highly chaotic emergency room, where she was responsible for the bank’s Spinning the conflict into “Fauda” Dr. Levtzion-Korach has overhauled 280 branches and leading business ini- Avi Issacharoff, a TAU master’s the approach by giving general medi- tiatives. In 2014 she was selected by graduate in Middle Eastern History, cal care to all inpatients, creating a Forbes Magazine (Israel) as one of the got into journalism by accident. As baseline for care and treating low- four strongest women in Israel. a veteran military combatant with priority patients before they even go During her previous positions, she experience in the West Bank and a through the bureaucratic procedures. was always on the lookout for ways to fluency in Arabic, he stumbled upon The seemingly simple hack has had “really understand finance, not just the a correspondence course at the now- tremendous success. According to a numbers on the spreadsheet,” she said. dismantled Israel Public Radio. It was recent study conducted by the Israeli That high-level insight into what makes an early, “old-school era” for journalism, Ministry of Health, Assaf Harofeh a business work and what doesn’t “is he recalls, free from social media and a ranks first in the country for emer- what I like most about my position and multitude of sources. Issacharoff started gency room services. my job today.” each day digesting the news from the The aim, she describes, is to “make From 1991 to 1994, Asher-Topilsky major newspapers, and then hitting the the most out of the work of our team pursued a double major BA in econom- field, where he cultivated relationships while also implementing an institutional ics and business management at Tel Aviv with people on the ground, over time knowledge base.” It’s a daunting ambi- University, where she learned something and over long tea and coffee breaks, and tion in Israel, a country that every year that wasn’t in her textbooks: the value often in the homes of figures from across faces serious health sector budget cuts of really good contacts. Her professor, the Palestinian political spectrum. “A and manpower shortages. While OECD the renowned TAU economist Ariel lot depended on personal chemistry,” countries spend an average of 10 percent Rubinstein, recognized that she had a he recalled. of their national budgets on healthcare, talent for economics and pushed her Suddenly, though, in 2000, “I went Israel spends only around 7 percent. to pursue it. “It gave me an important on to find myself in the middle of a “In Israel, we’re always in a state of boost, to understand that I was good war,” he said. It was the outbreak of the lacking,” she says. But the only possible at this and that I should be even more First Intifada, or popular Palestinian way forward, she adds, is taking a ho- rigorous about my studies. uprising, and Issacharoff’s job sud- 10 TAU Review 2019 Issue

to Netflix as part of its plans to expand into international television. Issacharoff and Raz are now creating two other shows for Netflix, including “Hit and

Run,” a CIA-Mossad thriller. Avi Issacharoff later went on to teach in Issacharoff TAU’s Department of Middle Eastern and African Studies for a short time. He said that while he’s seen both the worlds of journalism and TV change dramatically in recent years, there’s still hope for aspiring storytellers. Like the original story of “Fauda” itself, the path to creating something worthwhile and denly transformed from coverage of first, “no one knew how to pronounce compelling is neither linear nor roman- a slow-burning conflict to reportage it, and no one wanted it,” remembered tic. “Just do something and see what on all-out, active war. Issacharoff was Issacharoff, laughing. But he and Raz sticks” seems to sum up his philosophy. sent to riots on the Temple Mount, kept writing “Fauda,” for no other rea- “If you have something that looks the Jerusalem holy site and flashpoint, son than it was fun to work together. impossible, it’s worth trying anyway,” and to clashes in the West Bank; he Ultimately Yes, one of Israel’s biggest he said. “I didn’t have in mind that I met with Marwan Barghouti, widely broadcasters, bought the first six epi- would write a TV show. Only after I seen among Palestinians as the leader sodes of the first season. When the show met Lior and we inspired each other, of both the First and Second Intifadas; received immediate praise from critics did it happen. We weren’t really prac- and he interviewed Hamas officials. and the public alike, they rushed to tical. But then we pushed each other He was struck by their colorful, three- order the rest of the first and second and suddenly we found ourselves with dimensional lives, and was eager to find seasons. Years later, the series was sold a show on Netflix!” out their hobbies, their favorite foods, their relationships with their children, even as some of them were involved in high-level terrorist activities against Israelis like himself. Exporting the mission abroad As it turned out, it was great mate- Nirit Bialer, who graduated TAU with an MA in rial for TV. Security Studies, is an Israeli native and, for the past Issacharoff teamed up with a friend thirteen years, an unofficial Israeli cultural ambassador from Jerusalem, Lior Raz, to dramatize in Berlin. She runs a cross-cultural program, known as the scenes they both witnessed in the Habait or “home” in Hebrew, which promotes modern army and later on. Their highly popular Israeli culture and hopes to counter stereotypes and series, “Fauda,” follows “mistaarvim,” misconceptions about both Israel and Judaism as the or Arabic-speaking Israeli special intel- country encounters new manifestations of anti-Semitism. ligence forces who infiltrate the West “I try to be a kind of a bridge, connecting between Bank and, often, undergo several iden- different mentalities, explaining the other side a bit tity crises in the process. It is one of the better, and what and how can we achieve the same goal only shows on Israeli TV that is mostly together,” says Bialer. Today, around 15,000 Israelis are in Arabic and, amid growing political estimated to live in Berlin, drawn by the comparative polarization, is one of the only ways for low cost of living and the internationally-oriented arts, Nirit Bialer Israelis to glean a glimpse, though a academic and professional scenes. fictionalized view, into the daily lives of No matter where they end up, Bialer believes that young students today should try to “decide Palestinians caught up in the conflict’s on a field of studies which they find interesting and exciting rather than trying to fit themselves cross-hairs. into a field which others find attractive.” Bialer was a guest speaker at a TAU German-speaking It took years, though, before some- Friends event. one actually thought it could work. At 11 TAU-Style stronger society Tikkun Olam Researchers’ academic innovation impacts India and other parts of the developing world

One of the greatest challenges of the countries. But Mamane says that by Currently, Mamane and her team modern age is securing an environmen- moving the classroom and the lab to of students are searching for solutions tally sustainable supply of energy, water villages located in India or other parts that reduce energy and water consump- and food that can meet the needs of bil- of the developing world, researchers tion and that can be viable for use by lions of people in developing countries. can more effectively develop and prove poor communities. Specifically, they are Researchers at TAU’s Boris Mints new approaches to achieving sustainable focused on using solar technologies to Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions development goals. deactivate bacteria, control biological to Global Challenges hope to find so- pollution, and chemically oxidize the

By Maayan Hoffman lutions through the new Initiative for Water is life water to improve its quality for con- Sustainable Development (ISD). The “We face a growing challenge to sumption and for agriculture. program harnesses the academic and provide access to potable drinking Mamane is exploring a remote- lab work conducted on campus in ar- water,” Mamane says. For almost 15 controlled disinfection system using eas such as water and agri-tech, public years, she has LEDs in a project support- health, public policy, economics and been research- ed by Israel’s Ministry of data science, and takes it outside the ing dirty water, Economy. The team also walls of the university to farms and specifically in received a grant from the villages in developing countries. India, where Environmental Protection “To understand if you are developing she says statis- Ministry to learn how to Prof. Hadas the right technologies you can’t only tics show that make ethanol – a replace- Mamane in India examine them in the lab, you have to in some places ment for gasoline – out of test them out in the field,” says Prof. 20% of chil- paper, agricultural waste Hadas Mamane, Head of the Water Tech dren under the and trimmings. Laboratory at TAU’s Iby and Aladar age of five be- “We are trying to see Fleischman Faculty of Engineering and come sick due to water pollution and how these innovative technologies can a member of the Moshe Mirilashvili environmental factors. be implemented on tight budgets and by Institute for Applied Water Studies. “The water is contaminated with people with limited skill sets,” Mamane The concept is non-traditional. harmful bacteria and viruses and these explains. To ensure success, she and With its emphasis on theories and pathogens can kill,” Mamane says. her students spend a lot of time – as models, academia is often far removed “Without safe water, humanity can- much as six months to a year – doing from ground realities in developing not exist. Water is life.” field work. 12 TAU Review 2019 Issue

sibility to understand that most of the world lives like they do in Jharkhand and to make sure that resources are spread more equally.” Already, the team is starting to see some success, notes David Shurman, another research fellow who recently returned from a field visit in India with The TAU Finkelshtein. team and local farmers Shurman says that, while at first in- test Israeli creased productivity and income tran- agricultural devices in spires only for the specific farmers with India. whom the team is directly working, the success spreads quickly. Neighboring farmers watch, learn and then adapt these new practices for themselves. The team operates its experiments to ensure that if they fail, as they sometimes do, the farmer’s costs are recovered.

Tikkun Olam Mamane herself just came back from technologies, including drip irrigation, Fishman says that the TAU Initiative a sabbatical in southern India. “My mis- smart mulching and improved fertiliz- for Sustainable Development “harnesses sion was to get my hands dirty, literally,” ers and seedlings, and to find ways to Israel’s innovative edge in the service of she says. “I wanted to go into all of the diffuse them among local farmers. “In humankind,” and is rooted in the Jewish polluted canals, to the places most peo- these areas, many people live on $1 to value of tikkun olam, a concept defined ple don’t want to be, to smell them and $2 a day and are suffering from acute by acts of altruism performed to perfect submerge myself in what is happening on malnourishment,” he says. or repair the world or to safeguard those the ground. Only when you know about Topics for research are selected based who may be at a disadvantage. He adds a problem, feel it and get emotionally on their potential for return on invest- that TAU is lucky to have local philan- involved, can you think of a solution.” ment, not only in monetary terms, but thropic partners at field sites, such as also in terms of the likely social impact Tata Trusts, founded by TAU Honorary Practical solutions of the findings. An emphasis is put on Doctor Ratan Tata, which supports his Mamane’s close colleague, Dr. Ram paradigm building, whereby solutions and his team’s work as part of the Indo- Fishman of the School of Social and would be workable on a large, world- Israel Innovation Villages Program. Policy Studies, explains that students wide scale, thereby ensuring the greatest “Israeli students’ inherently inno- who work in his lab are trained to sys- possible impact. vative and entrepreneurial mindset, tematically analyze challenges in develop- together with their maturity and ambi- ing countries from an interdisciplinary Saving the world tions to ‘heal the world,’ make them the perspective. They formulate novel and Karel Finkelshtein, a research fellow ideal field researchers and ambassadors practical solutions based on cutting-edge in Fishman’s lab, says, “Our goal is to of change and goodwill for TAU, Israel statistical techniques in big data, backed help farmers increase their income so and the world and for spreading Israeli up by rigorous in-depth fieldwork and their lives can be better. We don’t care expertise to where it is most needed and intensive interactions with local popula- if the cauliflower is bigger; we care if least applied,” Fishman says. tions. Finally, they deliver strategic policy the cauliflower increases the farmer’s TAU has, more than any other Israeli recommendations and detailed blueprints income.” university, turned its attention to this for the implementation of these policies. Finkelshtein says that “being there goal. “I always feel uncomfortable say- Recently, he and a group of graduate on site makes you really understand ing I am saving the world,” concludes students spent months on the ground in how much these people are incredibly David Shurman. “Maybe it sounds pre- Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh, India, intelligent and diligent; it is just a matter tentious. But we are helping to solve to test a range of novel agricultural of lack of opportunity. It is our respon- real problems.” 13 Harnessing Academic

stronger society Studies for Social Good The TAU Impact Program is the first of its kind to offer all undergraduate students accredited courses for working in community engagement

