2014 Issue

Moon Mission Safer Cybersphere Ethics Today

TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

Securing the World’s Food Supply Safer Cyber Future 18 TAU wants to thwart computer break-ins that could threaten your bank account, your business or even your country. Cover story: Manna on the Menu 6 Indo-Israeli Love From improving wheat strains to protecting people’s “food rights,” Affair 24 Increasing numbers of Indian TAU researchers are creating an students are finding a warm Sabra integrated strategy for securing welcome and cultural affinity on the the world’s food supply. TAU campus.

TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW 2014 Issue

Seeds Bear Fruit 25 Issued by the Strategic Communications Dept. Nascent university technologies with Development and Public Affairs Division sections commercial potential are attracting Tel Aviv University philanthropic investment. Ramat Aviv 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel Tel: +972 3 6408249 innovations 2 Fax: + 972 3 6407080 E-mail: [email protected] leadership 25 www.tau.ac.il

Editor: Louise Shalev Contributors: Rava Eleasari Gelbetz, Tiffany Roberts, initiatives 29 Judd Yadid, Sharon Domb, Ruti Ziv, Sandy Cash, Lisa Kremer, Maggie Weigle Graphic Design: TAU Graphic Design Studio/ events 32 Michal Semo-Kovetz Photography: Development and Public Affairs Division Photography Department/Michal Roche Ben Ami, digest 35 Michal Kidron Additional Photography: Yoram Reshef, Yonatan Blum, Peter Halmagyi, Barak Aharon, Israel Sun, newsmakers Israel Hadari, Andres Lacko, Alexander Mahmoud. 39 Copyright Nobel Foundation Administrative Assistant: Sharon Domb Printing: Havazelet Printing books 40 2014 Issue TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

Officers of Tel Aviv University a

Prof. Jacob A. Frenkel Chairman of the Board of Governors Dr. Giora Yaron Chairman of the Executive Council Prof. Joseph Klafter President Prof. Aron Shai Rector Mordehai Kohn Director-General Prof. Raanan Rein Vice President Prof. Yoav Henis Vice President for Research and Development Amos Elad Vice President for Resource Development

Robert Goldberg, Harvey M. Krueger, Dr. Raymond R. Sackler, Michael H. Steinhardt Honorary Chairmen of the Board of Governors Dr. h.c. Karl Heinz-Kipp Deputy Chairman of the Board of Governors Dr. h.c. Josef Buchmann, Stewart M. Colton, James Dubin, Prof. François Heilbronn, Dr. h.c. Raya Jaglom, Adolfo Smolarz, Melvin S. Taub Vice Chairpersons of the Board of Governors

Prof. Dina Prialnik Dear Friends, Vice Rector Prof. Dany Leviatan Pro-Rector When students at our School of Mechanical Engineering agitated Prof. Zvika Serper to set up a race car team, we said, “go for it.” As you would expect, the Dean of the Yolanda and David Katz students applied that famous Israeli startup energy to win seed funding Faculty of the Arts Prof. Ehud Heyman and sponsors, design and construct the vehicle, arrange for testing and Dean of the Iby and Aladar Fleischman support personnel, and participate in a student racing competition in Italy. Faculty of Engineering My office enthusiastically joined in by providing some funding, which Prof. Yaron Oz may explain why I look so gratified and proud in the picture. Dean of the Raymond and Beverly Sackler The fact is, though, that every day of the year I feel a sense of pride Faculty of Exact Sciences Prof. Eyal Zisser in our students’ innovative spirit. Whether they are pioneering new his- Dean of the Lester and Sally Entin torical insight, or wonderful technologies, or novel ways to help in the Faculty of Humanities community, Tel Aviv University students are among the most creative and Prof. Ron Harris entrepreneurial in the world. Dean of the Buchmann Faculty of Law Prof. Moshe Mevarech That is why TAU never stops and never rests in its efforts to provide Dean of the George S. Wise the most cutting-edge study programs, teaching labs and research facili- Faculty of Life Sciences ties for our students. We owe these outstanding young people the very Prof. Asher Tishler best conditions to excel in their studies and careers – and to have some Dean of the Faculty of Management—Leon fun in the process. Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration Prof. Yoseph Mekori Yours sincerely, Dean of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine Prof. Tammie Ronen Dean of the Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences Prof. Yoav Ariel Professor Joseph Klafter Dean of Students President, Tel Aviv University 1 Turning off a Rogue Cancer Gene

Targeted drug therapies are frequently preferred over chemo- therapy for the treatment of certain types of leukemia. These treatments home in on cancerous cells in bone marrow without destroying other organs. In some cases, however, the targeted drug One therapy mysteriously causes the cancerous cells to migrate out of the bone marrow into surrounding brain and skin tissue, and to proliferate. Now, a Sackler Faculty of Medicine team – Prof. Million Pia Raanani, Head of the Hematology Department and of the Hematology Division at the Rabin Medical Center; Dr. Galit Granot, Head of the Experimental Hematology Laboratory; and Items on PhD graduate Adelina Ovcharenko – has found that in these rare cases, the targeted drug treatment turns on a gene, called PYK2, which causes the cancerous cells to become more active Jewish and metastasize in nearby organs. Using cell cultures, the team has succeeded in preventing the phenomenon by turning off the gene – a finding that could have a positive impact on new History treatments for leukemia.

Depression is among the major Personalizing Antidepressants causes of disability worldwide. Studies show that the most popular antidepres- sants, selective serotonin reup- take inhibitor drugs (SSRIs) such as Prozac, Paxil and Cipralex, only work for 60% of the population. Now, however, TAU doc- toral students Keren Oved and Ayelet Morag, under the guidance of Dr. David 2 2014 Issue TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

Between 5 to 10 percent of Israeli schoolchildren suffer from Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) and, more often than not, receive medication for the condition. Now, however, a study conducted by Dr. Ricardo Tarrasch of the Jaime and Joan Constantiner School of Education, together with

Meditation Sirens pierced the air as planes rained bombs down on the young city of Tel Aviv. Houses were engulfed in flames, killing scores, displacing in the hundreds of families, and reducing yeshivas and synagogues to smoldering rubble. A report of this event, which appeared in the Chicago Sentinel in September 1940, is just one of over a million digitized pages available Classroom online as part of the Jewish Historical Press archives – a joint project of Tel Aviv University and the National Library of Israel. The first such website dedicated to Jewish press in the world, JPress’s mission is to preserve the original newspaper editions for perpetuity and make their content searchable online for free. The site already contains 45 newspapers in seven languages, including Hebrew, English, French, Yiddish, and Judeo-Arabic. JPress is now laying the foundations for developing a branch dedicated to the American Jewish press, which will involve the New York Public Library as well as New York and Columbia Universities. “Search the site yourselves at http://web.nli.org.il/sites/jpress/english and be amazed at what you find,” says JPress founder and co-director, TAU history professor Yaron Tsur. students at the School, has found that meditation and mindfulness techniques can significantly improve selective attention in schoolchildren. While meditation involves engag- ing in a mental exercise such as concentrating on one’s breathing Gurwitz of the Sackler Faculty of know if a given antidepressant drug or repetition of a mantra, mindful- Medicine and Dr. Noam Shomron of works for an individual patient. The ness involves bringing one’s complete the Sackler Faculty of Medicine and researchers are aiming for a blood test attention to the present experience Sagol School of Neuroscience, have that will predict which antidepressant on a moment-to-moment basis. The identified a gene that could predisclose drug is best for a particular patient and study, which was conducted among whether a patient will respond favorably enable doctors to provide personalized 101 schoolchildren, also found that to commonly-prescribed SSRIs. These treatment for depression. the techniques reduced anxiety lev- antidepressants are thought to enhance els, improved the children’s emo- mood by blocking reabsorption of the tional mood, and helped them dur- neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, ing periods of stress such as before but this does not work for everyone. examinations or when getting into Moreover, it takes four to six weeks to fights with classmates. 3 Surprisingly little is known about schizophrenia. Recognized as a medical condition only in the past few decades, its exact causes remain unclear, its di- agnosis cannot be backed by objective, physical testing, and its treatment by medication works less than half the time. Now, Prof. Illana Gozes and her graduate student Avia Merenlender- Wagner, both of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, have discovered that an important cell-maintenance pro- cess called autophagy is reduced in the brains of schizophrenic patients. Autophagy acts as the cell’s housekeep- Sweeping Away ing service – cleaning up unnecessary and dysfunctional cellular components Schizophrenia – and is essential to maintaining cel- porting autophagy and the onset of the Investigation of Growth Factors. The lular health. But when autophagy is disease,” says Prof. Gozes, Director of finding, published in Nature Molecular blocked, it can lead to cell death. “Using TAU’s Adams Super Center for Brain Psychiatry, could lead to new diagnostic blood tests we showed the connection Studies and incumbent of the Lily tests and drug treatments for schizo- between reduced levels of a protein sup- and Avraham Gildor Chair for the phrenia.

Heart disease, already the leading cause of death in the USA, is rapidly becoming one of the top killers of men and women worldwide. Fifty percent of people who survive their first acute heart attack will die A Heart within five years. At present, heart transplanta- tion is one of the most effective treatments, yet cardiac donors are scarce. of Gold The research of Dr. Tal Dvir, a new faculty recruit at TAU’s Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, is literally setting a gold standard in the fight against heart disease. Combining cardiac cells with nanofibers made of gold particles, Dvir and his doctoral student Michal Shevach have developed a sophisticated 3D cardiac patch that will allow doctors to one day replace damaged heart tissue. The researchers have already demonstrated the electrical signaling ability of these gold infused cardiac patches and, in the future, they plan to conduct clinical trials to test their invention on a living human heart.

4 The Country Bat and the City Bat

The stereotypical dining habits of – on the backs of bats, Yovel and his influence behavior. He speculates that country versus city dwellers extend to team tracked the animals’ feeding pat- if country and city bats continue to the animal kingdom, says young fac- terns over time. They noticed that while follow these diverging behavioral pat- ulty recruit and bat expert Dr. Yossi the country bats frequented the same terns without mating with each other, Yovel of TAU’s Department of Zoology, time-tested “tavern” every night, the they may eventually develop different George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, city bats preferred to “bar hop,” flying spatial abilities and perhaps, thousands and Sagol School of Neuroscience. from fruit tree to fruit tree. of years from now, become different Mounting miniature GPS devices – Yovel explains that the story of the species entirely. the smallest of their kind in the world bats is an allegory for how big cities

discovered that a simple blood test – AIc – can reveal an individual’s risk of de- veloping type-2 diabetes years before the Diabetes condition appears. The findings, pub- lished in the European Journal of General Test Practice, could help doctors diagnose and treat diabetes much earlier than before, an especially important develop- Could ment for overweight and other high-risk groups. While the AIc test is standard for diagnosing diabetes, Lerner and Help her team found that AIc levels as low as 5.5 per cent may indicate increased diabetes risk – lower than the generally Millions accepted 5.7 per cent for pre-diabetes and 6.5 percent for diabetes adopted An estimated 300 million people by the American Diabetes Association worldwide will develop adult-onset dia- and the World Health Organization. At betes by 2025. Now Dr. Nataly Lerner this point, the test is aimed at screening of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty high-risk populations rather than the of Medicine and her colleagues have general public. 5 6 By Sandy Cash recent TAU Courseracoursethat Plant Knowswasthebasisfora Prof. DanielChamovitz,whose agencies onfoodsecurity. His consultation for governmental consultation forgovernmental enrolled over34,000students popular sciencebookWhata proteomics, doespro bono research focuses onplant global foodsecurity TAU stepsuptotheplateon on theMenu Manna from around theworld. account. into taken be must of factors gasbord averitable population, smor growing world’s the of feeding challenge the of how, onejust example when facing is this Security, and Food Safety in Program Manna established cently ofDirector Tel Aviv University’s re Chamovitz, to Prof. Daniel According of issues. economic range on awide focusing protests summer-long street into evolved that boycott consumer a –sparked diet Israeli ofstaple the –a cheese of price cottage rising the 2011,In in a uniquely Israeli revolution, when Israeli auniquely in opening shots were fired were shots fired opening - - 2014 Issue TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

