Howard Cosell
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the hebrew university center at the edmond j. safra campus Dear Friend, I am honored to present a unique opportunity to promote physical fitness at one of the world’s top universities. The Hebrew University has just opened the doors to its newly renovated Sports Center and within it, a brand new Fitness Complex and a Tennis Center. You are invited to participate in the establishment of this prestigious new landmark in Jerusalem. Support for the new state of the art Center will enable students, staff, faculty, and residents of Jerusalem at large to enjoy an exceptional sports and health and fitness facility, while your name will be forever tied to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as well as to the promotion of sports in Israel. This brochure provides an introduction to the Center. I look forward to seeing you soon, in Jerusalem, in order to give you a personal tour of the Center and the beautiful Edmond J. Safra Campus. Carmi Gillon Vice-President for External Relations The Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is a world class institute of higher education spread across three campuses in Jerusalem and a fourth in Rehovot. Rated among the top 40 universities for Arts and Humanities and in the top 65 overall, the Hebrew University represents the unparalleled success of Israeli academia. 6 THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY Sports Center AT THE EDMOND J. SAFRA CAMPUS In 1925, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem opened on Mount Scopus. The First Board of Governors of the University, chaired by Dr. Chaim Weizmann, included such luminaries as Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Martin Buber, Harry Sacher and Felix M. Warburg as well as leading men of letters and religious and academic figures of international renown. By 1947, the University had grown to a large, well-established research and teaching institution but the War of Independence in 1948 left the University’s Mount Scopus Campus cut off from Israeli West Jerusalem. In 1953, construction began on a new campus at Givat Ram in the heart of Jerusalem. With access restored to Mount Scopus after the Six-Day War of June 1967, work began on restoring and expanding the Mount Scopus Campus. Since then, the University has continued to grow, with the addition of new schools and institutes, buildings, the establishment of new programs, and recruitment of outstanding scholars, researchers and students, in fulfillment of the University’s commitment to excellence and to expanding knowledge for the benefit of humanity. Research at the University Hebrew University researchers are at the forefront of international science - from biotechnology and computer science to astrophysics and cancer research, from microbiology to solar energy and genetic engineering, as well as the humanities, including Jewish studies, social sciences and law. Nearly 40% of all civilian scientific research in Israel is conducted at the Hebrew University. About 3,800 research projects are in progress at the University, and 1,500 new projects are started each year. The Yissum Research Development Company - a wholly owned University subsidiary - has registered over 600 patents for University researchers' ideas and inventions. THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY Sports Center AT THE EDMOND J. SAFRA CAMPUS 7 Sports Facilities at the Hebrew University Looking out at the Knesset and the Israel Museum and nestled in a quiet valley in the center of Jerusalem, the Edmond J. Safra Campus of the Hebrew University is one of four campuses serving the 24,000 students enrolled at the University. Realizing that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind, the University strives not only to achieve the highest academic standards but also to provide an environment that supports and encourages good health for students, faculty and staff. Recognizing that well-being and health are no less important than academic achievement, the University aims to provide world class sports facilities to match the outstanding educational facilities. For more than 50 years, the Hebrew University has provided Jerusalem with first-rate sports centers. Serving over 12,000 people annually across three campuses, these facilities are open to students, alumni, staff, faculty and Jerusalem residents alike. The University’s Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram offers a wide range of sports and recreation activities including four studios, a physical fitness complex, squash courts, tennis courts, an Olympic standard athletics track seating 10,000, an indoor heated swimming pool and a sports hall. Of particular note, the Physical Education department of the University participates in research programs initiated by other faculties, and provides therapeutic treatment in cooperation with Hadassah University Medical Center for patients in need. 8 THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY Sports Center AT THE EDMOND J. SAFRA CAMPUS Howard Cosell Howard Cosell was one of the USA’s most prolific and iconic sports commentators of the 20th century. The Cosell Association’s mission is to manage and promote sports at the University. Constantly striving to provide the very