TAU graduate Romy Levy didn’t TAU to assist the staff of the clinic, integrate cutting-edge knowledge in a study medicine, but the work she re- who provide medical treatment to im- specific field with corresponding com- cently did at a health clinic in South migrants who have no legal status in munity engagement projects. Tel Aviv will have a long-lasting effect Israel. As part of the course, Romy met with on the health of countless refugee wom- Romy’s course is just one of over Mr. Orel Ben Ari, Director of the Terem By Idit Nirel en and their babies. Her humanitar- 50 across the campus that form the Urgent Health Center, and his staff, and learned that one of the challenges they faced was encouraging pregnant women from Eritrea and Sudan to come in for regular prenatal checkups. Most of these women only came to see the doctor at a relatively late stage of their pregnancy, lessening the chances of identifying risk factors early on. The reasons for this could range from fear of missing work to diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. Romy Levy Adapting to cultural needs To help tackle the problem, Romy developed a survey that helps the clinic’s staff better understand the women’s specific cultural perceptions, needs and constraints. Based on this, they plan to adapt the pregnancy monitoring process so as to encourage their patients to come in for regular checkups. ian work was part of a unique TAU groundbreaking TAU Impact pro- This was not Romy’s first encounter course, “Applied Anthropology: African gram. The first of its kind in Israel with African culture nor with social en- Migrants and Refugees in Israel,” taught and possibly the world, the Program gagement. Before studying at TAU, she by Dr. Ravit Cohen Talmi. Romy, 28, offers all undergraduate students at volunteered for over a year in Tanzania used her African Studies training at the University accredited courses that and Uganda. Working with local groups 14 TAU Review 2019 Issue

of women, she helped them gain eco- in working together in interdisciplinary brought drinking water and solar energy nomic independence by establishing a teams for the first time, as they will be to communities in Africa and India. jewelry cooperative. Her main conclu- expected to do when they go out into Nowadays, apart from being an sions from both her volunteer work in the ‘real world’. Most of all, it exposes instructor at TAU, he serves as a con- Africa and with the refugee clinic in students to crucial challenges that Israel sultant to municipalities, companies Israel, is the importance of humility: faces, and allows them to make a true and other organizations on energy and “Always ask the local partners what kind impact.” waste issues, and runs an environmental of assistance they really need. Don’t start-up he developed. He hopes that assume you know better than they do.” Engineering for society TAU Impact courses will inspire today’s Jonathan himself was eager to make students to give back to society on a Environmental good a difference during his days as a TAU lasting basis. TAU engineering students in the student. An active member of the Meanwhile, Romy too aims to com- course, “Engineering Design,” similarly put their knowledge to use for the benefit of society. They work in teams to design solutions for real-life problems raised by local NGOs and government agencies. Jonathan Haran, a 35 year-old alumnus of TAU’s Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, is one of five instructors of the course this year. Jonathan introduced one of the stu- dent teams to the organizers of Midburn – a festival modeled after the Burning Man event held annually in Nevada, USA. The Israeli version has gained popularity over the last few years, Jonathan Haran with thousands of Israelis flocking to the Negev for a 6-day festival, during which they build a massive camp and celebrate community, art, and radical self-expression. It turns out that the festival brings with it also negative im- plications for local residents of the area: high levels of dust particles in the air caused by the temporary “invasion” of festival-goers. The team proposed and designed practical engineering solutions to overcome this challenge, working in cooperation with the festival organizers. Student Union, he also volunteered in bine further academic studies with field Another student team, led by a mentoring program for young people work in the social arena, and hopes Jonathan himself, designed water secu- from disadvantaged neighborhoods and to continue her involvement with the rity solutions for remote communities, initiated a student support program at refugee clinic. The intercultural en- while others worked with various or- the Engineering Faculty. But his true counter with the clinic’s patients was ganizations, assisting them in designing passion was putting his engineering truly inspiring,” she says. “The course solutions for minimizing food waste, training to use for improving society. As gave me an opportunity to get to know recycling plastic, and improving ac- head of the Israeli branch of Engineers – and to help out – the lesser known cessibility for people with disabilities. Without Borders, an organization that groups in Israel.” Romy was awarded “The added value of this course is im- initiates sustainable development pro- a scholarship by Israel’s Council of mense,” says Jonathan. “It gives students jects for developing countries, he as- Higher Education for her exceptional practical tools and hands-on experience sisted in implementing projects that social involvement. 15 Artificial intelligence (AI) is on fire Hendler believes that, just as today in the marketing, transportation and every patient entering an emergency finance industries, but the healthcare room is automatically given a blood test, arena has been slow to adopt this in- in the future, some form of AI-related novation. No more. Today, with the testing and consideration will become growth of clinical data captured ef- standard practice. fectively by digital health records, the In her own research, Hendler is medical world is increasingly taking working on a multidisciplinary plat- advantage of AI tools. form to address mental health prob- TAU scientists and their hospital- lems combining AI with advanced health & wellness health based physician colleagues are leverag- brain imaging and other neuroscience ing new AI techniques such as machine techniques. Specifically, she has been learning and deep learning to accel- mapping objective brain markers and erate, deepen and extend the impact of laboratory findings. The difference between regular data-crunching solu- tions and current AI systems is that Intelligent Enough the latter mimic human learning and teach themselves to make sense of vast amounts of information. As new pat- terns are “learned” and catalogued, the to Make You Healthy? AI-driven software can ultimately assist and improve the performance of human TAU biomedical researchers bring care providers. innovative AI techniques into the Last year, TAU upped its game by real-world clinical environment inaugurating the Yandex Initiative in Machine Learning (ML), which supports mostly ML courses at the behavioral characteristics of individuals “Nowadays there are so many sources Blavatnik School of Computer Science, who are experiencing a mental disorder. of information,” she said, which can

By Maayan Hoffman creating the next generation of leaders The goal is that when a patient says he is make it difficult to determine a diagnosis. in industry. depressed, she would be able to confirm Salmon helped spearhead a now this depression not only subjectively (by Boston-based startup called FDNA More nuanced diagnoses talking with the patient), but through and its Face2Gene app, which allows According to Talma Hendler, pro- objective factors (by examining his doctors to take a picture of a baby or fessor of psychiatry at TAU’s Sackler neural networks). toddler’s face and upload it to the app. Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of “Being able to calculate a patient’s Then, it provides the top 10 most likely Neuroscience, AI software can help doc- brain network functioning will help genetic syndromes based on facial pat- tors gain insights into a patient’s clinical doctors formulate a personalized treat- terns. Doctors then help the technology results in real or rapid time. With AI, ment plan,” Hendler said. narrow down potential diagnoses by a computation based on clinical data uploading the patient’s symptoms to that might have taken a month in the Genetic genius the app as well. past can now be computed in an hour. Hendler’s methodology is not unlike Salmon said the software is about Increased AI will also allow for more the work being done by the Sackler 91% accurate – much more accurate personalized medical treatment and give Faculty of Medicine’s Prof. Lina Basel than even the best genetic specialists. doctors the ability to look at patients Salmon, who heads the genetics in- She noted that the app is not meant more holistically. If in the past, a patient stitute at the TAU-affiliated Rabin to replace the physician, but rather to would have been labeled as diabetic or Medical Center. She has been using provide support. having heart disease, “machine learning deep learning and computer imaging “This will help the physician extract will cluster all of a patient’s ailments techniques to train software to recog- the best and most precise information and perhaps help develop new, more nize genetic disorders among children and suggest to him or her ideas for nuanced correlations and labels.” based on their facial abnormalities. treatment and management,” she said. 16 TAU Review 2019 Issue