“In the cottage cheese protests, also have to contend with the chal- in English. Scholarships awarded by the outrage erupted because in Israel, like lenge of climate change. To produce Manna Center for Plant Biosciences are in most developed nations, we take enough culturally-appropriate nutri- helping bring international students to the availability of affordable food for tion for everyone, we need to create campus. At the same time, seed money granted,” says Chamovitz, a noted plant an integrated strategy that links plant for special projects is enabling Israeli geneticist who directs TAU’s Manna science and agricultural research with graduate students to conduct food Center for Plant Biosciences and is economics, law, public policy, and the security-related research abroad. also a teacher, science commentator humanities,” asserts Chamovitz. The goal, writ large: to step up to and author. But soon, Chamovitz says, This integrated approach is at the the plate – and fill it – with Israeli food scarcity could be on the menu. heart of the Manna Program in Food security leadership. “Fifty years ago, the Earth’s popula- Safety and Security, which puts TAU’s tion was three billion, and we’re up to unique confluence of experts to work Manna from heaven: The Gates seven billion today. By the year 2050 training the next generation of academ- connection the population will hit nine billion. ics and practitioners who will focus on Reaching this goal just became a We’ll need to feed these people in an food-related issues. The program offers little easier, thanks to a new partner- era of dwindling resources – including MA/MSc and PhD studies and an in- ship with the Bill and Melinda Gates land, water and fertilizer – and may ternational summer school – all taught Foundation, the largest private charita- ble trust in the world. Currently supporting wheat research at the University’s Institute for Crop Improvement, the Gates Foundation is also helping TAU connect with people and or- ganizations working to improve food security in Africa. One Gates-sponsored Ugandan wheat scientist is already sched- uled to join a TAU lab. “Tel Aviv is the only uni- versity in Israel, and one of a few worldwide, that promotes the creation and dissemination of practical strategies for food security based on a truly com- prehensive academic approach,” Chamovitz says. “Research activity going on in many of TAU’s departments – not just plant sciences – is what inspired Bill Gates to become involved with us.”

Exporting Israeli know- how Along with bringing foreign scientists to the campus, the Manna Program in Food Safety and Security provides Israeli students with educational op- portunities abroad. For exam- ple, Yannay Shanan, a master’s 7 candidate in economics, re- a great experience to design the study, on an old Zionist theme. Rather than cently traveled to Nepal, to- and to assist in the collection of data “making the desert bloom,” these sci- gether with fellow TAU gradu- that could help us assess the impact of entists will concentrate on “making ate student Mathan Hoffmann, to this type of program on food security the desert feed.” evaluate the effectiveness of an Israeli outcomes,” he says. “It’s been said that “With the world’s agricultural lands aid organization’s training program for you can’t fully understand developing largely exploited, it is vital to promote local farmers. world economies without ‘boots on the cultivation in non-traditional settings,” “I worked in a hilly area called ground.’ Mine were, and I believe this he says. “The I-CORE provides five Ramechhap where villagers grow had educational value for me personally, years of much-needed funding so that crops, but where the scarcity of irriga- and was also key for creating the kind researchers can work on clarifying the tion sources means that many plots stay of analytical framework that will help basic scientific principles that govern uncultivated, and many households future groups create interventions that plant adaptation – principles that can don’t grow enough to sustain them- produce measurable, positive effects.” later be incorporated into new biotech- selves,” Shanan recounts. “I evaluated nological techniques to increase food a training program sponsored by an The science of food security production.” Israeli NGO that teaches farmers how TAU’s strength in the food secu- A long career spent examining how to improve crop yields. Villagers were rity field was recognized nationally in plants adapt to harsh conditions made shown how to use natural pesticides May 2013, when the Israeli govern- Fromm a natural choice to direct the I-CORE. “A plant’s self-regulation is complex because it occurs in response to a tremendous number of input factors, from light wavelength, heat and oxygen, to the presence of pathogens,” Fromm explains, adding by way of example that plant roots dynamically adjust their architecture so that they grow in the direction of water sources. “Charles Darwin said that plant roots are like a ‘small brain’ and he was right. Today, the challenge is to use modern genetic tools to clarify how this small brain makes the ‘decisions’ that ensure plant survival,” Fromm says.

Wisdom from the fields At TAU, plant science is not only about discovering new techniques. It is also about unearthing agricultural secrets from the distant past. “Throughout history, farmers and and fertilizers, how to operate mini- ment selected the University’s Prof. breeders have been combining and From Left: greenhouses and how to grow crops Hillel Fromm to lead a new Center selecting crop strains, in hopes that Yannay Shanan, that aren’t native to the region, such as of Research Excellence (I-CORE) in this hybridization will produce bet- Mathan wheat. My goal was to design a study “Plant Adaptation to the Changing ter quality crops and higher yields,” Hoffmann and Bijjay that would measure the impact of this Environment.” This research consor- begins Dr. Assaf Distelfeld, an expert Tripathi, teaching activity, to see if the training tium supports joint work by scientists on wheat genetics and genomics at the agricultural coordinator actually improves the well-being of the from four Israeli universities, with TAU Department of Molecular Biology and of the Nepal local community.” researchers making up the single larg- Ecology of Plants and Institute for Crop project Shanan’s investigation in Nepal put est group. Improvement. “But there’s a problem: the economic principles he’d learned in According to Fromm, much of the selection reduces the gene pool. With the classroom to practical use. “It was I-CORE’s work will involve a new take every gene-based trait strengthened, 8 2014 Issue TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

“Intensifying cultivation governmental over-instrusiveness.” requires a lot of energy, Prof. Gross’s colleague at the law so new energy sources faculty, Dr. Yofi Tirosh, affirms that are needed,” says Fromm. “just like tax law promotes fairness in “However, biomass-based taxation, food law is a matter of jus- fuel from plants ties up ag- tice.” But, she says, beyond promoting ricultural fields needed for economic equality, “the legal profes- food production. sion needs to think about how the law “In one of our studies, defines and regulates our relationship conducted together with to, and choices about, food.” Master’s experts in desert agricul- “For example,” she says, “the current student Moran ture from the Arava, we are demands of the labor market make it Nave in exploring the cultivation of harder for parents to find time to shop Dr. Assaf Distelfeld’s desert trees watered with for produce, prepare food at home and wheat field salty runoff from desalini- have meals with their children. How zation plants as a source could the law contribute to more family- another may be lost. Our work involves of biofuel. This is an example of how oriented and healthy eating habits?” going back to older, non-domesticated multidisciplinary research can lead to As another example, Tirosh notes wheat strains to find quality- and yield- creative solutions for sustainability, as the demand by the US and other gov- related genes, and then reintroducing well as the production of more food,” ernments that food producers specify them into the wheat we grow for our Fromm enthuses. the caloric value of the food they sell. food.” “This step directs our attention to the Distelfeld has a track record in this Food law and rights individual consumer as a rational and field of endeavor; while still a doctoral To change society, you first have to informed player, while diverting it from student, he isolated a gene that con- understand it. That’s where the Food the much-needed structural changes in trols grain protein content. “Comparing Security Program’s experts in law, the the food market. Rather than focusing modern wheat to wild, we discovered humanities and the social sciences have mainly on information, states should a mutation that resulted in low pro- an important role to play. make sure that healthful foods are af- tein content,” he says. “From there, we Prof. Aeyal Gross of the Buchmann fordable to all,” Tirosh suggests. patented a process for taking the non- Faculty of Law believes that “food se- mutated gene – which promotes high curity is corollary to the recognized protein content and greater nutritional human right to adequate food and value – and reintroducing it into mod- adequate nutrition, and is in turn in- Scoresheet: ern varieties.” extricably linked to buying power – a Today, Distelfeld uses traditional hy- power that, in many cases, is dictated Feeding 7 Billion People Today bridization methods as well as comput- by the state. erized gene mapping to pursue another “In Israel, the poorest citizens receive 800 million 2.3 billion are are quantitative factor: grain weight. “We’ve welfare payments which are supposed to identified a chromosomal region linked act as a kind of food security safety net, hungry undernourished to grain dimensions such as length but don’t guarantee proper nutrition,” and volume,” he says. “In the future, Gross says. “At the same time, we don’t 3.2 billion 700 million we hope to link high grain weight to want the government to be responsible experience are specific genes that can be transferred for directly providing us with food, or food security overweight into crops. This may not solve world for telling us what to eat.” hunger, but it is a small step in the “Food law,” he says, “is a work in What does the future hold? right direction.” progress around the world because in- Other TAU plant biology initiatives dividual societies – through their leg- To maintain present-day calories go beyond the optimization of crops, to islatures, courts and advocacy groups per capita by the year 2025, address what I-CORE director Fromm – are negotiating their way toward the food availability must increase by 36% terms the “tri-lemma” of balancing ultimate goal: a reasonable standard of food, energy and the environment. food-buying power for all, but without 9 Food through an initiatives based on Israeli scientific creative solutions, and we’re good at the historical lens discoveries and make them work in things that developing countries need TAU historian Prof. Amy developing societies around the world.” most, like agriculture, water manage- Singer believes that reaching food ment, renewable energy, and educa- security objectives depends on under- Reviving international tion and communication technologies,” standing a society’s past, particularly its development Belman Inbal says. “The TAU Food attitudes toward proper apportioning As a resource-poor country that has Security Program will train people from of food and other resources. “The big achieved Western-level food security developing countries so that they’ll use question is always: Who deserves what, success in just a few short decades, Israel Israeli knowledge as the basis for crea- and at what level – the household, the has much to offer developing nations. tive initiatives back home and will link town, the state or the empire?” Singer But in reaching out, Israel also stands Israeli researchers, entrepreneurs and thinks that the answer to this question to benefit. professionals to their counterparts in changes over time, depending on eve- developing countries.” rything from climate and population Belman Inbal stresses that devel- density, to the accumulation or loss opment work is not just agricultural of wealth. altruism. “Today, the Israeli agritech Singer’s own research – on public sector almost exclusively focuses on kitchens that furthered social policy in high-end technologies targeting devel- the Ottoman Empire – is instructive. oped countries. However, the majority “We need to ask: is food security a tool of arable land in the world is farmed by

for acquiring political capital? Is it a Dr. Aliza small farmers in low and middle-income method for keeping the peace? Is it an Belman Inbal countries. By facilitating the develop- ethical or moral value? If we understand ment of agricultural technologies and the historical attitudes that shaped a “Agricultural diplomacy is an ef- methodologies suitable to the develop- particular society, we stand a better fective bridge-building tool,” says Dr. ing world, the Manna Program could chance of instituting policy decisions Aliza Belman Inbal, Director of the open up huge markets that combine that will work within that culture and Harold Hartog School of Government good business with doing good. The improve lives.” and Policy’s Pears Innovation for long-term impact of the Food Security To round out the multidiscipli- International Development Program. Program will rest on its ability to pro- nary mission of food security, Manna “In the 1960s and 70s, Israel was an mote business models that combine Program Director Chamovitz draws international development powerhouse, saving the world with turning a profit.” attention to an additional and very im- sending out huge numbers of agricul- According to Chamovitz, reaching tural advisors to work in out to developing countries goes hand- poverty-stricken nations, in-hand with “reaching in” to the Israeli particularly in Africa,” public itself. she says, adding that Israel “One of the pillars of the Manna “Rather than making the once topped the world in Program in Food Safety and Security ‘desert bloom,’ our scientists terms of agricultural advi- is outreach, because we want to remind will concentrate on making sors sent to other countries. Israelis that, together, we have the ability “Unfortunately, the severing to reclaim our place as an international the ‘desert feed.’” of diplomatic relations with development superpower,” Chamovitz Israel after the Yom Kippur says. “Only one-fifth of Israel’s land is War, as well as a steady de- arable, yet we produce an amazing 80% portant partnership – between biology crease in Israeli government budgets for of all the food our population needs. and the social sciences. “Plant biologists foreign aid, has reduced Israel’s stamp That’s why Israeli and TAU expertise need to understand the economic im- to just a shadow of its former self.” is inspiring, and why it should be out plications of what they’re doing, while With food security rising to the in front all over the world.” policy people need to understand both top of the international agenda, Israel the limitations, and the potential, of is poised to reclaim the development plant biology,” he says. “Working to- leadership title. “We are the ‘startup gether, we can launch food security nation.’ We have a talent for finding 10 In Irit Numa’s filmmaking workshops, troubled youth dare to dream A Cinematic Toolbox for Personal Change