best to the University and the community which it serves, the Association ensures the highest standard of coaching, sports equipment and facilities. Under its guidance, the sports facilities at the Mount Scopus Campus have recently been renovated, improved and expanded, and the Association Howard Cosell (1918 – 1995) then turned its sights to the Edmond J. Safra Campus in order to ensure a similar high standard. THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY Sports Center AT THE EDMOND J. SAFRA CAMPUS 9 THE SPORTS CENTER Today’s Sports Facilities at the Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram The sports facilities at the Edmond J. Safra Campus of the Hebrew University are spread across 10 acres. The organic growth of the Sports Center over the past decades has resulted in a number of purpose built buildings connected by leafy paths in a tranquil setting. With activities ranging from aerobics to squash and from chess to triathlon, the sports center appeals to young and old alike. Of the 12,000 visits to the center annually, 30% are students, 30% are staff, 20% are residents of Jerusalem and 20% are alumni. Athletics Track SqUAsh and TenniS Courts NEw Fitness COmPlEx SwimmiNg Pool Sports HAll StudiOS 10 THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY Sports Center AT THE EDMOND J. SAFRA CAMPUS THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY Sports Center AT THE EDMOND J. SAFRA CAMPUS 11 The sports center | Athletics Track The Olympic standard athletics track seats 10,000 people and is in constant use for training and exercise. This stadium is the largest and most advanced in Israel and is used for national athletics championships, national school tournaments and state events and celebrations. It even doubles as a helicopter landing pad for visiting dignitaries. 12 The sports center | Squash and TenniS Courts The two squash courts and five tennis courts are built to the highest standard and are in use throughout the day for individual games and group coaching. In cooperation with the Israel Tennis Association, the Sports Center is establishing a new Jerusalem Tennis School and will soon be starting to renovate the tennis courts in order to bring them up to an international standard. The new Tennis Center represents an exciting initiative to inspire a new generation of Israeli tennis players. 13 The sports center | SwimmiNg Pool The heated Olympic size swimming pool is the largest in Jerusalem and is a focal point for the Sports Center. As well as seeing constant use by students, staff and Jerusalem residents for general exercise and sport, the pool is used for therapeutic treatments in cooperation with Hadassah hospital. The pool is housed in an inspiring art-deco building which is listed as an historical site for preservation. The elongated curved roof with its colored end window panels provides an iconic view of the Sports Center for those approaching the University from the East. 14 THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY Sports Center AT THE EDMOND J. SAFRA CAMPUS Connected to the squash courts and studios on one side and the new Fitness Complex on the other, the swimming pool forms a central feature in the line of buildings that make up the Sports Center. From the pool’s sundeck, there is a spectacular view of the surrounding landmark sites of the city and a quiet place to relax. THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY Sports Center AT THE EDMOND J. SAFRA CAMPUS 15 The sports center | Sports HAll Hosting national league basketball games and other intramural sports, this professional standard sports hall is also used for large group events and even regular folk dancing sessions for both students and senior citizens. 16 The sports center | StudiOS The studios are used for a range of activities including pilates, yoga, Feldenkraus, kickboxing, dancing and even belly dancing. With a team of top instructors, these classes are much sought after throughout the week. The studios are also used extensively for activities aimed at senior citizens which provide a social and therapeutic environment for them to meet. 17 The New Fitness Complex With the increase in awareness of the importance of exercise to promote good health and longevity, the sports facilities at the Edmond J. Safra Campus have seen a constant increase in demand over past years. In addition, whereas the 1990’s were characterized by high demand for the swimming pool and low demand for a training room, the current trend sees high demand for fitness facilities. The University administration together with the Cosell Association recognized the need to provide both a vastly upgraded state of the art fitness facility and also to create a focal point to act as a hub for the myriad activities in the various buildings. The time had also come to provide significantly improved fitness equipment, shower facilities and changing rooms. The planning process, which started in 2005, led to an understanding that those using the sports center were demanding a wider range of options for exercise, relaxation and pampering and the result of this process was a plan for a world class Fitness Complex which includes: ReceptiON A central lobby and reception providing a single point of access to the facilities of the entire sports center.