Prof. Talma Hendler and student

test that will reveal an array of of the Medical Image Processing and genetic disorders in fetuses as Analysis Lab at TAU’s Biomedical early as 11 weeks of gestation. Engineering Department, monitors the progression of cancer and other Cancer confronted deadly diseases using advanced image Prof. Roded Sharan, a 2015 modeling and analysis. She has been Kadar Family Award winner and conducting research in image process- a researcher at TAU’s Blavatnik ing and computer vision for the past School of Computer Science 20 years. Now, she is taking advantage Pregnancy predictions and Edmond J. Safra Center of new modeling and estimation algo- Another team hopes to prevent for Bioinformatics, heads a group that rithms to improve her work. preeclampsia, a leading cause of ma- mines biological data using networks Greenspan said that while imaging ternal death. This condition occurs and applying graph algorithmic and techniques, such as MRI images of only during pregnancy and can cause machine learning techniques to extract diseased hearts or cancerous tumors, high blood pressure, damage to the patterns of biological significance. have improved substantially over recent liver and kidneys, and severe bleeding The group has successfully modeled years, the image interpretation process or infection after childbirth. mutational processes in cancer using has only recently begun to benefit from Prof. Noam Shomron, MSc student machine learning techniques with appli- computer technology. Image interpreta- Artem Danislevsky and physician Prof. cations for early diagnosis and person- tion has been limited so far by Moshe Hod of TAU’s Sackler Faculty alized treatment. In one study, Sharan the technician or doctor’s of Medicine, together with research- worked with Prof. Gil Ast, incumbent subjectivity, and even by ers at King’s College in London, used of the Dr. Boris (Dov) Quartin Chair factors such as fatigue. computational methods that included in Chemical Pathology, and a group “Computerized statistical analyses and machine learn- of students at TAU’s Sackler Faculty tools are the key ing algorithms to discover molecular bi- of Medicine, to better understand the enablers to improve omarkers in the blood for preeclampsia. mechanisms by which mutations lead diagnosis of cancer They extracted RNA molecules, to colon cancer. “We found a pathway and other diseases by snippets of molecular information pre- of three genes that is activated by a facilitating identifica- sent in human cells, from the plasma known oncogenic mutation and could tion of the findings that of women in Italy, Spain, Russia and explain all the changes that we observed require treatment and sup- Israel. The genetic material was then in colon cancer patients; we validated porting the expert’s workflow,” rapidly sequenced and evaluated for the role of these genes in the lab using Greenspan said. These tools can be a preeclampsia molecular “signature.” patient samples,” Sharan said. critical for tracking the progression In the past, gynecologists assessed a In another study, bringing together of diseases, like if a tumor is growing woman’s risk of preeclampsia by referring students and collaborators from TAU, slowly or quickly. to previous pregnancies, blood pres- Switzerland and the US, Sharan devel- For the first time, Greenspan said, sure levels and other general symptoms. oped machine learning approaches to artificial intelligence and machine learn- Shomron’s breakthrough will now allow identify genes that drive disease. “In ing technologies are practically affecting doctors to predict the condition as early application to high throughput data the clinic and could revolutionize the as the first trimester through a simple from breast cancer patients we could medical industry. blood test. Then, the complication could discover novel disease mechanisms and So, while AI may not replace doc- be treated or even prevented with low demonstrate their diagnostic potential.” tors, it will certainly make our doctors’ doses of aspirin administered from the clinics smarter. 16th week until the end of the pregnancy. Modeling the future The Shomron team is currently using While Sharan’s team looks closely similar techniques to develop a blood at genes, Prof. Hayit Greenspan, head 17 Whoops and cheers rip through the room as industrial engineering student Merav David looks on with amuse- ment. She has just told 60 teenage girls on a tour of TAU’s Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering that women are by far the highest global edge achievers among the students in her third-year class. The girls on the tour study advanced math and science in Bat Yam high schools – defying the gender gap in science, technology, en- gineering and mathematics (STEM). This gap is evident from an early age and carries through university, where women represent fewer than 25% of Teaching Laboratory STEM graduates in developed countries at the Department worldwide, even as they outnumber of Materials men in study programs overall. Science and Engineering Starting young is critical according to Prof. Rachel Gali Cinamon, Head of TAU’s Jaime and Joan Constantiner School of Education: “The current sys- tem misses out on girls. We must engage them before they are tracked into non- STEM fields.” A new TAU program, “Girls Think It’s Simple Math Science,” is designed to spark girls’ in- terest in STEM subjects during the TAU is pursuing creative ways to get more golden window of learning from 3rd to girls interested in STEM subjects 6th grade. Girls from Israel’s social and geographic periphery, including Arabs and Orthodox Jews, enjoy experien- tial learning at STEM labs, guided by During her PhD studies in the 1990s, education milestone among women female students and researchers. The Dr. Ashkenazi was the lone woman in in STEM. Prof. Cinamon, in conjunc- program expands upon engineering a class of 40. This experience motivated tion with Israel’s Ministry of Science &

By Lisa Kremer By Lisa Kremer tours that Dr. Dana Ashkenazi of the her to introduce girls to the joys of sci- Technology, studied this phenomenon School of Mechanical Engineering has ence in the hope of recruiting more and developed unique interventions been organizing on a volunteer basis for women to STEM. “My parents exposed for all stages of academic develop- the past decade at TAU’s Engineering me to scientific and engineering topics ment, from BSc through post-doc. Faculty. Girls attending the tours get from a young age. But still, as a mother, Interventions range from mentorship answers to questions such as “why is I could see my daughters being steered to reframing the post-doc as a unique the sky blue?” at Prof. Avishay Eyal’s toward humanities tracks at school. I family experience. “Among undergrads, Optics & Photonics Lab, guided by tell them they can do whatever they MScs, and PhDs we found that aca- doctoral student Lihi Shiloh; see the set their minds to, but society says demic identity – rather than academic inner workings of the body with 3D something else. Girls begin to ques- achievement – is the major factor deter- printing of biological organs at Dr. Orna tion themselves, their abilities and their mining whether a student will pursue Sharabani-Yosef’s Tissue Engineering chances to succeed.” higher level STEM studies. Women may Lab; and encounter artificial intelli- Questioning one’s ability to suc- have phenomenal grades and academic gence (AI) robots at Dr. Goren Gordon’s ceed influences the high rate of attri- achievements, yet still may believe they Curiosity Lab. tion that increases with each higher are not good enough.” 18 TAU Review 2019 Issue

The post-doc hurdle “We grant five stipends annually. But fields, both in industry and academ- But what are women’s chances deserving candidates are double that ia,” says Prof. Shiri Artstein-Avidan, of making it in STEM? The TAU number and we wish we could grant the only female full professor of pure President’s Advisor on Gender Equity more,” says Prof. Eli. Prof. Ilana Eli runs the numbers: Other programs “Women represent 54% of PhD candi- include a joint post- dates at TAU, but less than 50% of TAU doc in which women “It’s simple math: The larger the pool of girls lecturers and only 22% of professors. conduct research In STEM fields these percentages drop abroad under the exposed to STEM, the greater the chance precipitously, with some departments auspices of a foreign of women choosing to go into STEM fields, employing only one female faculty university as well as at both in industry and academia.” member among nearly 50 men. TAU, thus cutting the – Prof. Shiri Artstein-Avidan “These numbers reflect the past – need for a multiyear professors today began their careers relocation. The President’s office also math among over 40 professors at the more than two decades ago. Yet these sponsors stipends for travel with a nurs- Raymond and Beverly Sackler School numbers also influence the future – our ing baby and caregiver, enabling new of Mathematical Sciences and a 2016 female students lack role models show- mothers to participate in international Kadar Family Award winner. “My ing the academic path as accessible to conferences essential for establishing father is a mathematician. I want to women, especially in STEM,” says Eli. themselves in academia. bring girls who were not brought up The postdoc is the most formidable in a scientific milieu to this fascinat- obstacle for Israeli women in academia. Changing reality ing world.” By the time they complete their PhDs TAU scientists are eager to boost Dr. Vered Padler-Karavani of the many are starting a family and a postdoc the number of female faculty through George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences placement of two to four years abroad Girls Think Science. “It’s simple math: did not enjoy access to science in her can seem untenable. TAU is now helping The larger the pool of girls exposed home or local school. She grew up in by awarding yearly stipends of $25,000 to STEM, the greater the chance of a development town and discovered each for women postdocs in STEM. women choosing to go into STEM science through TAU’s long-running Dov Lautman Unit for Science Oriented Youth (now Youth University). “Starting Everyone has their own thing they like best early is important, as is having someone Twelve-year-old Noa Yosef is the daughter of Dr. Orna Sharabani-Yosef of the Iby to look up to,” says Padler Karavani. and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering. She grew up visiting her mother’s cell That is why she volunteers as Chair and tissue biomedical engineering lab and has given scientific talks on engineering of ISEF—the Israeli Scholarship tours to other girls. As for her interest in science Noa says, “Some kids may think it’s Education Foundation—which seeks to strange that a girl likes science, but it doesn’t bother me—everyone has their own expand STEM among youth in Israel’s thing they like best. I like science and I want to learn things like how my body works periphery. She is eager to host Girls because it gives me a better understanding about my body and nature. I want to Think Science participants in her lab study electrical energy because it is interesting and there are lots of opportunities.” where she studies how to target diseased cells through their protein and sugar coatings. Role models are crucial, maintains Dr. Ashkenazi. “We hold our tours in the presence of female faculty members and students as mentors.” Ashkenazi believes that the program must engage Noa Yosef students from Israel’s periphery, not just from the urban, affluent areas of central Israel because, “When it comes to these subjects, just being a girl places you in the periphery.”

19 Adi Sharabi

Adi Sharabi has never let stigmas or Services Division in partnership with day-to-day struggles stop him. Partially the Elias Sourasky Central Library. deaf in both ears since he was a baby, The Pinkas’ son Miguel Pinkas, Adi had to overcome missed class mate- also a TAU Governor and a TAU alumni rial throughout his schooling – yet he Global Campaign Cabinet member, still graduated high school with high says that the family is delighted with grades. Today, at 31 years old, he’s flour- the work of the Center and that ishing as a contracts and real estate “everyone should know about the lawyer and is married to a full-hearing great work TAU is doing with these woman. He’s also gone back to school students, giving them a supportive to get a master’s degree in Geography environment and making sure they and Environmental Studies at TAU. succeed in their studies.” Mr. Pinkas “Life isn’t easy as a partially deaf per- personally meets with students at son,” he says. “Each and every day I come the Center every year. across people who do not understand the severity of my hearing loss and the re- quirements for communicating with me.” That’s why Adi is grateful for the so- Unstoppable in Their phisticated study aids at TAU’s Mia and Mile Pinkas Accessible Learning Center, Academic Dreams as well as for his Pinkas Scholarship. “It’s a great place to study and above Providing specialized equipment, mentoring, all, accessible!” he says. “It means a great scholarships and a warm home, the Pinkas deal to me.” Accessible Learning Center ensures that Immediate impact on lives all disabled students at TAU have optimal The Pinkas Center was established in study conditions 2015 by longtime TAU benefactors Mia and the late Haim Mile Pinkas, who was Aiming high in tough departments Center is helping her persevere. By Rava Eleasari By Rava Eleasari a TAU Governor. The couple’s fondest 24 year old Liraz Halo, another “My condition keeps getting worse as wish was to have a real and immediate Pinkas Center beneficiary, was diag- my muscles get weaker,” she says, “and impact on the lives of TAU students. nosed at age 9 with severe spinal scolio- I need help with my daily routines. The The Center offers a study facility with sis and had to wear a back brace until scholarship I receive from the Pinkas specialized computers and software to a age 13. At age 17, she was diagnosed Center helps me pay for this help.” spectrum of students with special needs. with a second genetic disease – a rare Liraz also benefits from the group ac- These include people born with physical, muscle wasting disorder called HIMB tivities sponsored by the Pinkas Center. hearing or vision impairments; former or GNE myopathy with as yet no cure. “As part of the scholarship, I participate combat soldiers with injuries; victims Despite her conditions, Liraz suc- in a support group for students with dis- of terror attacks; and young people cessfully finished school, volunteered in abilities. We help each other,” she says. with chronic illnesses. In addition, the a youth movement counseling young- “Thanks to the Pinkas family I got Center provides scholarships together sters, worked as a teacher’s assistant, and to meet an amazing group of fellow with essential services for students such went to the beach and concerts with students I now call friends, and it makes as tutoring, mentoring, psychological friends. Her school performance was it easier to get by,” Liraz says. support, career counseling and group so outstanding that she was accepted Adi Sharabi echoes this gratitude and workshops. into one of TAU’s most competitive appreciation. “The difficulties due to Last year the Pinkas Center as- departments, Psychology, and is now my hearing loss haven’t ended and will sisted 174 students through its pro- combining her BA studies there with continue as far as I know for the rest of grams, including funding 623 tutoring Sociology and Anthropology. my life. But because of Pinkas Family hours and allocating 49 scholarships. As of now it’s hard for her to main- support, I’m getting help in achieving Administering the activities are the Unit tain a routine of studies, physical one of my biggest dreams – graduating for Student Advancement at the Student therapy and social life, but the Pinkas with a master’s degree!” 20 TAU Review 2019 Issue