Our choices and aspirations deter- mentor proved difficult. Her persistence could be bartering the debt for tutoring, mine the course of our lives. Yet for led her to Prof. Nitzan Ben Shaul, who getting better grades and strengthening at-risk youth, the power to choose and guided her toward the element that the friendship. dream is not always within reach. TAU makes her work singular and potent – “The focus on thinking about options doctoral film researcher Irit Numa em- employing a hyper-narrative storytelling is unique to my approach,” stresses ploys the art of filmmaking to develop technique in her workshops. Numa. “Students learn to take control young people’s ability to recognize their In the hyper-narrative genre, dif- of their lives and open their minds to

options, make choices and aspire to a ferent stories play out according to choice and possibility.” By Lisa Kremer better future. alternate choices taken by characters, Numa’s academic career is a syn- “There is something about film that in the spirit of the 1990s movies Sliding thesis of her own choices, dreams and is therapeutic, even ca- Doors and Run experiences growing up in disadvan- thartic. By telling your Lola Run. “When taged neighborhoods in south Tel Aviv. story, you construct students work She holds a BA in behavioral science, your identity, and if with more than and started out working with youth in you don’t like it you one storyline, the psychiatric hospitals. When the work can rewrite your life narrative splits, proved too disturbing, she asked her- or choose a new out- and they see that self what would bring her happiness. look,” explains Numa. if the character Her answer was to pursue an MFA in Irit Numa “Filmmaking guides takes one decision screenwriting at TAU while working people towards per- it brings him to a her way through school tutoring at- sonal awareness and certain end result, risk youth. transformation.” while if he makes Numa’s research has been supported After a decade of another choice it by a Dan David Scholarship, as well as facilitating film workshops at com- leads to entirely different consequences,” by partnerships she created with TAU’s munity centers, Numa sought to take explains Numa. “Paths to the University,” a program her work to a new, more scientific level: For example, in a scenario such as, of the Unit for Social Involvement at to create, test and assess a therapeutic “I lent my friend 100 shekels and now TAU’s Ruth and Allen Zieger Student toolbox for working with youth through she says she can’t pay me back,” one Services Division; TAU’s Department cinema. Numa’s doctoral research pro- possible reaction could be violence, with of Film and Television; and the Channel posal was unlike anything the Yolanda the outcome of losing the friend, not Two project “Creating with Keshet,” and David Katz Faculty of the Arts getting repaid and being suspended among others. had ever supported, and finding a PhD from school. An alternative response 11 One Giant Step for TAU

SpaceIL counts down to a blue-and-white moon launch

In 1988 Israel joined aerospace ar- istocracy when the lift-off of a vehicle for releasing small satellites into orbit made it the eighth nation on Earth to achieve space launch capability. Now, a group of TAU graduates working at SpaceIL are harnessing Israel’s scientific and technological achievement to land Israel’s first unmanned spacecraft on the moon. “Our goal is to make Israel the fourth country – after superpowers US, Russia and China – to achieve this historical milestone,” says TAU alumnus Yariv Bash, an electronics and computer en- 12 Dr. Eran Privman (left) and Yariv Bash with the SpaceIL prototype 2014 Issue TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

gineer who is co-founder of SpaceIL, a A high-flying team commercial satellite, and only once in non-profit organization housed on the Bash, who completed his undergrad- orbit will it fire its own jets and head TAU campus. The project is vying for uate degree in electrical and electronics toward the moon,” he explains, add- the Google Lunar X Prize, a worldwide engineering at TAU, worked in govern- ing that entering lunar orbit should competition sponsored by the Google ment before the SpaceIL venture took require about a month. Then, he says, alumni Corporation and involving a 20 million off. He is no stranger to team building; the craft may circle the moon for as long dollar cash award to the winner. But in his spare time, he directs Machanet as two weeks, waiting for the perfect for Bash and his team – which includes – a yearly invitation-only event where, time to descend to the surface – and some 35 TAU graduates – it’s not about over three sleepless days, talented young hopefully land face-up without crash- the money. It’s about boldly going where people brainstorm about cutting-edge ing. “A big focus of our development no Israeli has gone before. technologies. work is on redundancy – making sure “SpaceIL is a typical Israeli startup, Still, as SpaceIL advanced past the there are back-up systems in the event in that it relies on teamwork, dedica- planning stage, it became clear that the that something goes wrong. After all, tion and creative thinking to come up race to the finish line would require the we only get one shot.” with workable solutions on a shoestring help of a manager with a head for sci- While they dream of that much- budget,” says Bash. Indeed, the pro- ence. Bash and his colleagues hired Dr. anticipated trip to the sky, the SpaceIL posed spacecraft’s modest, barrel-like Eran Privman, an expert in computer team is promoting the project as a source design – which looks more like a rooftop science and neuroscience who received of inspiration on Earth – both in Israel solar water heater than anything in- his PhD jointly from TAU’s Blavatnik and around the world. spired by science fiction – is part of its School of Computer Science and the “Back in the 1960s, the Apollo moon charm. “This is a very cool and tough Weizmann Institute. landing had an amazing impact, turn- engineering project,” Bash says. “That’s Privman directed projects in the past ing scientists into cultural heroes and why people want to get involved.” as a combat pilot and R&D manager in inspiring a generation of students to the Israeli Air Force, in various positions study math, science and engineering. Beyond Google Earth in high tech and venture capital, and as a This is called the ‘the Apollo effect,’” To win the Google prize, SpaceIL member of his home town’s city council. says Privman. “With SpaceIL, we’re not must be the first to land its spacecraft “SpaceIL is by far the most complex waiting for the landing to take place on the surface of the Moon, travel 500 project I’ve ever handled,” says Privman. before we get the word out. Through our meters above, below or on the lunar “On the one hand, most of the team lectures and workshops, we’ve already By Sandy Cash surface, and send live video transmis- members are volunteers – no one has a reached 40,000 Israeli schoolchildren, sions back to Earth, all by the end of moon landing on their resume! – and on and we’ve started working with an 2015. The mission is formidable, but the other hand, we’re also working with American NGO (the iCenter) to bring Bash is optimistic: “Based on Israel’s very limited space-proven satellite technology, as resources. But well as its leadership in nanotechnol- the talent and “Most of the team members ogy and high tech, I believe we have motivation is are volunteers – no one has a moon an excellent chance of getting there sky high. That’s landing on their resume!” first,” he says. what, I believe, While many competing teams rep- will allow us to resent private companies, SpaceIL is win this competition,” he adds. word of what we’re doing to Jewish chil- strictly a not-for-profit endeavor. “We dren in the United States,” says Bash. have 17 full-time employees and advi- Technical challenges – and an “Not only is this a great way to con- sors, as well as 260 volunteers who come educational mission nect Jews all over the world with Israel in at odd hours, keeping the project The technical challenges faced by the in a the context of a positive image, we’re running day and night, and even over SpaceIL team are huge, but the trick, also breaking the ‘glass ceiling’ in terms the weekends,” says Bash. He adds that says Bash, is to go small in order to of science and education. We’re saying: the SpaceIL management is always on keep launch costs down. “Rather than ‘look at what we’re doing – this could the look-out for additional funding to building a massive rocket to escape the be you!’ If even two or three percent of round out the limited sponsorship they Earth’s atmosphere, our spacecraft – the kids we reach take up the challenge, receive from Tel Aviv University and which will weigh only 300 lbs – will we’ll have accomplished far more than other organizations. hitch a ride on a rocket launching a just a trip to the moon,” Bash concludes. 13 Lautman alumna Marva Shalev- Marom took her studies out of the classroom to create an academic outreach program for Ethiopian youngsters Learning with

HeartWith graduates ranging fromand writer Etgar Soul Keret and Bethlehem director Yuval Adler to master chef Yotam Ottolenghi and influential linguist Ghil’ad Zuckermann, TAU’s Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Program for Outstanding Students encourages social consciousness combined with intellectual ambition

Every Tuesday, 60 students in TAU’s related? What does Hebrew have to of- Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Program fer the aboriginal languages of outback for Outstanding Students gather to- Australia? gether to deliver lectures on their unique Fifteen out of 8,000 incoming fresh- research projects. The weekly ritual pro- men are accepted into the prestigious vides a fun and stimulating platform program every year following a rigorous to learn about diverse fields of study. selection process. They receive free tui- At the start of each session, students tion for the entirety of their studies. The raise a compelling question, such as: four-year direct MA program not only

By Tiffany Roberts and Judd Yadid By Tiffany How are Rosa Parks and Elie Wiesel allows but strongly encourages students 14 2014 Issue TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

to take courses from across the “Some people doubt the relevance of university’s nine faculties. academic studies in this day and age,” Prof. Na’ama Friedmann, continues Marva. “You have ‘Professor Head of the Lautman Program, Google’ to answer all of your questions. describes the program’s ideology: However, education is not simply about “Established in 1987, the program information. Knowledge has a vital-

was truly ahead of its time. The ity that information alone does not; Etgar humanities idea of giving students free reign it moves you to take action. All of the Keret to fashion their own degree pro- Lautman students are going in com- gram was unheard of, especially in pletely different directions. Most are “When I first arrived at Tel Aviv Israel with its rigid departmental extremely socially active and do not fit University, I didn’t have any real focus. curricula.” into the stereotype of academics who The Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Under the guidance of Prof. are disconnected from reality.” Program allowed me to study different Friedmann and dedicated men- disciplines, such as math, philosophy tors, students devise a customized, Tikkun Olam in action and sociobiology, side by side. This inter-departmental study curricu- During her army service, Marva was a unique gift. It was during these lum to suit their research inter- taught music to at-risk Ethiopian youth years that I began writing more and ests. “One student is investigat- in the southern towns of Gedera and publishing, and I believe that the ing ‘moral courage,’ which entails Sderot, and organized community con- chance I was given to immerse myself taking courses from philosophy, certs and story nights. in different ways of thinking is what sociology, psychology, anthro- Later, together with TAU’s Dr. Ran helped me find my way as an artist.” pology and biology, and another Cohen – a mentor in the Lautman – Etgar Keret, Israeli writer and is interested in the influence of Program who was recently awarded the filmmaker meditation on those with disabilities – a Tchernichovsky Prize for his exemplary research area that involves psychology, translation of a sacred Ethiopian text – Buddhism, education, neurobiology Marva established a special academic and medicine. In short, these subjects outreach program, sponsored by the As for the future, Marva aims to require an interdisciplinary approach,” Lautman Fund, to bring Ethiopian- pursue a PhD at Columbia University, says Friedmann. Israeli high school students to the specializing in Indian Buddhism. She Approximately half of the Program's TAU campus. “We want to help high will not go, however, until she has 350 graduates have gone on to become school students living in the periphery finished her music outreach project: tenured academics, while the other half to realize that the academic world is “I believe in music as a tool of social have pursued careers in high-tech, bio- not as far away as they may think,” justice and, for me, Tikkun Olam is a tech, literature and the arts. explains Marva. lifetime mission."