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SUSAN AND HENRY SAMUELI ENGINEERING BUILDING A New Paradigm in Industry-Academia Partnership

One of Tel Aviv University’s most ambitious building He acknowledged the active role taken by Dr. Shlomo projects to date is being realized through the vision of Prof. Markel, who is also Chairman of the TAU technology ven- Henry Samueli, co-founder and CTO of semiconductor giant ture arm, Ramot, in facilitating the project. “Through this Broadcom Inc., and his wife Dr. Susan Samueli. Some ten friendship a great many collaborations were born between years in the planning, the Building TAU and Broadcom,” said Prof. Klafter. is unique in that it will partner aca- Prof. Klafter also stressed that a demia and industry by housing both “Giving to TAU symbolizes large proportion of the donation was Broadcom engineers and TAU en- our love of Israel and of earmarked for the Susan and Henry gineering researchers and students Jewish values and religion.” Samueli Engineering and Health under one roof. Research Fund, which will support a The state-of-the-art building, wide spectrum of fields such as com- currently under construction, will munications, national security, medical comprise 160,000 sq. ft. total, of diagnostics and treatments, integrative which 50,000 sq. ft. will be al- health and drug development. located for Engineering Faculty labs, classrooms and offices. The From left: Building will serve 3,900 students Dr. Susan – 1,300 of them on MSc and PhD and Prof. Henry levels. Samueli; TAU President Joseph Klafter said at the cornerstone-laying Prof. Joseph Klafter; Dr. ceremony, “This project goes beyond a large and beautiful Shlomo and facility – to reshape the very structure of the university-industry Mrs. Arieli partnership. It represents a new model for TAU, for Israel and Special relationship with TAU Markel most probably for the world.” He noted that it would enable In his response, Prof. Samueli noted that “Tel Aviv TAU students to work on projects with Broadcom engineers, University is the first university we are supporting outside while showcasing the best young talent to Broadcom. of UCLA and UC Irvine. It takes many years to build The ceremony took place in the presence of the Samuelis; up a personal relationship and trust with a university, in- Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo Ron Huldai; Vice President of cluding with its president and deans, and that is what we Broadcom and 2019 TAU Honorary Doctor Dr. Shlomo have achieved here.” Samueli also said that giving to TAU Markel; and Dean of Engineering Yossi Rosenwaks. The symbolized the couple’s love of Israel and of Jewish values ceremony was officiated by TAU Vice President for Resource and religion. Development Amos Elad. Following the formal part of the ceremony, the Samueli Prof. Klafter noted the Broadcom Foundation’s long- family laid the cornerstone and unveiled a sign at the build- time support for scholarships, TAU’s Youth University, ing site, which is adjacent to the existing Wolfson Building and joint workshops in computer science and engineering for Software Engineering and the Wolfson Building for with UC Irvine. Mechanical Engineering. 21 YOSEF AND FARANG SHAHERY LOBBY higher education sphere. He noted that York and the Maccabee Foundation, the gift includes a perpetual fellowship among other projects in Israel and New A Family fund to support talented Israeli gradu- York. ate students. The ceremony was moderated by In his response on behalf of the TAU VP for Resource Development Passion for family, Mr. Shaw Shahery said, “our Amos Elad and attended by Chairman of parents, Yosef and Farang, were role the Iranian American Jewish Federation Giving models for the values we believe in. We (IAJF), Shaharam Yaghoubzadeh, sen- The Yosef and Farang Shahery Lobby are sorry that they could not be here ior TAU officials and friends of the was inaugurated at TAU’s new Check with us today.” Shahery family. Also speaking were Point Building, a state-of-the-art facil- Originally from Tehran, Yosef Robert Kahan, President of the IAJF, ity which will serve TAU’s Blavatnik Shahery is a compassionate humani- and Prof. Amir Globerson of the School of Computer Science and Youth tarian who provided support to Jews Blavatnik School of Computer Science. University. The Shahery family siblings who fled the Islamic Frank, Vida, Shaw and Shahruz gath- Revolution in 1979 ered together with extended family and sought refuge in

TAU Global Campaign TAU members to honor their parents, Yosef the United States. He and Farang Shahery of the USA. provided generous fi- TAU President Joseph Klafter said nancial aid, personal the lobby “provides a spacious and el- advice and even estab- egant facility to welcome students and lished a Farsi-language researchers of computer science as they newspaper. In the meet, socialize and study together.” He 1980s, together with praised Yosef and Farang Shahery as Farang, he co-found- committed Zionists, friends of Israel ed the Iranian Jewish and believers in the country’s renowned Foundation of New Shahery family at the ribbon cutting ceremony

The discovery in an Israeli cave of a fossilized human jaw bone, dating DAN DAVID CENTER FOR HUMAN EVOLUTION AND BIOHISTORY from between 177,000 and 194,000 years old, pushed the timeline for Homo New Center Sheds Light on From left: VP sapiens venturing out of Africa back for Resource 100,000 years. This astounding discov- Development Human Evolution Amos Elad; ery was made by physical anthropolo- Prof. Israel Hershkovitz; gists at TAU’s Dan David Center for Ariel David Human Evolution and Biohistory at the specimens dating back 1.5 million years. university without Dan David, but it’s and Gabriela David Steinhardt Museum of Natural History. The Center was inaugurated in the just as difficult to imagine TAU without The David Center houses TAU’s unique presence of TAU Honorary Fellow Gabi and Ariel,” he said. Ariel David Biological Anthropology Collection of and Governor Gabriela David and her spoke of how his father had taken part in son, TAU Governor and Global digs in Israel for more than two decades. Campaign Cabinet Member, Head of the Center Prof. Israel Ariel David. The Center honors Hershkovitz said, “Dan’s generous sup- the memory and legacy of the late port enabled numerous breakthroughs, Dan David, an inventor, philan- including important discoveries in thropist, and founder of the annual Israeli caves.” Dan David Prize at TAU. Also speaking were Prof. Tamar TAU President Joseph Klafter Dayan, Chair of the Steinhardt thanked the David family for being Museum, and Dr. Rachel Sarig of the pillars of support for TAU for many Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger years. “It is hard to imagine this School of Dental Medicine. 22 TAU Review 2019 Issue

From left: Julia and Yuri Milner “70 for 70” Yuri Milner; Prof. Joseph Klafter; Prof. Doctoral Fellowship Peretz Lavie, President of the Initiative Technion— Israel Institute of Technology; Prof. Asher Cohen, President Russian-born Israeli entrepreneur, administered by TAU. The funds will Yuri Milner graduated in 1985 from of Hebrew investor and philanthropist Yuri Milner, award $25,000 a year to each fellow Moscow State University with an ad- University, Jerusalem founder of the Breakthrough Prize, is a for 4 years. vanced degree in theoretical physics strong believer in the potential of Israeli At a meeting with TAU President and subsequently conducted research science and technology. To this end, he Joseph Klafter as well as the other uni- in quantum field theory and science. established the Yuri Milner “70 for 70” versity heads, Mr. Milner noted that In 1999 he founded the Mail.ru Group Doctoral Fellowship Initiative – a $7 fundamental science and mathematics and under his leadership it became one million Initiative supporting 70 excep- are among humanity’s highest achieve- of Europe’s leading internet companies. tional PhD students over a period of ten ments and are essential for the growth He later founded DST Global to focus years, and in honor of Israel’s 7th decade. of technological progress. “The goal of on international internet investments. The Initiative supports PhD candidates these fellowships is to help outstanding Milner was named as one of the world’s in fundamental physics, mathemat- young researchers contribute to research 100 “greatest living business minds” by ics and life sciences at TAU, Hebrew on the deepest questions. I hope they Forbes last year. University of Jerusalem and Technion– will have the freedom to pursue their Israel Institute of Technology, and is dreams,” he said.

A unique new institute launched at TAU’s Jaime INSTITUTE FOR PROMOTING DIALOGUE THROUGH MUSIC and Joan Constantiner School of Education is using the power of music Connecting to promote dialogue in a somewhat fractured Israeli through society. The Institute was initiated by TAU Governor Music From Left: Mr. Amnon Herzig; Dr. Ori Leshman; Prof. Rachel Gali Cinamon, Head of the Jaime and Joan Constantiner School of Education; TAU President Joseph and donor Aviad Meitar, and Klafter; Mr. Aviad Meitar; and TAU VP for Resource Development Amos Elad is being run by Israeli com- poser, conductor and educator Dr. Ori chology, brain studies, sociology, com- at the Advanced Leadership Initiative Leshman. munication and data science. Additional at Harvard University. “Music is a dialogue between compos- activities include teaching; support for Meitar, a TAU alumnus in law, er and lyricist, between performer and student ventures; conferences and work- is Chairman of Quadrant European audience,” says Dr. Leshman, whose vi- shops; grants to students with special Beverages Ltd., the Pepsi bottler for sion is to use music to unite people from achievements; and social projects. Bulgaria. He is a second generation dissimilar cultural, ethnic or national The “Music for Dialogue” method member of the Meitar family, major backgrounds, overcome barriers, and was collectively pioneered by Leshman, benefactors to TAU in the fields of law, improve society in Israel and worldwide. Aviad Meitar and businessman Amnon management and philanthropy studies. Benefiting from TAU’s interdiscipli- Herzig. Mr. Meitar developed a project Meitar’s sister, Dafna Meitar-Nechmad, nary campus culture, the new Institute entitled, “Music as a Tool for Conflict is co-chair of the TAU $1 billion Global combines music with education, psy- Resolution,” during his 2016 Fellowship Campaign. 23 Celebrating the Next Big Ideas at the 2019 Tel Aviv University Board of Governors Meeting TAU Global Campaign TAU

Hogeg Blockchain Research Institute Created by Israeli serial entrepre- neur Moshe Hogeg, this institute is the first of its kind in Israel to focus exclusively on investigating the poten- tial impact and applications of block- chain, the record-keeping technology behind bitcoin that is revolutionizing internet-based transactions.