Learning in the age of Google Fluent in Hebrew, English, Sanskrit and Japanese, Marva Shalev-Marom, In Memoriam one of the program’s most recent gradu- ates, is intrigued by everything from TAU pays tribute to the memory of Dov Lautman, one African culture and psychology to the of Israel’s foremost business leaders and philanthropists Mishnah and Zen Buddhism. It was her and former Chairman of the TAU Executive Council. diverse passions that convinced her to An Israel Prize laureate and TAU honorary doctor, Mr. apply for the Lautman Program. Despite Lautman dedicated the Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary being accepted into an American Ivy Program for Outstanding Students as well the Adi League college, Marva chose TAU Lautman Special Program for Outstanding Students in honor of his late son, Adi. In recognition of his staunch because she liked its comprehensive- 1936 – 2013 ness: “You enter the door and have no commitment to youth education and outreach, the Dov idea where you will end up. I felt that Lautman Unit for Science Oriented Youth at TAU was the Lautman Program granted me named in his honor. freedom.” 15 medicine Munitz (left) and Dr. Udi Dr. Ariel face off Qimron 16 they wanted to re wanted they Aviv over University Tel chose and reers ca academic their for to Israel turn therapies. medical for way new,the life-saving pave could that breakthroughs of Sciences Immunology Nature in Ariel – journals scientific tigious world’s the in published pres most have Both fields. their in trailblazers considered are and belts their under accomplishments research impressive process. the in friendship their resume to of and choice university at their tions posi up research taking toexcited be were – they Harvard from Udi and Children’s Hospital Cincinnati the from –Ariel United the States in studies al ( School one at Yeshiva another High known had they discover to surprised pleasantly were 2009, they in day same on the at TAU’s of Medicine Faculty Sackler Immunology and Microbiology Clinical Qimron, 39, of Department joined the ( Proceedings of the National Academy Academy National of the Proceedings The two knewtwo The have Udi and later,Five Ariel years frompost-doctor the Freshplane off W hen Drs. Ariel Munitz, 39, Munitz, Udi and hen Ariel Drs. Netiv Meir Netiv ). made have Both ) in Jerusalem. Jerusalem. ) in - and Udi in PNAS in Udi and - - - -

same high floor of the Sackler School theSackler floor of high same the on offices With campus. the off on and –both friends close become thinking.” creative and independent here fosters us allow they of autonomytype “The Ariel. that,” adds or you doshould this goal, a certain orderone’s in to achieve you that telling here, but no regulations and mitments problems.”scientific tough to with grapple us encouraged and directions research creative pursue us to allowed This plete independence. com we were given outset the from freedom,” “Right Udi. academic says community,” Ariel. research says vibrant of this part to be we wanted and here flourishing is faculty medical “The institutions: research Israeli other “Of course, there are academic com academic are there “Of course, here “There’semphasis on a real Since joining TAU, joining Since have two the - - their lives, research and future goals. goals. future and research lives, their out over view Tel discussing Aviv and the enjoying while day every together lunch eat they building, of Medicine valuable ideas and insights. insights. and ideas valuable exchange and one another’s research delve into however, they as maraderie, ca and beyond competition extends amiably. one Iwant too,”ERC grant, he says Udi’s Foundation. “Now got an that Science Binational the Fund and Research Cancer Israel Fund, Science theIsrael Foundation, Fritz Thyssen the other.” it’s then published for the incentive an astudy one gets if of “but us Ariel, says on Udi microbiology,” and research ogy competition; I’m on immunol focused “We’re results. to greater not direct in on them spurs them between petition positive com the that say Udi and Ariel mounts,” wisdom vie, “when writers ing, “Positive competition” to win prestigious European Council Council European prestigious to win Research (ERC) grants over the last over last the (ERC) grants Research The relationship between the two the between The relationship old Talmudic an from say Quoting year. “The 1.5 million euro grant grant “The year. euro 1.5million Udi was one of 16 was Udi TAU researchers will help me determine my research my research help me determine will projects from my current research.” research.” my from current projects Ariel’s research is supported by supported is research Ariel’s says Udi. “It will generate spin-off generate spin-off “It Udi. says will five to ten years,” next for the path A Taleof Two Recruits - - - - A Taleof Two Recruits a new method for treating chronic in chronic for treating method a new bacteria from dividing, thereby destroy thereby dividing, from bacteria prevents protein that a viral isolating in succeeded have team his He and teria. bac pathogenic to kill viruses uses Udi – to antibiotics resistance of bacterial for antibiotics A substitute Ariel. says disease,” fighting in them ness har potentially Ican cells, inflammatory restrain that mechanisms inhibitory the “By identifying Ariel. says immunology,” in research my post-doc with together pharmacology in studies my PhD in I gained pertise cancer. and blood disorders for asthma, treatments to effective lead could that – abreakthrough rogue going from cells matory inflam the keeps that mechanism apowerful discovered have team his and Ariel autoimmune diseases.” and asthma to problems like leading tive, overac become also it can infections, role to fight is primary its “While Ariel. sword,” adouble-edged is says system immune “The diseases. flammatory system immune the Wrangling academia canbe It’s wellknownthatrisingthrough theranksin discovery is currently being patented being currently is discovery The infections. combating and them ing greater results, saytwoTAU researchers competition betweencolleaguescanbringabout Tackling a different problem – that problemthat adifferent Tackling – “I’m ex the combining developed have team his and Ariel - - fiercely competitive - - - - - Udi. “In contrast, I target the simplest simplest the Itarget “In contrast, Udi. complex,” extremely is says with deals Ariel system immune “The ent ways. differ entirely in think they that admit two the concepts, game-changing ing of antibiotic. a novel type development to the lead of could and While both scientists are develop are scientists both While - - . Butpositive frame.” frame.” time same the in papers three publish can Udi to while publish, years three on.”working I’m virus the as such nature in systems lives. “Onelives. day, told Udi me he had their in episode another in paths crossed had they that discovered accidentally After two years at TAU, years two two the After Ariel jokes, “That’s why it takes me “That’s jokes, why takes itAriel had a strange dream,” relates Ariel. Ariel. dream,” relates astrange had “He dreamt that he was on an of on an he was that “He dreamt ficer’s course in the army during army during the in ficer’s course meant to overlap in many ways,” to many overlap in meant a combat exercise and had to had and a combat exercise says Udi. Udi. says treat a soldier whose hand had had hand asoldier whose treat the medic,’” Ariel told him. told medic,’” him. the Ariel ‘Udi,’ injured. severly been I got wounded and you were and got wounded I wasn’t ‘that said, adream! was the trainee officer who officer trainee the was “I guess our lives were lives our “I guess 2014 Issue 2014 TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW - 17 By Louise Shalev With over 43 billion cyber-attacks per day, the race is on to develop the A most foolproof security technologies

What if a hidden microphone placed Safer next to a laptop could steal its encrypted data? Or a terrorist organization could hack into the national electricity grid and shut it down? These scenarios are far from science fiction. They are just some Cyber of the potential attacks that threaten cyber space and could seriously dam- age the networks we rely on to com- municate and travel, power our homes, Future run our economy, and provide essential government services. As the number of mobile users, digital applications and data networks increase, so too do the opportunities for exploitation. 18 2014 Issue TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

At TAU, some 30 groups across five has now become a white-collar crime nies need time to sift through the traffic faculties are integrating computer sci- – you can do it without being detected to find what’s illegitimate. Meanwhile, ence, engineering and national security or getting your hands dirty,” he says. your site is gridlocked and you’re losing studies to advance cyber research and Using TAU’s own independent elec- your customers,” Landau-Feibish says. transfer their knowledge to decision tricity grid as a live experimental model, The TAU algorithm is innovative makers in the government and to com- Wool’s system automatically evaluates in that it can be applied to extracting mercial security technology firms. the communications patterns on the malicious signatures from textual data