Yehuda Naftali Botanic Garden The dedication by Israeli-American philanthropist Yehuda Naftali of the University’s Botanic Garden will bolster its vital national research, education and conservation activities.

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2019 Tel Aviv University Board Aufzien Family Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease of Governors Meeting Longstanding TAU supporter Alan Aufzien and family have established a center, in collaboration with the Tel Aviv-Sourasky Medical Center Neurological Institute, dedicated to preventing suffering and saving lives.

Dr. Garry Rayant and Dr. Kathy Fields-Rayant Minducate Learning Innovation Research Fund Founded by dermatologist Dr. Kathy Fields-Rayant and her husband, dentist-entrepreneur Dr. Garry Rayant, this fund will jumpstart advanced research at Minducate, TAU’s cross-disciplinary research center aimed at harness- ing the latest advances in neuroscience to design practical Check Point Building and Check Point Road approaches, tools and products to enhance learning. Initiated by TAU benefactor and Governor Gil Shwed, who founded and heads Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., the Check Point Building provides a new, state-of-the-art home for TAU’s Youth University and the Blavatnik School of Computer Science.

25 speaking at Eric Gertler profile (left) and Gertler James TAU 26 we can make quick changes. quick make we can not working are things if provide, and gifts that impact the to assess matrices fast and hard We come up with can cannot. organizations governmental that away in accountable tributions con make we can that is foundation help all. will that discoveries to unimaginable lead will program Wework. this hope that to do amazing minds brightest and best the by enabling Program, Leadership STEM Zuckerman to the respect with including, ways, various in humanity role advancing in important play an change? real effect foundation afamily How can views onphilanthropy with TAU. Review Global EconomicsatTAU. Theydiscusstheir founded theFrenkel-Zuckerman Institutefor 2018 theGertlerbrothers, bothTAU Governors, collaboration, includingatTel Aviv University. In Program, whichsupportsUS-Israelacademic the $100millionZuckermanSTEMLeadership nephews ofMortimerB.Zuckerman,initiator of theZuckermanFamilyFoundationand Brothers EricJ.andJamesS.Gertlerare trustees Passing on Torch the PROFILE: ERIC AND JAMES GERTLER, USA Philanthropic organizations like ours ours like organizations Philanthropic Gertler: Eric The one great thing about a family aboutfamily a thing The great one Gertler: James - capturing Jewish history and we are we are and history Jewish capturing blessed.truly Ifeel and rewarding extraordinarily –is way impactful an such in – and actively able to so be to participate age, young a very from us in instilled been that’s something is causes Jewish and Yorkof New City. to Israeli Giving economic development the helped with whyandis I government joined That to society. back to give is value mental philanthropy? in passion your is What to come. for years Israel and US the between of scientists change ex arobust to ensure we want arships, economies. both for especially importance, paramount of is this tie, this strengthen we can foundation afamily as if US, and the with is relationship geo-political tant connected? America and Israel How dowe keep One of my greatest passions is re is passions One of my greatest a funda that believed always I have Gertler: Eric schol STEM Zuckerman With our impor Israel’s most We that believe Gertler: James James Gertler: Gertler: James Gertler: Eric - - - - - porate social responsibility programs programs responsibility porate social cor creating businesses many you see reason, For that issues. social address to role beyond profitpanded making ex an it has that realized has business However, of today, meaning. a sense them helping people give and ploying business’s society? role is in What of future. your morebe certain you’ll past the you capture if that sense the in to humanity, people and Jewish for the a gift is this that I believe there. building center of we are anew part as Wall) out (Western Kotel at the carried work being archaeological the funding of of to one’s of Israel importance life. the and identity Jewish in interest an showing already who are children, to our values some Mort’s down of uncle our to pass We trying money on are experiences. we spend a family people matter. As children? your doyou to say What efforts. help these support that or foundations Harvard Business School. School. Business Harvard from and of Pennsylvania University the at School Wharton the from degrees &WorldU.S. News Report of director board and Partners of Legacy Director Managing Senior and Chairman Vice LLC; Capital, Lane of Drew CEO Review Law of The Editor-in-Chief as served he where University American from degree a law and in Paris Politiques D’Etudes Institut of Paris, University the at Sorbonne the University, Brown from degrees He holds Corporation. Development Economic New Yorkthe City of Vice President Executive as served has He ofUlysses Ventures. Officer Executive U.S. News &WorldU.S. News and Chief Report Business certainly plays arole plays em in certainly Business Gertler: Eric Eric J. Gertler is Executive Chairman Chairman Executive is J. Gertler Eric don’t things matter; that them I tell Gertler: James James S. Gertler is President and President is Gertler S. James . He holds . He holds . - - - Top Global Friends Events TAU Review 2019 Issue

Berlin: Science Week German Friends hosted three of TAU‘s brightest talents during Berlin Science Week, where a veritable who’s who of leading scientists and researchers from around the world assembled for a week of lectures, forums, workshops and Back row, from left: interactive activities, hoping to inspire the next generation of young scientists and Mexican Friends Board academics. The TAU Alumni Organization also held its first ever networking event in members, Fernando Germany, in which Nirit Bialer, graduate of the TAU Security & Diplomacy Program, Lasky, Carlos Gatt, spoke to over 35 TAU alumni on local networking strategies. Karen Rossow (Executive Director), and Ferenz Feher From left: Dr. Rachel Sarig of the Gabriela Front row: Mexican Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine Friends members Jaime and Dan David Center for Human Evolution Mexico City: Showcasing TAU Innovation M. Franklin, Yael Guzik and Biohistory Research; Zipi Roitman, Vice Mexican Friends of TAU held their first TAU Innovation and Alejandra Meyer; President, German Friends; and Dr. Manfred Day at the World Trade Center in Mexico City, aimed Prof. Yossi Rosenwaks; Lautenschläger, philanthropist at bringing together entrepreneurs and students Mexican Friends to explore business trends and opportunities for President Jaime Murrow; government and international funding. The event and Mexican Friend Elias featured 19 guest speakers including TAU Dean of Shuchleib Engineering Prof. Yossi Rosenwaks. Funds raised London: University went to the Mexican Friends of TAU Scholarship Fund, for a Night which helps Mexican students wishing to study at TAU. Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom Mark Regev was among 200 guests who enjoyed an evening of cocktails and lectures at TAU Trust UK’s University for a Night Montreal: lecture series. Hosted at the London Fighting Cancer offices of Rothschild Co., talks were TAU Prof. Dan given by TAU Middle East expert Prof. (Emer.) Peer, Director of Asher Susser; Dr. Goren Gordon, Head of the Laboratory of the Curiosity Lab; and world-renowned From left: Prof. Zahava Solomon, Precision Medicine at trauma expert Prof. (Emer.) Zahava Solomon. Prof. Asher Susser, Dr. Goren the George S. Wise of Also present were TAU VP of Resource Gordon, and Cara Case, Chief Life Sciences, braved Development Amos Elad; TAU Trust UK Executive, TAU Trust UK arctic-like conditions Chairman Richard Anton and emcee of the to speak at three successful events: an evening, TAU Governor Prof. Eli Talmor. intimate cocktail gathering hosted by CFTAU and the Israel Cancer Research From left: David Levy, Consul General Fund (ICRF) in support of his research, of Israel to Quebec and Atlantic Canada “Cannabis Revolution in Cancer From left: Amnon and TAU alumnus; Prof. Dan Peer; Judge Treatment”; a scientific symposium Dick, Adi Olmert, Barbara Seal-Shiveck, Immediate Past and round table titled “The Future in TAU President Prof. National President of CFTAU; Dr. Michael Oncology: Accelerating Academic Joseph Klafter, Prof. Tenenbaum, Regional Chair, CFTAU Ideas into Clinical Translation and Daphne Barak-Erez, Ottawa, Quebec and Atlantic Canada; Potential Cures,” hosted by medical and Prof. Yossi Sharon J. Fraenkel, Executive Director consortium TransMedTech; and a Shain Ottawa, Quebec and Atlantic Canada; fundraiser and cocktail reception and Rotem Segev, Deputy Consul for CFTAU supporters and young General Israel: Law, Politics and Ideology professionals. The Business-Academic Club of Israeli Friends of TAU held a premiere screening of “On the Basis of Sex,” a film featuring the life of US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Prior to the screening a dialogue on law and social change Madrid: Second Annual Maimonides Prize was held between Israel Supreme Court Justice Prof. Daphne Barak-Erez, a TAU alumna and former Dean of Law, and Prof. Yossi Shain, Head of TAU’s School Spanish Friends of TAU hosted a gala event at the luxurious Villa of Political Science, Government and International Affairs. Among the guests Magna Hotel, where the second annual Maimonides Prize was welcomed by President of Israeli Friends, Amnon Dick, and CEO, Adi Olmert, were awarded to esteemed Spanish businesswoman and philanthropist TAU Governors Etti and Gabi Rotter, Pini Rubin, Tamir Gilat and Nathan Hevroni. Alicia Koplowitz for her championing of research into childhood and adolescent mental disorders, including autism and behavioral problems. Students of the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music entertained the distinguished guests, who helped raise funds for scholarships for Spanish students studying at TAU, and various Miami: Inspirational Design research projects. TAU Governor Leslie Gelrubin Benitah and husband Harry Benitah, along with American Friends of TAU, hosted a fundraising event in support of the David Azrieli School of Architecture at Tel Aviv University. The evening of cocktails and dinner at the Benitah home in Bal Harbor celebrated the annual Michel Gelrubin Prize for Architecture, founded by his children Samuel and Leslie in his memory. From left: Herman Richter, Senior Resource Executive, Latin America, Spain Special guest speaker was famed Miami & Portugal; Isaac Querub, Co-President of Spanish Friends; Esther Querub; From left: Leslie Gelrubin Benitah, Harry architect Kobi Karp. Astrid Misrahi, TAU Governor; Alicia Koplowitz; Patricia Nahmad, Co- Benitah, Isaac Benitah, Kobi Karp and President of Spanish Friends; and Amos Elad, VP of Resource Development Salome Benitah 27 Top Global Friends Events

Paris: Classical Performance French Friends of TAU and the City of Paris hosted a concert at the famed Theatre des Champs Elysées. TAU Buchmann-Mehta School of Music students Shir Hayat (violin), Simon Lemberski (viola), and Ori Ron (cello) joined the Chamber Orchestra of Paris, thrilling the audience with their interpretation of Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony. The concert continues the tradition of cooperation and cultural exchange between the Buchmann-Mehta São Paulo: Showcasing TAU Innovation From left: Amos School and Elad, VP Resource TAU President Joseph Klafter held a fireside chat at the the Chamber Development; Brazilian think tank Center for Debates on Public Health Orchestra of Alessandra Nigri; (CDPP), extolling the University’s accomplishments Paris. Tamy and David Safra; in AI, national security and medicine. At a separate Prof. Joseph Klafter; event, prominent Brazilians Victor Elias and Alessandra Raymond Shayo; Prof. Nigri hosted a cocktail reception and dinner at their Dan Peer; and Victor São Paulo home. David and Tamy Safra co-hosted the Elias Nigri evening with Raymond Shayo, a TAU alumnus. A talk was given on Translational Medicine by Prof. Dan Toronto: Supporting Peer, Director of the Laboratory of Precision Medicine Lone Soldiers at the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences. Canadian Friends of TAU and the Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin hosted former Israeli ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, at the downtown San Francisco: Evening of MultiPiano Delights conference center in the TAU’s Buchmann-Mehta School of Music was well represented at the San luxurious Scotia Plaza. Francisco Conservatory of Music, with School Head Prof. Tomer Lev and alumni Over 100 guests enjoyed Berenika Glixman, Nimrod Meiry-Haftel and Ayal Pelc entertaining guests with Prosor’s eloquent and From left: Nathan Disenhouse, Board Chair- a “two-piano, four-hands” concert, born out of Lev’s award-winning MultiPiano timely wisdom gained from CFTAU; Stephen Adler, Executive Director, Ontario project. The AFTAU event included an elegant dinner prior to the concert, hosted a career representing Israel & Western Canada; Galit Baram, Israeli Consul- by philanthropists Barney and Barbro Osher. Distinguished guests included Israel on the world stage. Funds Toronto and Western Canada and TAU Alumna; Consul General to San Francisco Shlomi Kofman and Executive Director of the were raised in support Ron Prosor; and Michael Domb, Vice President, California Israel Chamber of Commerce Sharon Vanek. of scholarships for Lone Lone Soldier Center Soldiers studying at TAU.

Sydney: Paying Tribute to Dear Friends Over 100 friends and guests of Australian Friends gathered at the seaside home of the Moss family at Piper Point to pay tribute to the late Agi and Sam Moss, From left: Prof. Tomer From left: Nimrod Meiry-Haftel, Berenika beloved friends and long-time supporters Lev with Barbro and Glixman, Ayal Pelc and Prof. Tomer Lev of TAU and the Australian Jewish Barney Osher community. Sam was a Holocaust survivor, a TAU Governor and a founding member of the New South Wales Division of Australian Friends. Prof. Yair Bar-Haim of the School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol From left: Steven Moss School of Neuroscience spoke on TAU’s and Meir Moss, sons of new National Center for Traumatic Stress Agi and Sam Moss and Resilience, where one of its wings From left: Prof. Markus is being named in honor of Agi and Sam Müller; Prof. Liat Kishon- Moss. Rabin, Head of the Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions; Dr. Bernhard Ramsauer; Zurich: Talking Dr. Christiane Druml, Environment Director of the Medical TAU Prof. Colin Price, Collections, MedUni Head of the Department Vienna: Advancing Medical Cooperation Vienna; Prof. Wolf-Dieter Baumgartner, Chairman of Environmental Studies, Austrian Friends and Medical University of Vienna treated an intimate gathering of the HEARRING (MedUni Vienna) held their second annual gala dinner Network; Prof. Raanan of Swiss Friends to a lecture to raise funds for joint research projects between on TAU innovations in mobility, Rein; and Alexander TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and MedUni Gertner, General nutrition, energy and water Vienna. TAU Vice President Raanan Rein, Austrian management. The evening Secretary of TAU Austrian Friends President Dr. Bernhard Ramsauer and MedUni Friends was hosted at the Zurich home From left: Patrick Loeb, President, TAU Swiss Vienna Rector Prof. Markus Müller each spoke to of Dr. Michael Rabner and Friends; Dr. Michael & Gabriella Rabner; Prof. the 200 guests on the rich history of friendship and his wife Gabriella, at which Colin Price; and Alain Picard, CEO Swiss collaboration between the institutions. scholarship funds were raised. Friends.

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Building Bridges to Africa A delegation of 20 Institute (ARO) Volcani Institute of academics, business- Israel, Israel Innovation Authority people and policymak- and AJC Africa Institute. Among the ers, led by TAU President delegates were two Nigerian alumni Joseph Klafter, attended of TAU, Endurance Ojo and Tony the second Africa-Israel Bawo Esimaje, graduates of the Forum held in Abeokuta, Manna International MSc Program Nigeria. The Nigeria in Plant Sciences with Emphasis on summit, dedicated to Food Safety and Security. The event technology in agriculture, received the active help and support TAU was hosted by former of attendees Eytan Stibbe of Vital President Joseph Nigerian President Capital and Stanley and Dr. Marion Klafter with Olusegun Obasanjo at Bergman. African delegates included former Nigerian his Presidential Library. the Vice President of Malawi, Saulos President It was held by TAU in Chilima; Finance Minister of Lesotho, Olusegun partnership with the Dr. Moeketsi Majoro; and senior offi- Obasanjo Brenthurst Foundation, cials, bankers and entrepreneurs form the Agricultural Research across Africa.

TAU-USF Join in Aging Research A MoU was signed between TAU, TAU Governor David Scher, on behalf the University of Southern Florida of the TAU UK Trust, was a key force Partnering in (USF) and the Florida-Israel Business behind the collaboration. The pro- Nanoscience Accelerator (FIBA) to advance R&D gram will focus on innovations in four A new collaborative venture technologies in the field of aging, with areas: aging in one’s own home, car- between Northwestern University the aim of improving life for the el- diovascular patient self-management, and TAU brings together research- derly population. The agreement was virtual reality in health, and hearing ers and students in the field of signed at a ceremony in Tampa by and speech technology. Researchers nanotechnology. Under the new TAU Vice President Raanan Rein and from USF and from several compa- partnership, two young research- USF President Prof. Judy Genshaft. nies presented their latest findings. ers from each university will receive post-doctoral fellowships support- ing two years of their research at the partner institution. The fellow- From left: ships, which will cover about 75% Prof. Judy of the total cost of the research, Genshaft, Prof. Raanan were paid for with funding provided Rein and by philanthropist and businessman Joseph Roman Abramovich, benefactor of Probasco, President, TAU’s planned Abramovich Build- Tampa ing for Nanoscience and Nanotech- JCC and Federation nology. The collaboration will also offer up to two joint research grants a year to support pilot projects with commercial potential. 29 The second global summit on “Life in Extreme Conditions – A Lesson from Nature,” was held at Masada by TAU’s Porter Dead Sea Institute for Life Under Extreme Conditions, funded by the Porter Foundation, in cooperation with the Tamar Regional Council and the Dead Sea and Arava Science Center. The goal of the summit was to bring together research- ers from overseas and Israel to explore the intersections between geological, environmental, medical and cultural aspects of this unique region. Topics included health and Annual Gala Concert medicinal benefits, microbiome, Maestro biodiversity, geophysics, seismol- Zubin Mehta of Buchmann-Mehta ogy, sociology, anthropology, Symphony Orchestra disaster mitigation and environ- mental studies, among others. The Annual Gala Concert of the Group photo at the Dead Sea Institute The conference was organized by Buchmann-Mehta Symphony Orches- Dr. Mira Marcus-Kalish, Director tra was held at the Charles Bronfman of International Research Affairs Auditorium in Tel Aviv. The concert of TAU. was conducted by Yoel Levi and fea- tured performances by outstanding Dead Sea Focus Buchmann-Mehta School students and graduates, hornist Noam Fresko, pianist Itamar Prag, percussionist Eran Margalit and violinist Victoria Gelman, playing selections from Mo- zart, Prokofiev, Keiko Abe, Ravel and American Studies Center Gershwin. Launched During the event, the 2019 TAU TAU established a new multidis- President’s Award was conferred ciplinary Center for the Study of the upon Maestro Zubin Mehta, Honorary United States in collaboration with the President and co-founder, together Fulbright Program, headed by Dr. Yoav with philanthropist Josef Buchmann, Fromer of the Lester and Sally Entin of TAU’s Buchmann-Mehta School of Faculty of Humanities and Gershon H. Music, and accepted on his behalf by Gordon Faculty of Socical Sciences. The Avi Shoshani of the IPO. The Award Center promotes research on politics, recognized Mehta’s more than 15 society, policymaking, the economy, years of dedicated service to the foreign relations, culture, art and more Buchmann-Mehta School, his suc- in the USA, with the first year’s agenda cess in bridging between the School dedicated to immigration issues. At Dr. Yoav Fromer and the IPO, which he led for five the launching ceremony, Dr. Anat decades, and his remarkable sixty- Lapidot-Firilla, Executive director of the Fulbright Commission in Israel, year international career as a conduc- expressed her hope that the Center “will produce relevant, fresh and tor who has worked with some of the reliable knowledge of American contemporary society and institutions to world’s most notable orchestras. be disseminated to a wide audience of students, researchers and public policy and opinion makers throughout Israel.” Also attending were Terry Davidson, Counselor for Public Affairs at the US Embassy in Israel, and Prof. Raanan Rein, Vice President of TAU. 30 TAU Review 2019 Issue