“In the ongoing cyber war, the best grid and flags those incidents that are as well as numerical data. The disruptive By Louise Shalev form of defense is pioneering technol- normal and those that are potentially messages can then be blocked. “When ogy,” says Prof. Yossi Azar, Head of malicious. The technique’s advantage is our system is installed on the security TAU’s Blavatnik School of Computer that it achieves a far lower false alarm company’s mitigation devices, it’s on Science. “At TAU we have one of the rate than other known systems. call rather than the company being on strongest and most diversified cyber call,” she says. teams in Israel.” No entry! The research is supported by the TAU researchers are conducting pro- If shutting down the power grid Kabarnit-Cyber Consortium under jects in fields ranging from doomsday sounds threatening in the abstract, a the Magnet program, funded by the Shir Landau- cryptography, secure cloud computa- more concrete and everyday threat is Chief Scientist of the Israel Ministry Feibish tion and more efficient verifiability, to one that could block access to popular of Industry, Trade and Labor. data anomaly and malware detection, websites – whether banking storefronts user-controllable privacy, and recogni- or consumer sites. tion technologies for video surveillance. If, for example, an online gaming site The University is also establishing a wants to block access to a competitor’s national cyber center, partially funded site, all they have to do is bombard that by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, site with traffic until its servers crash for coordinating interdisciplinary under the load. Known as “distributed study programs, research, policy denial of service” (DDoS) attacks, their analysis, industry partnerships and source is almost impossible to identify. international collaborations in the Now, Shir Landau-Feibish, a doc- field of cyber security. toral student in computer science un- der Prof. Yehuda Afek of the Blavatnik Flipping the nation’s switch School, has developed a unique tool for One of the more ominous scenarios revealing the footprint of certain DDoS for a government is a cyber-attack by attacks and preventing them from be- a terrorist group or rogue state on the ing repeated. To do so, her team, in Letting big data do the work national electricity grid. This could cooperation with Prof. Anat Bremler- Of the half a million attacks per potentially bring a nation to its knees, Barr of the Interdisciplinary Center in second occurring in cyber space, the causing large-scale damage to life, prop- Herzliya, has devised a “double heavy majority can’t be detected by traditional erty and essential services. hitters algorithm” that is capable of computer security systems, says Prof. Prof. Avishai Wool of TAU’s finding the smallest set of signatures Amir Averbuch of the Blavatnik School Fleischman Faculty of Engineering is – digital codes identifying the sender of Computer Science. Traditional de- developing a system that could help – required to detect 99% of the attack fense systems that work by scanning the identify potentially malicious intrusions messages. contents of computer files and cross- on the grid and prevent them. Landau-Feibish explains that about referencing their contents with the “code “Twenty years ago, if you wanted 20% of the world’s computers are part signatures” belonging to known viruses to shut down the power system you of a botnet – armies of zombie comput- are ineffective, as are rule-based systems had to attack it physically,” says Wool. ers that are controlled by an attacker such as firewalls, notes Averbuch. “Today it’s quite plausible that an at- who can direct high volume traffic to “These systems don’t catch ‘zero-day tacker armed with nothing but a com- a targeted site. These strikes fly in -un attacks’ – ones that exploit unknown puter and network connection could der the radar because they come from software vulnerabilities. They can only hack into the power system or cause multiple computers and appear normal. detect yesterday’s attacks – ones they an explosion in a chemical plant. This “Regular computer security compa- know they’re looking for,” says Averbuch. 19 Today, communications networks and social media are accumulating huge amounts of data. Google and Facebook New Broadcom Foundation Fund each amass two terabytes of compressed A two-year program promoting multidisciplinary research in cyber security was data a day. “The challenge is how to established at TAU by the Broadcom Foundation. The program brings together extract intelligence from big data. It’s researchers from Broadcom and students and senior scientists from TAU toward a hot topic,” says Averbuch. the development of a new generation of authentication methods that will enable The TAU team has developed a pro- secure interaction between users and their digital environment. Dr. Henry Samueli, gram that enables big data to generate Broadcom Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO, says, “This new, unique program will the algorithms that detect anomalies enable us to forge a deeper alliance with academia and with the proven creativity, in zero-day attacks. The algorithms are innovation and quality of Israeli science and technology.” based on a randomized scanning of the data and are therefore not biased by any foreknowledge. “We try to ascertain the geometry of the data and then under- a “SNARK” – software that compiles one of the top five global powers in stand who is deviating from normal computer programs into a more secure cyber expertise by 2015. behavior. We then perform a forensic version and that ensures integrity of Ben-Israel feels that “innovative investigation on this abnormality to computation by associating data with technology against cyber-attacks is see whether it’s malicious or not,” says succinct mathematical proof of its va- not enough without some sort of gov- Averbuch. lidity. This could be a game changer in ernment involvement and regulation. the field of computer security, Tromer As cyber warfare becomes a national In the cloud believes. and societal problem, there is a need Increasingly, In a spinoff project with Johns to advise decision-makers on the for- companies and Hopkins University, Tromer and his mulation of standards. This is where organizations team are developing “Zerocash,” a sys- you need the input of policy experts, are outsourcing tem that ensures anonymity in digital ethicists, economists and human rights their computer currency transactions such as Bitcoin, specialists.” operations to the while again ensuring validity. Tromer’s The Workshop conducts research in cloud, especially research is supported by TAU’s Check the cyber sphere and holds a high-buzz large service pro- Point Institute for Information Security, annual conference on cyber security. viders such as the Israel Ministry of Science, the Last year’s conference brought together Amazon. The I-CORE for Excellence in Algorithms key figures from Israel and abroad and cloud is cheaper and the Leona M. and Harry B. hosted President Shimon Peres and and faster, but is Helmsley Charitable Trust. Prime Minister Netanyahu. it secure? Yuval Ne’eman Workshop Research “Not so,” On the policy front Associate Lior Tabansky, a PhD candi- says Dr. Eran The cyber domain has brought to date in political science under Professors Tr o m e r o f the fore complex security and policy- Ben-Israel and Azar Gat, says, “Cyber- TAU’s Blavatnik related challenges. TAU has taken a attacks bypass the whole apparatus of School, a specialist in cloud comput- leading role in addressing these issues borders, armies and traditional infra- Dr. Eran ing. “Data entrusted to the cloud may through the Yuval Ne’eman Workshop structures that are supposed to protect Tromer be corrupted or leaked, either by the for Science, Technology and Security. In society. Maybe in in ten years’ time cloud service provider or by malicious 2011, Workshop Head Major Gen. (res.) we’ll be able to build borders in cyber customers. Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel was approached by space as well. Meanwhile, we can try to “The research challenge is to con- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu understand the often neglected social struct verifiable mechanisms that base to review Israeli national cyber policy. and political aspects of cyber security the security of remote computation on Ben-Israel submitted a report, adopted and engender new perspectives in the mathematical evidence rather than by the government, that included set- humanities and social sciences.” sweet promises,” says Tromer. ting up a new National Cyber Bureau. Collaborating with MIT and the Foremost among Ben-Israel’s recom- Technion, Tromer’s team is developing mendations was to position Israel as 20 2014 Issue TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

Hagar Weinberger – a fifth-year PhD candidate who enjoys flying remote controlled airplanes in her spare time – observed that doctors and other health professionals have little training in how to handle the stress of the job and make responsible decisions. “Imagine as a doctor that you are nearing the end of a long and emotional- ly-draining night shift. You’re exhaust- Hadar ed and overworked,” explains Hagar. Weinberger “Nevertheless, you are expected to give each new patient your full attention and be kind, patient and understanding at all times. Society demands perfection from physicians, but there are currently no tools available to teach them how to properly cope with these multifarious pressures and behave professionally.” Hagar’s research, conducted un- der the supervision of Prof. Yechiel Michael Barilan of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, responds to this pertinent The Good, need. She is developing guidelines – to one day be used in education manu- als for physicians – that address major the Bad and ethical issues, such as how to make moral judgments under stress; how to balance between the desire to innovate the Ethical and the need to follow protocol; and how to accept blame but live without Hagar Weinberger, who wants doctors to guilt. Combining sociology, psychol- make better moral judgments, is among the ogy, medicine and philosophy, Hagar’s first group of fellows at TAU’s Edmond J. work could also have applications for

Safra Center for Ethics Roberts By Tiffany the military, where leaders are expected to conduct themselves professionally under duress. euthanasia, and the uses and misuses new ways of thinking and to of placebos. In addition to the weekly encourage dialogue between Reading Maimonides over colloquium, the Center hosts forums for researchers and professionals hummus researchers and professionals through- from diverse backgrounds,” As an Edmond J. Safra Fellow, Hagar out Israel. For example, a group of 13 explains center director Prof. is deeply involved in the activities at experts in the fields of social sciences, Shai Lavi. “We are addressing the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics. medicine, health and law began meeting the growing need for ethical Once a week, she attends a colloquium in 2013 to discuss Israel’s vaccination deliberation in Israel.” at the center with other doctoral stu- policy. Another group comes together The Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics Prof. Shai dents, post-docs and faculty members, on a monthly basis to pore over new at TAU is named after the late Edmond Lavi in which they read and debate classi- research involving ethical decision mak- J. Safra, one of the 20th century’s most cal and modern texts over hummus ing. International scholars are also in- prominent bankers and philanthropists. and pita. Past sessions have explored vited frequently to give talks. The Center was dedicated by his wife, multifaceted issues such as how to de- “The mission of the Edmond J. TAU Honorary Doctor Lily Safra, in fine consent, the ethics of abortion and Safra Center for Ethics is to promote 2012. 21 After one season of disappointing Institute of Science, project scientists rainfall, Israelis pay more at the vegeta- employ micro-archaeological tech- ble market and feel guilty taking long niques to reveal material evidence for showers. Imagine how they would cope, historical processes. Scientists such as however, if the drought continued for Langgut work in the field, homing in decades or even centuries. on excavation layers most likely to yield On-site By Lisa Kremer TAU scientists have pinpointed such microscopic evidence and setting up science lab a period of harsh climatic conditions field labs to provide real-time analyses. that began around 1200 BCE and Explains Finkelstein, Jacob M. parched the Mediterranean region for Alkow Professor for the Archaeology 150 years. Holding the key to this dis- of Israel in the Bronze and Iron Ages covery is fossilized pollen, which when and 2005 Dan David Prize laureate: analyzed revealed a marked decrease “Introducing a field lab creates tight in the number of oak trees, pines and cooperation between exact and life sci- cultivated olive trees for that period. entists and archaeologists. When I need

Prof. Israel “Pollen grain is the most durable sediment analyzed, I no longer have to Finkelstein organic substance in nature. It can be relay samples to a lab somewhere and preserved for hundreds of thousands wait days or weeks for answers. Within a apart, but Langgut examined 40-year few hours, sometimes minutes, I intervals for the period from 3500 to have information that can change 500 BCE. the direction of the dig.” Prof. Finkelstein stresses, “Without For the drought study, an accurate date, we have nothing. Langgut extracted pollen from Archaeologists cannot use what is re- layers unearthed deep below the covered in the field to reconstruct the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. bigger picture without knowing when Pollen research in Israel is diffi- an event occurred.” cult due to the hot climate and In order to better understand the meager quantities, and Langgut trade relations and economy of ancient developed specialized extraction Israel, project scientists sought to syn- techniques to protect every grain. chronize the Levant timeline with the Material evidence provided by chronology of the larger Mediterranean the grains corresponded with an- basin. They worked in cooperation cient documentation of barren with excavators at three Greek sites. fields and rising food prices. The of years and provides evidence of findings plausibly answered a question vegetation in ancient sites,” says Dr. that Finkelstein and the archaeologi- Daphna Langgut, a researcher at the cal community have puzzled over for Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of years: What caused the domino collapse Archaeology and Curator of Palynology of the mighty Pharaonic, Mycenaean, and Archaeobotany at TAU’s Steinhardt Hittite and Ugaritic civilizations 3,000 National Natural History Museum and years ago? Research Center. Langgut is one of more than 40 exact What happened, where, when? and life scientists working alongside Langgut’s findings of a 150-year- archaeologists in a sweeping multi- long withering drought would have year research project, supported by the fallen through the cracks of time European Research Council (ERC), if not for her high-resolution aimed at reconstructing life in ancient sampling method and rigorous Israel. Led by Prof. Israel Finkelstein of radiocarbon dating procedure.

the Nadler Institute in partnership with Traditionally, sediments are Dr. Daphna Langgut Prof. Steve Weiner of the Weizmann sampled from layers 200 years Insert: microscopic pollen 22 and why did the pig become taboo? taboo? pig become the why did and But when of Israel. children by the pork of consumption the proscribe questions. traif pig become the did Why of accuracy. years 30 to within ago of years sands thou from layers dating in succeeded Finkelstein’s sites, team at Israeli those with findings Greek the Comparing Archaeozoology Lab at the Nadler at the Lab Archaeozoology Sapir-Hen,Dr. Lidar of Director the evidence that can answer sweeping sweeping answer can that evidence ofyearsinmicroscopic remnants secrets aboutancientIsraelheldforthousands Amultidisciplinaryteamisunlocking Microscope underthe Ancient Israel Like pollen, bones hold material material hold bones pollen, Like and Deuteronomy and Leviticus ? -

Surprisingly, however, bone findings however, bone findings Surprisingly, pig remains. nothave any recovered archaeologists Jerusalem, was of which story. a different tell Hen’s of pig bone remains analyses But Sapir- Philistines. hated the pecially es neighbors, their from themselves pork to distinguish avoided eating practices. etary di and ancient husbandry understand to remains animal analyzes Museum, Steinhardt at the of Archaeozoology Manager Collection and Institute In the kingdom of Judah, the capital capital the of Judah, kingdom the In Israelites the that theorize Historians

- - ancient DNA, which tells about origins about origins tells which ancient DNA, migration animal and of human Tracks of turmoil. time a in ethnicity than rather culture and status –defining Israel from refugees the and of residents Judah the between but Philistines and Israelites between later, while a short not to distinguish comehaveintomay being taboo The pig BCE. century 8th late the in invasion Assyrian of an heels on the to Judah fled people Israel from that known is It for pigs consumption. raised avidly of Israel kingdom of the inhabitants the 8 the from find answers.” find continue to they and questions to ask we continue to come as felt for years be will impact The researchers. young wonderful many nurtured project has this of sheer size The beginning. the only is this ancient DNA analysis, and research “For says, climate Finkelstein population. boar local the replaced ally eventu pigs These times. Crusader and Roman continued in and Philistines, of the migration the with commenced have could Levant to the pigs European of introduction the concluded that Researchers apparent. becomes signature genetic European the onward, and ago years but, about from 3,000 signature genetic alocal display ago years 4,000 from Remains pedigree. a European have countries, neighboring from lations to popu contrast in of Israel, boars wild the that found Meiri ancient remains, and boars of DNA modern-day from DNA. on age-old expert an and Museum Steinhardt at the fellow postdoctoral big picture,” Dr. says a Meiri, Meirav out the zoom to see and level lecular more. and epidemics of populations, migrations, genetics, Material evidence is also found in in found also is evidence Material Regarding future research directions, Through painstaking investigation “In mo my on work, in the Izoom th century BCE reveal that that reveal BCE century 2014 Issue 2014 TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW - - - 23

archaeology cessful in creating friendships and partnerships.