Third Annual China Israel Innovation Forum The third annual China Israel In- Lung Properties. During the Forum novation Forum was held in Shenzen, meeting, TAU and Tsinghua Berkeley China, by TAU in partnership with Research Institute (TBSI) launched a Tsinghua University and Morningside new center in Shenzhen for collabora- Signing in from Hong Kong. The gathering wel- tive research, startup acceleration the new TAU-TBSI comed some 120 influential individu- and incubation, thereby advancing Center als from academia, government and Israel projects entering the Chinese industry from China and Israel to market and vice versa. explore the latest tech- nological developments and university-driven innovations. TAU President Joseph Klafter co-chaired the Forum together with TAU Honorary Doctor and President of Tsinghua University Prof. Qui Yong and TAU Honorary Doctor Mr. Ronnie C. Chan, Co- founder of Morningside Dead Sea Focus and Chairman of Hang

are designed by both academic staff and students. The Project is run by

An Escape Minducate, a collaboration between Room in the Sagol School of Neuroscience action and TAU Online—Innovative Learn- ing Center. An Escape Room called ChemX, based on a course in life sciences, involved finding an antidote to a poison created by a crazy profes- sor. “In the escape room, abstract concepts become tangible, providing an additional level of understanding of the material,” says Guy Teichman, Pure Escapism a PhD student in life sciences. Head of the Project Dr. Limor Radoszko- TAU is providing creative new ways course material. The Escape rooms wicz of Minducate, says that the of making learning more fun through involve groups of students being project has been extremely popular the Escape Room Project, a physical locked in a room and timed on how with students and that registration for space that provides a hands-on and fast they can solve puzzles based the slots filled up almost immediately alternative way of learning complex on academic course material, and upon opening. 31 Nanotechnology, on a project that brings together Ultra-Orthodox rab- When Harry Met people bis with TAU scientists for dialogue and cooperation on issues at the Zahava crossroads of science and Torah TAU’s Prof. Zahava Solomon study; and Prof. Noam Mizrahi, discussed issues relating to the long Israel’s President Head of Bible Studies, on how term trauma of military combatants state-of-the-art technologies, such with HRM Prince Harry, the Duke of Graces Campus Sussex, at the 2019 Veterans’ Mental President Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin as AI or DNA decryption, are taking Health Conference held at King’s Col- visited TAU’s cutting-edge labs and the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls lege London. The goal of the confer- heard about programs that enhance to the next level. ence was to share ideas about how social involve- best to support the psychological ment and ac- wellbeing of former military personnel. cessibility to The Duke, who served two tours in higher educa- Afghanistan, discussed the long-term tion. He then effects of military service with several President joined a panel speakers, praising their work. He is Rivlin of research- with TAU a regular champion of mental health International ers and TAU advocacy through his work with the students top officials at Royal Foundation’s “Heads Together” the Cym- project, which aims to promote a balista Jewish national conversation on the topic. Heritage Center, where he heard presentations by Dean of President Rivlin said: “I saw Students Tova Most on TAU Im- here today not only great scien- pact, a program that offers students tific discoveries, but also a true accredited courses involving com- understanding of the need for dia- munity engagement projects; Arab logue, and the ability to see what master’s student Hiyam Diab on her connects us, and not only what experience of creating a dialogue with separates us from one another,” he prisoners through TAU’s Community said. “I hope that our society will Theater Program; Prof. Noam Shom- similarly become more inclusive, ron of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine so that all university graduates, no matter what their backgrounds, and master’s student Malak Daraw- Prince Harry discusses post-military combat trauma with she, on genetic screening for prevent- will be able to integrate into Israeli TAU Prof. Zahava Solomon ing diseases; Prof. Yael Hanein, Head society and not be blocked by a “The Prince expressed great inter- of the Center for Nanoscience and ‘glass ceiling.’” est and concern for the safety of soldiers,” said Solomon, an Israel Prize laureate and retired Lieutenant- Colonel in the Israel Defense Forces. “I expressed my appreciation in the Cycling Prowess name of mental health professionals in Israel for his involvement and sen- TAU Governor Sylvan sitivity. For someone in his position Adams (right) test drives one to come forward and say it’s quite of the new high-performance normal to be traumatized, is really bicycle training rigs that is beneficial.” part of the Sylvan Adams Prof. Solomon heads the I-CORE Sports Institute, headed by Research Center for Mass Trauma at Prof. Mickey Scheinowitz (left) TAU and has served as Head of TAU’s of the Iby and Aladar Fleish- Bob Shapell School of Social Work man Faculty of Engineering. and of TAU’s Adler Research Center for Child Welfare and Protection.

32 TAU Review 2019 Issue

prizes

Prof. Amnon Yariv, the Martin and From left: Prof. Yaron Eileen Summerfield Professor of Ap- Oz, Prof. plied Physics and Electrical Engineer- Amnon Yariv and Prof. ing at the California Institute of Tech- Raanan Rein nology, was awarded a TAU Honorary Doctorate for his indelible mark in the field of integrated optics technology. Prof. Yariv is the recipient of presti- gious awards and honors including the US National Medal of Science TAU Confers Honorary Doctorate presented by President Barak Obama in 2010. His research group has on Pioneer in Internet Technology generated numerous technologies, sion of mass data via phone, video, Rein. Prof. Yariv is a member of and including the invention of the semi- cable and the Internet. The award visiting lecturer at TAU’s Mortimer and conductor distributed feedback laser, was presented by TAU Rector Yaron Raymond Sackler Institute of Ad- a device that enabled the transmis- Oz and TAU Vice President Raanan vanced Studies.

community

At-Risk Women Get a Second Chance The NCJW supported Alumni Orga- nization was established in 2017 by to Fulfill their Dreams Prof. Daphna Hacker, Head of TAU’s Young women from disadvantaged body image, relationships and do- NCJW Women and Gender Stud- backgrounds also dare to dream big. mestic violence through lectures, vid- ies Program and a member of the The Alumni Organization of TAU’s eos, games, and discussions meant Buchmann Faculty of Law. As part of NCJW Women and Gender Studies to empower them. “Each girl needs to the Program, graduates are commit- Program pioneered a project, “From have a dream and she needs to try to ted to giving back to women in the #MeToo to Witches: Talking Gender,” fulfill it,” said Yakira Levi. community. part of the “Dream House” project at the Manof Youth Village in Akko, a boarding school for 11th and 12th graders and pre-army trainees who have struggled to integrate suc- cessfully into traditional educational frameworks. Recognizing the role gender plays in social and work culture, the TAU alumni, led by TAU graduate and doc- toral student Michal Zeevi, developed an 8-month biweekly female-centric program with Manof staff member Yakira Levi, with the cooperation of Manof Director Zehava Atrakzi. The women confronted issues such as

33 makers Eli Gelman Appointed TAU Prof. Ariel Porat Is Executive Council Chairman President-Elect of TAU Eli Gelman was appointed as Chairman of Tel Aviv TAU alumnus Prof. Ariel Porat of the Buchmann Faculty news University’s Executive Council, replacing Dr. Giora of Law is a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Yaron who completed his term of office. From 2010 Humanities and a 2014 EMET Prize laureate. His main research to 2018, Mr. Gelman served as President and Chief areas are torts, contracts, remedies, and law and economics. After Executive Officer of Amdocs Management Limited, a completing his LLM and direct JSD at TAU, he performed post- leading software and services provider to communica- doctoral studies at Yale Law School and joined TAU in 1990. tions and media companies, with 25,000 employees. From 2002 to 2006, he served as Dean of Law and from 2013 His career at Amdocs spanned more than 30 years, to 2014 he chaired the University Strategic Steering Committee including operations, software development and sales, tasked with the academic restructuring of the University. Porat alongside strategy and corporate development. Mr. is Alain Poher Professor of Law at TAU, and Associate Member Gelman has been a member of the Amdocs Board of and Fischel-Neil Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at the Directors since 2002, and was also a Board Member University of Chicago. He was also a Visiting Professor at the and Chairman of Retalix, a provider of software University of California at Berkeley, Columbia University, New solutions to retailers and distributors worldwide. Mr. York University, Stanford University, University of Toronto and Gelman holds a BSc in electronic engineering with a the University of Virginia. He is a member of the American specialization in communication and computers from Law Institute, a former board member of the American Law the Technion—Israel Institute of Technology. His 5 and Economics Association and a former president of the Israeli years of service in the Israel Defense Forces during Law and Economics Association. From 1997 to 2002, he was the the 1980s included a leadership role in developing Director of TAU’s Cegla Center for Interdisciplinary Research frequency-hopping encrypted communication gear of the Law. He is the founder of the journal Theoretical Inquiries which is still in use today. In his charitable work, in Law and was its editor-in-chief in the years 1999-2003. Porat Mr. Gelman has devoted significant personal time is the author of four books and more than 90 articles published to youth education. by the world’s leading academic presses and scholarly journals.

Appointments: Prof. Marc Teboulle, Exact Sciences, incumbent of the Eric and Sheila Samson Chair in Optimization • Prof. Dana Ron-Goldreich, Engineering, incumbent of the Lazarus Brothers Chair of Computer Engineering • Prof. Ruth Ashery-Padan, Medicine, incumbent of the Zucker-Sussman Chair in Glaucoma Research • Prof. Gideon Paret, Medicine, incumbent of the Leon Alcalay Chair in Pediatric Immunology • Prof. Neil Gandal, Social Sciences, incum- bent of the Henry Kaufman Chair in International Capital Markets • Prof. Shmuel Sagiv, Exact Sciences, incumbent of the Software Systems Chair • Prof. Emilia Fridman, Engineering, incumbent of the Chana and Heinrich Manderman Chair in System Control • Prof. Nahum Kiryati, Engineering, incumbent of the Manuel and Raquel Klachky Chair of Image Processing • Prof. Eugenii Shustin, Exact Sciences, incumbent of the Bauer-Neuman Chair in Real and Complex Geometry • Prof. Nissan Itzhaki, Exact Sciences, incumbent of the Dr. Teodoro Jack and Dorothea Krauthamer Chair in Physics • Prof. Ehud Nakar, Exact Sciences, incumbent of the Jack Adler Chair of Extragalactic Astronomy endowed by P.E.F Israel Endowment Funds • Prof. Mordechai Gutman, Medicine, incumbent of the Mordechai-Reuven and Jetta Chilewich Chair of Plastic Surgery • Prof. Diana Golodnitsky, Exact Sciences, incumbent of the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Chair in Chemistry and Energy Sciences 34 TAU Review 2019 Issue

ISRAEL PRIZE EMET PRIZE The 2019 Israel Prize in the category of Jewish The EMET Prize in the social History was awarded to TAU Prof. (Emer.) sciences, an annual prize given Mordechai Akiva Friedman, who was recog- for excellence in academic and nized by the Prize committee as “the greatest professional achievements un- Geniza scholar of our generation. His work has der the auspices of the Prime shed light on the history of the Jewish people Minister’s Office, was awarded in the Middle Ages in the East, including in to Prof. Hanna Herzog of the North Africa, the Land of Israel and beyond to India, and on Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Jewish-Muslim relations.” Born in the US, Prof. Friedman Prof. Herzog is a founder of the field of women earned his BA and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and gender studies in Israel and was cited for her and a Rabbinical Degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary contribution to advancing the status of women of America. He joined the TAU faculty in 1973, served re- in Israeli society. Prof. Herzog joined the TAU currently as Chairman of the Talmud Department, and was faculty in 1981 and has served as Chair of the the incumbent of the Joseph and Ceil Mazer Chair in Jewish Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Culture in Muslim Lands and Cairo Geniza Studies. In 2001, She is the author of many books and articles on he was elected Fellow of the Israel Academy of Sciences and political-historical sociology, ethnic, national Humanities. He has authored 12 books, edited 20 and published and gender inequality. 160 articles in professional journals.