Embracing Israeli chutzpah Bhawna Singh, 36, had no trouble adjusting to the honest, straightforward mentality of Israelis. She explains that people approach you on the street to offer their unsolicited advice in India as well. “For me it was refreshing, and I found it easy to get close to people in Tel Aviv. Both cultures are very family- The Indo-Israeli oriented,” she notes. A recent graduate of TAU’s Sofaer International MBA Program, Bhwana Love Affair chose TAU for its extensive network- ing opportunities. She plans to use her Indian students share their first impressions of contacts from the program to build her Israel and TAU own IT business in India.

Cyber fever Travelling from his quiet village in Rajeev explains. Israel’s ingenuity and Vishal Dharmadhikari, 21, a native northern India to Tel Aviv University, its ability to thrive despite limited re- of Pune, India, who has also lived in Rajeev Kumar, 27, felt his first wave sources is what initially drew him to Botswana and South Africa, admits of culture shock as he stepped off the the BSc program. that he did not know what to expect plane into the land of milk, hummus Rajeev dreams of one day opening in Israel. “My main exposure to the and all-night coffee shops. “Everything a programming company in his home Holy Land came from the media, which was new to me – the food, the lan- town, a place where jobs are scarce. “I portrays Israel as a dangerous place. I guage, the pace of life. It was exciting want to stop brain drain from the vil- was surprised by how safe I felt walking By Tiffany Roberts By Tiffany yet overwhelming at the same time,” he lages to the metropolitan cities. I know around,” he recounts. recalls. As Rajeev struggled to carry his it is not easy starting up a company, but Motivated by Israel’s prowess in overstuffed suitcase up the steps to his I am extremely committed. My TAU the fields of counterterrorism and cy- dormitory room, a burly Israeli student education will help me achieve this goal.” ber security, Vishal enrolled in TAU’s suddenly came from behind, grabbed International Master’s Program in the other end of the bag and walked When Tel Aviv met Hindustan Security and Diplomacy. During his with him the rest of the way. “At this Over the past five years TAU has studies, Vishal organized a special event moment, my fear of being a stranger increased its Indian student body three- called “India-Israel Cyber Security in Israel vanished, and I felt at home.” fold. It has also sought more India col- Connect,” which was part of TAU’s Rajeev recently began his studies in laborations. These include an agreement Yuval Ne’eman Workshop for Science, TAU’s new International Electrical and between Indian giant Tata Industries Technology and Security. His event Electronics Engineering BSc Program, and Ramot – the University’s tech trans- dealt with the need for greater coop- which offers overseas students a world- fer company – to fund TAU technologies eration between the two countries at class education in the heart of Israel’s with commercial potential. a time when both India and Israel face own silicon valley. TAU also pioneered the India-Israel increasing threats of cybercrime. Engineering has always been Rajeev’s Forum in 2007, in collaboration with The success of the event inspired passion. “I believe that engineers can the Confederation of Indian Industry Vishal to found his own start-up compa- help solve the majority of the world’s (CII) and Aspen India. This annual ny in Pune called India Cyber Connect, crises, such as food and water shortages. conference series, which brings together which aims to strengthen cyber secu- The key is developing new technolo- economic and academic leaders from rity in India by creating cross-border gies – an area in which Israel excels,” India and Israel, has been highly suc- partnerships. 24 Leadership

New technologies aris- ing from university-based research are typically at the earliest stage of development NADAL AND COLTON INSTITUTES and require a major cash infu- sion to be refined, tested and validated. If funding does not appear in the right place The Seeds of at the right time, discoveries with promising commercial potential may never make it Innovation out of the lab. Recognizing this “development gap,” two Bear Fruit TAU benefactors and honor- ary doctors – Miles Nadal and Stewart Colton – are support- ing nascent technologies with commercial promise. Miles Nadal Administered by Ramot, the University’s technol- ogy transfer arm, seed money for projects is funded through the Miles S. Nadal Institute for Technological Entrepreneurship and Stewart and Judy Colton the Colton Family Next Generation Technologies Institute. A deep belief in fostering innovation led Miles Nadal, a that fair valuation is obtained in the technology transfer Toronto-based media mogul, to found the Nadal Institute and licensing process. Through these funds the donors are in 2012. Since then, the Nadal and Colton Institutes have ultimately helping the University bring in revenue, which joined forces and provided seed money for projects in medical is, in turn, plowed back into the TAU research enterprise. microscopy, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Three additional In this way, the funds are perpetuating a continual cycle projects in the fields of engineering and energy have recently of research.” been approved for funding. The Colton Institute was established in 2006 by Stewart Three success stories Colton, Vice Chairman of the TAU Board of Governors and member of the AFTAU Board of Directors, and his • A nano drug delivery system for treating cancer developed by Prof. wife, Judy Colton, a TAU Governor. The family’s active Ronit Satchi-Fainaro of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine has led to an engagement with the university spans several decades and agreement with Rosetta Genomics for sponsored research. extends to the Colton Scholarships and the Stewart and • A non-invasive device that detects the gender of chicken eggs for Judy Colton Chair in Legal Theory and Innovation. agricultural purposes has led to a licensing agreement with the Israeli To date, the Colton Institute has funded 15 projects in startup Egg Detect. The inventors are Prof. Eyal Ben Dor of the TAU agriculture, drug delivery, cell therapy, medical tools and Department of Geography and the Human Environment and Prof. Israel pharmaceuticals. Of these, five have led to licensing agree- Rozenboim of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. ments, while others are currently under negotiation. • A new, nano-based treatment for Gaucher’s disease has led to an Dr. Tamar Raz, VP for Marketing and Strategy at Ramot option for sponsored research by a giant pharma company. The and a former Colton Fellowship recipient herself, says, “We technology was developed by Profs. Mia Horowitz and Dan Peer of the are thrilled to have these sources of funding that enable us George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences. to bring to the table more mature technologies and ensure 25 Leadership

PROFILE: FELIX POSEN

Journey toward Jewish Identity What began as a personal quest by Felix Posen turned into a robust educational vision, culminating in the flagship Ofakim program at TAU

elix Posen has a passion – Judaism as culture. It is a tion, academic programs teaching Judaism as culture were Felix Posen F receiving a passion that has fueled him for over 30 years and has led lacking, and discourse practically non-existent. TAU honorary doctorate in him to become one of the most prominent global figures 2006 in advancing the teaching of Judaism as a living heritage. Broadening horizons This mission also led him to establish, together with his Posen’s success in commodities trading enabled him to son, Daniel, the Ofakim (Horizons) Program at TAU, the embark upon pioneering philanthropic ventures to make only teacher training program in the world to equip teach- Judaism more accessible and inclusive for the non-religious ers with the full set of tools they need to educate Israeli majority. He founded the Posen Foundation in the early schoolchildren about Judaism as a culture and civilization. 1980s to promote education in the new field of Jewish cul- This year, the program is celebrating its 10th anniversary ture and its diversified contribution to the world through and a decade of success – with about 10,000 Israeli pupils personalities ranging from Spinoza, Mendelssohn and Ahad taught by Ofakim graduates so far. Ha’am to Woody Allen. The Foundation exclusively funds the Born to an Orthodox Jewish family in pre-World War II Ofakim Program at TAU, as well as international programs, Germany, Posen and his family escaped to England and later research, fellowships, events and scholarships. to America shortly after Kristallnacht in 1938. It was after Ofakim pursues a holistic and comprehensive approach graduating from university, “and discovering some ghastly to training Jewish studies teachers in Israel. The program details about Auschwitz from a first cousin survivor of the enables participants to explore the idea that while Jewish camp,” Felix Posen recounts, that he decided to transition civilization has always included religion, it is not limited from an Orthodox, observant Jew to a secular one. He to matters of spirituality. Students are awarded tuition subsequently embarked on a personal intellectual journey scholarships and living stipends, and graduate with a BA to gain knowledge and redefine his identity within a new and a teaching certificate. secular, Jewish cultural framework. Ofakim has become, in ten short years, one of the most Posen became acutely aware that, while the majority of prestigious teacher training programs in Israel. It encom- Jews around the world defined themselves as secular, this passes the spectrum of cultural studies relating to the Jewish large population was, for the most part, uneducated in experience, including art, philosophy, philology, history Jewish history, philosophy, literature and culture. In addi- and Jewish literature.

Lior Sibony, Ofakim graduate, teacher and coordinator of Jewish Studies at Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium, Tel Aviv, and at the Adelson Educational Campus in Las Vegas

“The Ofakim program shaped my personality, and empha- sized the importance of Judaism as culture as a school subject, a tool for life and a very important value for ensuring the character of Israeli society and the future of the Jewish people.”

26 2014 Issue TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

“Ofakim accepts only the top students who show both ness of the crucial importance education has in shaping a significant academic potential together with a profound better and more just Israeli society,” Prof. Margolin stresses. desire to teach and become leading educators Recognizing Felix Posen’s vision and com- in Israeli high schools,” explains program head mitment, the University bestowed upon him Prof. Ron Margolin. “Many of our graduates in 2006 an honorary doctorate. are becoming leaders within their pedagogical Felix Posen sums up his aim: “It is our environments and communities. hope that Ofakim will produce a cadre of

“There can be no doubt that the idea of teachers who will instill in the mainstream Daniel Posen cultural Judaism is gaining ground in Israeli secular student a pleasurable and intellectual society with every class taught by an Ofakim understanding of the immense richness of graduate,” says Prof. Margolin. Jewish culture, history and development over “The care, involvement and enthusiasm two millennia. Secular students must have shown by Felix and Jane Posen, and their son, Daniel, for the same rights and resources to learn about their culture Ofakim is simply extraordinary and shows a profound aware- as their religious peers.”

PROFILE: PROF. FRANÇOIS HEILBRONN

Vive la France Prof. François A passion for TAU and Israel, combined with Heilbronn vitality and charisma, characterizes French Friends President Prof. François Heilbronn

Since taking up the presidency of the French Friends outstanding contribution to the University, he was given of Tel Aviv University in 2003, Prof. François Heilbronn the TAU President’s Award. has left an indelible mark on one of the University’s most Prof. Heilbronn is the Managing Partner of the consulting successful, cohesive and loyal Friends associations. firm M.M. Friedrich, Heilbronn & Fiszer. He graduated With over 1,200 members, the French Friends Association from Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris in 1983 and earned has flourished under Heilbronn’s leadership. He has brought an MBA at Harvard Business School. He is an associate in many young members as well as an extensive network of professor in business strategy at Sciences Po Paris. Seven contacts in the academic, public and business spheres. The years ago he facilitated the establishment of an exchange Association has dramatically augmented TAU’s standing program between Sciences Po and TAU. in France, holding high-profile events in Paris and bringing Prof. Heilbronn has been involved in Jewish and Zionist French President François Hollande to the campus during organizations since a young age. He is a member of the his 2013 Israel state visit. The appearance was significant for Board and of the Executive Committee of the Fondation the French-speaking community in Israel and also show- du Mémorial de la Shoah-Centre de Documentation Juive cased TAU know-how and innovation to notable French Contemporaine à Paris, and a member of the Central business delegations. Committee and Board of Directors of the Alliance Israelite The French Friends stand out particularly for their sup- Universelle. port of needy students at TAU – a commitment that was “The French Friends are one of the most vital and active initiated by the longtime French Friends President, the late of our friends associations, and we are lucky to have François Hugo Ramniceanu, and reinforced by Prof. Heilbronn. at their helm,” said TAU President Joseph Klafter. “He is a Since 2008, Prof. Heilbronn has served as Vice Chairman man of action and a man of letters, as well as a passionate of the TAU Board of Governors and he also sat on the and committed humanist.” 2009 Dan David Prize Committee. For his dedication and 27 Leadership

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Lauded at TAU A staunch friend of all Canadians stand taller.” Israel and the Jewish people, Judge Seal announced the establishment by the Canadian Canadian Prime Minister Friends of a chair named in Prime Minister Harper’s honor Stephen Harper was awarded that would “make an invaluable contribution to science and a Tel Aviv University honor- scholarship by supporting innovative research on challenges ary doctorate in the presence facing both Israeli and Canadian society.” of Israeli and Canadian dig- Bestowing the award on Prime Minister Harper were From left: TAU President Joseph Klafter, Canadian nitaries and TAU supporters TAU President Joseph Klafter, TAU Rector Aron Shai and Prime Minister Stephen Harper and TAU Honorary at the conclusion of his 4-day TAU Governor and Honorary Doctor David J. Azrieli. Prof. Doctor David J. Azrieli. state visit to Israel. Klafter said, “Tonight we pay tribute to one of the most Along with cabinet ministers, members of parliament, remarkable friends of Israel, of scientific cooperation and senators and top business executives, the of democracy.” Canadian attendees included a large delega- Mr. Harper noted that TAU was the first tion of the Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv academic institution in the world to offer TAU Honorary University (CFTAU). him an honorary doctorate after he became Doctor Judge Speaking before the audience, CFTAU prime minister. “I want to accept it on behalf Barbara Seal, CM, with National President Judge Barbara Seal, CM, of not just Laureen and myself, but the entire Mr. Harper said to Prime Minister Harper: “Your con- Canadian Jewish community who has merited stant, unwavering support of Israel has made this award a million times,” he said.

Dr. Raymond R. Sackler Honored at the UN

In the rarefied atmosphere of the UN Security Council chamber, the Honorable Ron Prosor, Permanent From left: TAU President Joseph Klafter, Mrs. Beverly Sackler, Representative of Israel to the United Nations, recognized Permanent Representative of Israel to the UN Ron Prosor, and Dr. Richard honoree Dr. Raymond R. Sackler Sackler Dr. Raymond Sackler for his exceptional support of Tel (center) with Aviv University and the State of Israel. On behalf of Prime TAU President’s Award recipient Howard R. Udell, who since daughter Marianne Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ambassador Prosor presented passed away; and members of AFTAU, as well as members and the late Dr. Sackler with a certificate commending his “unwavering of the Sackler family and special guests. Howard R. Udell commitment to higher education, research and the advance- At an intimate luncheon in the UN complex following ment of medicine, science and the arts in Israel.” the ceremony, Prof. Klafter praised the dedication of Dr. The event was organized by the American Friends of and Mrs. Sackler and their family to the ideals of higher TAU and attended by TAU education. “Raymond’s vision and generosity represent a President Joseph Klafter; TAU tremendous life’s accomplishment, worthy of TAU’s most Vice President for Resource heartfelt appreciation, and of a nation’s gratitude and es- Development Amos Elad; TAU teem,” he said. Board of Governors Chairman Dr. Sackler was also presented with a book signed by Emeritus and Honorary Doctor Israeli President Shimon Peres, who similarly praised the Harvey M. Krueger; AFTAU Sackler family for their extraordinary contributions to the National Chairman Jon Gurkoff; cause of higher education in Israel. 28 Initiatives

Mutual dedication reaps results

The Kahanoff Initiative serves 300 first-year From left: Arab students from selected study tracks with Nivin Jayusi, Narmeen traditionally high Arab enrollment. The pro- Massalha, gram provides scholarships, peer mentoring, Shira Herzog, Ayal Mousa study groups, subsidized private tutorials and and Suzan psychological and social services. It is also in Mansour contact with Israel’s largest firms to arrange internships for Arab students and alumni. The Initiative is now upping its study ses- sion offerings in response to surveys showing “SAWA”– KAHANOFF ARAB STUDENT RETENTION INITIATIVE that students with 100% attendance at the sessions raised their grades by 12 points, on average, and tripled their chances of achieving Transforming the Arab a passing grade. Beyond the numbers, the Initiative fosters relationship-building between Arab students Student Experience and mentors and the primarily Jewish teach- In late summer 2013, incoming dentistry student Ayal ing, administrative and support staff. Mousa faced a dilemma: Attend a month-long preparatory “Sawa means ‘together’ in Arabic and close contact helps program at TAU for new students from the Arab sector, or the staff stay abreast of students’ anxieties and emotional continue working to save money for the upcoming school needs,” says Alberto Meschiany, Director of Psychological year. Rami Tibi, coordinator of Arab students at TAU’s Ruth Services at the Ziegler Division. and Allen Ziegler Student Services Division, telephoned Mousa personally to help him decide. Paying it forward When Tibi enumerated the program offerings – including Mousa today is enthusiastic about his university experi- Hebrew for Arabic speakers, preparatory science studies, ence. Next year, he plans to become a Kahanoff mentor like dormitory housing, and free transportation between Mousa’s second-year students Narmeen Massalha, Suzan Mansour Galilee village and Tel Aviv – Mousa realized that, yes, he and Nivin Jayusi. These three young women attribute their would have less money for the school year, but he would good grades and academic confidence to the security of gain an invaluable foothold in university life. knowing that there is a dedicated staff supporting them. The preparatory program that Mousa attended is part Their motivation as mentors is to give back what they re- of the “Sawa”–Kahanoff Arab Student Retention Initiative, ceived and create a successful start for new Arab students. founded by the Kahanoff Foundation and run by the Student Shira Herzog, outgoing President and CEO of the Welfare Unit of the Ziegler Division. A dual-pronged support Kahanoff Foundation, says, “We seek to create a program and research program now in its second year of operation, in which every participant is an agent for change and that the Kahanoff Initiative addresses the needs of the Arab will help individual students to thrive at the University and student community at TAU. The goals of the Initiative are become positive forces for transforming the Arab student to improve Arab student retention rates and to help gradu- experience on the whole. Kahanoff Initiative alumni vol- ates join the ranks of the professional workforce in Israel. unteering to mentor new students offers a perfect example Currently 1,400 Arab undergraduates study at TAU. of our vision.” They face unique challenges: most are away from home The Kahanoff Foundation was established in 1979 by Sydney for an extended period for the first time; they study in Kahanoff, a Calgary businessman and philanthropist, and Hebrew, which is not their mother tongue; they face deep expanded by his wife, Fern Kahanoff. The foundation has cultural differences; many are under financial pressure; and initiated and supported innovative community development they are on average two to three years younger than their programs in Calgary and Israel, with an emphasis on access Jewish counterparts. to education for Israel’s Arab minority. 29 Initiatives

“Ten years ago, an idea was born to build the biggest, most socially responsible student housing complex in the entire greater Tel Aviv area. It was hard to imagine the size, impressiveness and impact of the complex. But one person did have the imagination and vision, and that was Moise Safra, with the full support of Chella,” he said. “We are honored to link the future suc- cess of student residents in this building to the Moise and Chella Safra family name for generations to come,” said Prof. Klafter. “We are proud that you have chosen to associate your name with Tel Aviv University as part of your tradition of dedication to Jewish herit- age, social welfare, education, the arts and medicine,” he told the couple. Prof. Klafter recognized the role of Dr. THE CHELLA AND MOISE SAFRA BUILDING AND From left: CHELLA AND MOISE SAFRA COURT Mario A. Adler, TAU Governor and President Moise and Chella Safra and Chairman of the Brazilian Friends of Tel and TAU Aviv University, for introducing the University President Joseph to Moise and Chella Safra and for “nurturing Klafter First Dormitory what has turned into a warm, deep friendship.” A TAU honorary doctor, Moise Safra is linked with numerous institutions in Israel and Building at Student City overseas, as well as with Jewish communities, religious and health organizations, orphanages, Inaugurated schools, and retirement homes. Chella Safra has served as Brazilian representative to the The first modern dormitory building at Student City, Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors and as a member of the the largest, most ambitious building project in TAU’s his- Executive Board tory, was unveiled at a festive ceremony in the presence of and the Consulting TAU Friends, Chella and Moise Safra and family members, Board of Keren top university officials, staff and students. Also attending Hayesod of Sáo were Dr. Claudio L. Lottenberg, President of the Jewish Paulo, and she is Confederation of Brazil, and Jack Terpins, President of the currently Treasurer Latin American Jewish Congress. of the World Jewish One of the first three buildings to be occupied in the Congress. project and situated at the entrance to the complex, the “Together with Chella and Moise Safra Building is providing much-needed, the University, we affordable living space to students from needy backgrounds are building upon and outlying communities. TAU’s tradition Adjacent to the building is the Chella and Moise Safra of inclusiveness, Court, which will become the hub of the complex’s com- of providing a mercial and recreational area. quality education to disadvantaged The unveiling ceremony students, and of The Chella and Moise After warm greetings by Chairman of the TAU Board groundbreaking Safra of Governors Prof. Jacob A. Frenkel, TAU President Joseph research,” Chella Building Klafter described Moise and Chella Safra’s role in realizing said. the grand dream of Student City. 30 2014 Issue TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

VARDA AND BOAZ DOTAN RESEARCH CENTER IN HEMATO-ONCOLOGY

Tomorrow’s Blood Cancer Treatments In a milestone for advancing cancer research in Israel, The Head of the the Varda and Boaz Dotan Research Center in Hemato- Dotan Center, Prof. Oncology was inaugurated at Tel Aviv University. Established Nadir Arber, similarly by co-founder of Amdocs and noted Israeli philanthropist, stressed the importance Boaz Dotan, together with his wife, Varda, the multi-million of the Center’s man- dollar Dotan Center aims to foster collaboration between date, stating that the leading Israeli and international experts in the field and “research of today is the treatment of tomorrow.” As part cultivate the next generation of cancer researchers through of this mission, the Dotan Center will host yearly semi- From left: grants and doctoral fellowships. nars and international conferences for the world’s leading Boaz and Varda Dotan At the inauguration of the Center, TAU President Joseph hemato-oncologists. with TAU President Klafter thanked the Dotans for their visionary generosity, Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Dotan – himself a TAU Joseph saying that cancer research is instrumental in fighting one graduate in mathematics – noted that this was the first time Klafter and TAU Rector of the world’s leading causes of mortality. President Klafter his family had donated to basic academic research, and that Aron Shai also remarked that the donation “will act as an engine for they did so after being deeply impressed by the University cutting-edge doctoral research” in the field. and the innovative science being carried out within its walls.