Prof. Abdussalam Azem was appointed He joined the TAU faculty in 1997 and served as Chairman Dean of the George S. Wise Faculty of Life of the Department of Biochemistry and as Head of the Sciences, replacing Prof. Daniel Chamovitz. School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics. Prof. Azem was born in Taybeh and gained Prof. Azem researches the molecular mechanisms of protein his BSc degree in Biology from Ben-Gurion systems and their relation to genetic diseases. He twice won University of the Negev and MSc and PhD the Rector’s Outstanding Lecturer Award. in Biochemistry from Tel Aviv University.

Honors: 2018 Israel Chemical Society (ICS) Prize for Award, Prof. Nittai Bergman, Social Sciences • 2018 Alon Outstanding Young Scientist, Prof. Roey Amir, Exact Fellowship, Dr. David (Dudu) Burstein, Life Sciences • Sciences • Kadar Family Award for Outstanding Research, 2018 RSA Conference Award for Excellence in Mathematics, Dr. Ayala Arad, Management • Reading Hall of Fame, Prof. Ran Canetti, Exact Sciences • Kadar Family Award Prof. Dorit Aram, Education • 2018 Alon Fellowship, Dr. for Outstanding Research; 2018 Computer Graphics Iair Arcavi, Exact Sciences • Ernest and Bonnie Beutler Achievement Award, presented by ACM SIGGRAPH, Research Program of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Prof. Danny Cohen-Or, Exact Sciences • Special Award Award of Rambam Hospital, Prof. Karen Avraham, from the Israeli Pain Society, Prof. Ruth Defrin, Medicine Medicine • 2018 Alon Fellowship, Dr. Liron Barak, • Fellow of the Israel Physical Society, Prof. Guy Deutscher, Exact Sciences • Founder Award for Research from the Exact Sciences • Christian Huygens Medal for Exact International Society of Nurses in Genetics, Prof. Sivia Sciences; “Knight of the Sciences and Arts” of the Russian Barnoy, Medicine • SPS Prize of NATO, Prof. Nir Ben- Academy of Natural Sciences, Prof. Lev Eppelbaum, Tal, Life Sciences • 2019 Karl Pearson Prize, Prof. Yoav Exact Sciences • Foreign Fellow of the American Academy Benjamini, Exact Sciences • Member of the Israel Academy of Arts and Sciences, Prof. Ora Entin-Wohlman, Exact of Sciences and Humanities, Prof. Eyal Benvenisti, Law Sciences • 2018 Amazon Research Award, Prof. Michal • President of ETOPIM, Prof. David Bergman, Exact Feldman, Exact Sciences • Fattal Prize for Excellency in Sciences • France Israel Foundation Young Economist Law Research, Prof. Talia Fisher, Law • IEEE Award,

35 Prof. Emilia Fridman, Engineering • 2019 Rappaport Prize (EATCS), Prof. Dana Ron-Goldreich, Engineering • for Excellence in Biomedical Research; Foreign Fellow of 2018 Karl August Mobius Prize, Prof. (emer.) Eugene the Indian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Ehud Gazit, Life Rosenberg, Life Sciences • 2018 Jordan Schnitzer Book Sciences • Life Achievement Award of the Israel Public Award, Prof. Orit Rozin, Humanities • Best Paper Award in Health Medical Organization, Prof. Uri Goldbourt, FOCS 2018, Prof. Muli Safra, Exact Sciences • 2019 Israel Medicine • Israel Sarob Prize, Prof. Uri Gophna, Life Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) Professorship Award, Prof. Sciences • 2018 Herbert Jacob Book Prize, Prof. Daphna Ronit Satchi-Fainaro, Medicine • Honorary Doctorate Hacker, Humanities • Zeltner Prize, Prof. Yitzhak Hadari, from University of Paris1 Pantheon-Sorbonne; Prof. David Law • ACM Fellows for 2018,Prof. Dan Halperin, Exact Schmeidler, Exact Sciences • Member of the American Sciences • Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of the Society of Microbiology (ASM), Prof. Gil Segal, Life Minister of Culture in France, Prof. Sefy Hendler, Arts Sciences • Best Paper Award, International Communication • Kadar Family Award for Outstanding Research, Prof. Association, Dr. Elad Segev, Social Sciences • 2018 Tamar Herzig, Humanities • Fellow of the Israel Physical Krill Prize, Dr. Amit Sever, Exact Sciences • 2018 Israel Society, Prof. David Horn, Exact Sciences • 2018 Gideon Chemical Society (ICS) – Adama Prize for Technological Doron Best Book Award, Dr. Yuval Jobani, Humanities Innovation Prof. Doron Shabat, Exact Sciences • Hashin • 2018 Excellence Award from the Israeli Physiotherapy Prize for Young Researchers, Dr. Hila Shamir, Law • Society, Dr. Micha Katz-Leurer, Medicine • Paul Dudley Israel Political Science Association Lifetime Achievement White International Scholar Award of the American Heart Award, Prof. Michal Shamir, Humanities • Israel Young Association, Prof. Silvia Koton, Medicine • 2018 Jordan Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Dr. Eilon Shani, Schnitzer Book Award, Association of Jewish Studies, Dr. Life Sciences • Member of Israeli Academy of Sciences Michal Kravel-Tovi, Social Sciences • Gwinner Prize, Prof. and Humanities, Prof. (Emeritus) Micha Sharir, Exact Noga Kronfeld-Schor, Life Sciences • Member of the Sciences • Scientific Member of the Max Planck Society Israel Young Academy, Dr. Kinneret Lahad, Humanities in Germany, Prof. Amiel Sternberg, Exact Sciences • • 2018 Alon Fellowship, Dr. Ori Lahav, Exact Sciences RAICES 2018 Prize from the Argentinean government, • 2018 Tenne Family Prize for Nanoscale Sciences, Prof. Prof. Marcelo Sternberg, Life Sciences • Distinguished Gil Markovich, Exact Sciences • Award by the Society Manuscript Award from Open University, Dr. Ravit Talmi- of Ethnomusicology, Dr. Moshe Morad, Humanities • Cohen, Humanities • SIAM Optimization Prize, Prof. Zeltner Prize, Prof. Guy Mundlak, Law • Fellow of the Marc Teboulle, Exact Sciences • Gorni Prize for Public Israel Physical Society, Prof. Hagai Netzer, Exact Sciences Law, Dr. Yofi Tirosh, Law • Optical Society of America • 2019 Earle K. Plyler Prize for Molecular Spectroscopy (OSA) Lifetime Achievement Award, Prof. Moshe Tur, & Dynamics, Prof. Abraham Nitzan, Exact Sciences • Engineering • Toshihide Numata Prize in Buddhism, Dr. 2018 Alon Fellowship; 2018-19 Colton Fellowship, Dr. Roy Tzohar, Humanities • Charter Honorary Fellow of the Hannah Pollin-Galay, Humanities • 2018 Bahat Prize for John Bell Institute for the Foundations of Physics, Prof. Outstanding Academic Manuscripts, Prof. Dina Porat, Lev Vaidman, Exact Sciences • 2018 ARCHES Award, Dr. Humanities • Kadar Family Award for Outstanding Miri Yemini, Humanities • 2018 Lifetime Achievement Research, Prof. Oded Rechavi, Life Sciences • Fellow of Award at the Knesset, Dr. Luba Zak, Medicine the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science

36 Tel Aviv ECUADOR RUSSIA Ketty Grun, Liaison Viktor Vekselberg, President University Ecuadorian Friends of Tel Aviv University Russian Friends of Tel Aviv University

Lay Leadership FRANCE SOUTH AFRICA Prof. François Heilbronn, President Jonathan Osrin, Chairman Worldwide French Friends of Tel Aviv University (AFAUTA) South African Friends of Tel Aviv University

ARGENTINA GERMANY SPAIN Polly Mizrahi de Deutsch, President Uwe Becker, President Patricia Nahmad, Co-President Argentinean Friends of Tel Aviv University German Friends of Tel Aviv University Isaac Querub, Co-President Spanish Friends of Tel Aviv University

AUSTRALIA HONG KONG Rosie Potaznik, Interim President Sharon Ser, Chairperson SWEDEN Australian Friends of Tel Aviv University (Victoria) Hong Kong Friends of Tel Aviv University Peter Seideman, President Swedish Friends of Tel Aviv University Jenny Hillman, President INDIA Australian Friends of Tel Aviv University Aaron Solomon, President SWITZERLAND (New South Wales) Indian Friends of Tel Aviv University Patrick Loeb-Meyer, President Clive Donner, President Swiss Friends of Tel Aviv University Australian Friends of Tel Aviv University (WA) ISRAEL Amnon Dick, Chairman UK AUSTRIA Israeli Friends of Tel Aviv University Richard Anton, Chairman Tel Aviv University Trust Dr. Bernhard Ramsauer, President Austrian Friends of Tel Aviv University KAZAKHSTAN Glen Watson, Chairman, Scottish Group Dr. Alexander Machkevitch, President Tel Aviv University Trust Kazakhstani Friends of Tel Aviv University BRAZIL Eduardo Wurzmann, President URUGUAY Brazilian Friends of Tel Aviv University São Paulo MEXICO Bettina Szames, President Jaime Murow Troice, President Uruguayan Friends of Tel Aviv University Renée Cohen Zaide Mexican Friends of Tel Aviv University Brazilian Friends of Tel Aviv University Rio de Janeiro USA NETHERLANDS Clement Erbmann, National Chairman Dr. Mario Gurvitz Cardoni Mikhael Gorin, President American Friends of Tel Aviv University Brazilian Friends of Tel Aviv University Dutch Friends of Tel Aviv University Porto Alegre

NORWAY CANADA Jan Dante, Chairman The Honourable Jerry S. Grafstein QC Norwegian Friends of Tel Aviv University National President

Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University PANAMA Dr. Michael Tenenbaum, Regional Chair Millie Bettsak, President Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University Panamanian Friends of Tel Aviv University Ottawa, Quebec and Atlantic Canada PERU Nathan Disenhouse, Regional Chair Roberto Lerner, Liaison Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University Peruvian Friends of Tel Aviv University Ontario and Western Canada

PORTUGAL Lucienne Kampel, President Portuguese Friends Association "The interdisciplinary approach we learned at Tel Aviv University helped us think out of the box and reach the moon." Yonatan Winetraub and Yariv Bash, Co-Founders of SpaceIL and TAU Alumni

TAU Alumni Yonatan Winetraub and Yariv Bash and former TAU Instructor Kfir Damari Co-Founders of SpaceIL and recipients of the 2019 TAU President's Award

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