ALROV REAL ESTATE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

President Joseph Klafter and Professionalizing the Mr. Alfred Akirov (right) at the signing Real Estate Industry ceremony

A critical lack of affordable housing in Israel was one “The Alrov Real Estate Research Institute will disseminate of the main factors behind the widespread social protests theoretical and practical knowledge and help strengthen that swept the country during 2011-2012. The protests have transparency and professionalism in the industry,” said since quieted down, but new construction has yet to catch Dean of Management Prof. Asher Tishler. up with public demand due to regulatory, bureaucratic and Alfred Akirov is a prominent figure in the Israeli and other problems confronting the Israeli real estate industry. international business arenas. He serves as Chairman of the Recognizing that a healthy real estate market is essential Alrov Group, which he founded in 1978. A TAU Governor for a thriving economy, Israeli businessman Alfred Akirov, and 2007 Honorary Doctor, Akirov has drawn leading a longtime TAU supporter and former member of the TAU figures from the country’s business community into uni- Executive Council, has established the Alrov Real Estate versity activities, first as President of the Israeli Friends of Research Institute at the Faculty of Management—Leon TAU (2002-8) and then as a member of the TAU Executive Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration. Council. He founded the Akirov Fellowship Program for The new institute, headed by Prof. Eli Amir, engages in Excellence in Economics and Business Administration, advanced research and market analysis, teaches students which provides scholarships to outstanding graduate stu- and practitioners state-of-the-art entrepreneurial skills, dents at TAU’s Eitan Berglas School of Economics and the and collaborates with similar real estate institutes around Faculty of Management. He also established the Alfred the world. The institute also nurtures young talent in the Akirov—ALROV Institute for Business and Environment, field by awarding scholarships to master’s, doctoral and among other projects. post-doctoral students. 31 Top Global Friends Events

Sydney: LinkedIn Clifford Rosenberg (pictured), Managing Director for LinkedIn South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand, spoke to over 100 young adults at an event organized by the Australian Friends of Tel Aviv University (NSW Division).

Sydney: Medal to Howard Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard was awarded TAU’s George S. Wise Medal for his longstanding advocacy of Israel and deep friendship with the Australian Jewish community. The event, organized by David Dinte, President of the New South Wales Chapter of the Australian Friends, and hosted by Hong Kong: Joseph and Gerda Brender and Sam and Gaining Ground Agi Moss, benefited a newly launched scholarship fund for NSW university TAU’s Development and Public students who wish to study at TAU. From left: TAU Governors Sam Moss and Joseph Brender, Affairs Division has raised the TAU VP Amos Elad, Former PM John W. Howard OM AC, University’s profile in Hong Kong and NSW Australian Friends President David Dinte with a successful inaugural event showcasing TAU nano expert Prof. Yael Hanein. Melbourne and Sydney: Magical Nano Audiences in Melbourne and Sydney were riveted by Prof. Yael Hanein, Director of TAU’s Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, who gave compelling talks on advancements in nanoscience and TAU’s collaborations with China in this field at events hosted by the Victorian and NSW chapters of the Australian Friends of TAU. From left: Meir Buber, Prof. Yael Hanein, Rita Perelberg, Victorian Friends President Dr. Victor Wayne, and Dr. Harry Perelberg

Toronto: Secret to Success The Canadian Friends of TAU (CFTAU) Alumni & Leadership Committee held its first networking event, which brought the leaders of Jewish Toronto’s young professional community together for an exciting opportunity to build business relationships and mingle with like-minded people.

From left: CFTAU Ontario and Western Region Executive Director Stephen Adler, Rose Reisman, Michael Kimel, Jennifer Witterick, Jian Magen and CFTAU Ontario and Western Region Chairman Jeff Wagman

Montreal: Bravo for Multipiano Close to 150 TAU supporters were mesmerized by TAU Buchmann– Mehta School of Music professor Tomer Lev and his Multipiano ensemble’s three young rising stars at a concert organized by the Canadian Friends of TAU in Montreal. The festivities began with an elegant Shabbat dinner generously hosted by Tina and Max Smart at their home. Guests at Shabbat dinner hosted by Tina and Max Smart From left, back: CFTAU Montreal and Eastern Region President, Irwin G. Beutel; Alvin Segal; CFTAU National President, Judge Barbara Seal, CM; Prof. Tomer Lev; and Berenika Glixman. From left, front: Nimrod Meiry- Haftel and Daniel Borovitsky. 32 2014 Issue TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

New York: Honoring a Legend American Friends of Tel Aviv University celebrated passionate pioneer and former Chairman of TAU’s Board of Governors Harvey M. Krueger at an elegant dinner at the Pierre Hotel. In a rare off-campus ceremony, Krueger received the distinguished award of Honorary Doctor. From left: AFTAU National Chairman Jon Gurkoff, TAU President Joseph Klafter, TAU Board of Governors Chairman From left: TAU Board of Governors Chairman Prof. Prof. Jacob A. Frenkel Jacob A. Frenkel, TAU President Prof. Joseph Klafter, and TAU Executive honoree Harvey Krueger and TAU Executive Council Council Chairman Chairman Dr. Giora Yaron Harvey and Connie Krueger Giora Yaron

Beverly Hills: Homeland Behind the Scenes Nearly 100 TAU and OSP Boston: Music for the Soul alumni and friends gathered at Over 80 TAU alumni and friends Sonya and Howard Waldow’s gathered at the beautiful home of elegant home for a warm and Varda and Israel Shaked for a program intimate evening with TAU presented by MusicTalks founder and graduate Gideon Raff, the director, TAU double alumnus Elad award winning creator, writer, Kabilio, featuring a chamber music and director of hit TV show concert by TAU alumni. Homeland, and Pat Saperstein, deputy editor of Variety. From left: David Dorfman, Rosalie Lurie, Sonya and Howard Waldow, Gail Reiss, Gideon Raff and Pat Saperstein

Tel Aviv: Communicating in the Digital Age TAU Honorary Doctor and media mogul Maurice Levy was keynote speaker at a panel discussion organized by the French Friends of TAU in collaboration with the Recanati Business School. A close friend and supporter of TAU, Levy gave his insights into new approaches in marketing and communication in the digital age.

From left: Dean of Management Prof. Asher Tishler, Maurice Levy and TAU President Joseph Klafter

Tel Aviv: Design of the Future Karim Rashid, superstar industrial designer Berlin: German Friends Greet with over 3,000 designs in production Ambassador Avi Primor and winner of more than 300 awards, was hosted by the Business Academic Club of A select group of German bankers, politicians, the Israeli Friends at an exclusive lecture journalists and university professors attended on the future of design. a lively talk by Ambassador Avi Primor (pictured), head of the new European Studies program at Tel Aviv University, at a reception held by the German Friends. From left: Israeli Friends Chairman Amnon Dick, TAU President Joseph Klafter and Karim Rashid 33 Top Global Friends Events

From left: Herman Richter, TAU VP Amos Annual Elad, and TAU Governors Adolfo Smolarz Punta del Este From left: TAU VP Amos Elad, TAU Governor Fred Chaoul, Mario Blejer, and Fred Chaoul Meeting TAU President Joseph Klafter, Argentinean Friends President Polly Mizrahi The Argentinean Friends of de Deutsch and Miguel Kiguel TAU in collaboration with Buenos Aires: Discussing Economics the Brazilian and Uruguayan Friends held their flagship For the 18th consecutive year, the Argentinean Friends of TAU held event in Punta del Este, which their influential International Economics Symposium. Featuring featured a distinguished talks by renowned economic analysts, the symposium was once panel comprising TAU Prof. again a resounding success with over 1,000 people attending, Manuel Trajtenberg; TAU including diplomats, business and community leaders. Honorary Doctor Marcos Aguinis; former President From left: Dr. Luis Alberto Lacalle de Herrera, of Uruguay Dr. Luis Alberto Dr. Carlos Alberto Montaner, Marcos Aguinis Lacalle de Hererra and international journalist Dr. During his Mexico and Prof. Manuel Trajtenberg Carlos Alberto Montaner. stay, Prof. Klafter Over 1,000 attendees visited Tecnologico witnessed a special ceremony Monterrey to discuss where the former Uruguayan student exchange President received the 2014 programs. TAU President’s Award.

Guadalajara: Book Fair The Mexican Friends promoted TAU at the Guadalajara International Book Fair, which this year featured the State of Israel. Israel Prize laureate and TAU Professor Anita Shapira was keynote speaker at From left: Amos Elad, Dr. Luis Alberto this cultural festival, which was attended by Israeli President Shimon Lacalle de Hererra and Argentinean Friends Peres, TAU President Joseph Klafter and TAU VP Amos Elad. President Polly Mizrahi de Deutsch

From left: Mervyn and Andy Druian, Lady and Lord Sacks, Harold and Nira Preiskel

London: Recognizing Longstanding Contributions The TAU Trust in the UK together with the London chapter of the dental The Board of the Ecuadorian Friends of TAU fraternity, Alpha Omega (AO), honored longstanding TAU Governor and AO founding member Dr. Harold Preiskel. Among the guests were Lord Jonathan Sacks in one of his last appearances as Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, and Prof. Ilana Eli, head of TAU’s Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine. The event was Quito: New Friends organized by TAU Governor Mervyn Druian, International Director of AO. Association in Equador The newest TAU Friends association, headed by Daniel Kersffeld, was inaugurated in Ecuador in September at a formal signing ceremony. Amongst those Paris: Achieving Goals attending the inauguration ceremony were Amos Elad, TAU VP for Resource Mr. Touvia Goldstein and Ruth Alvarez de Development, was warmly hosted by the Goldstein, members of the Board of the French Friends of TAU on his first official Spanish Speaking Friends of TAU in Israel visit. He held productive meetings with key who were instrumental in the creation members of the French Friends to discuss of the new Friends association, and the association’s objectives. Mr. Elad was Ambassador Eliyahu Yerushalmi, Israeli also the guest of honor at an event hosted Ambassador to Ecuador. by French Friends President Prof. François From left: Prof. François Heilbronn, Armand Stemmer, Heilbronn and Ariane Heilbronn. Amos Elad and Ronit Stemmer 34 2014 Issue TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

poised to become a global innovation XIN: New Path to the East leader. Our edge will come from the In what could be the largest Israeli- ment in both Israel and China, such combination of several elements – the Chinese research collaboration of as nanotechnology, but in time will recruitment of top-flight research fel- all time, Tel Aviv University signed expand to other fields of science. lows in China and Israel; the continu- an MOU with Tsinghua University in In describing the XIN vision, Dr. ous exchange of faculty, students and Beijing – known as the “MIT of China” Ramon Albalak, who heads interna- ideas; a unique system for mentoring – to establish a joint center called XIN tional collaborations at TAU’s Center graduate students; and a conscious (“new” in Chinese). for Nanoscience and Nanotechnol- emphasis on technology transfer and The center will initially focus on ogy and will co-manage the initiative cooperation with industry.” fields that enjoy accelerated develop- on the Israeli side, said that “XIN is The center’s nucleus will be in Bei- jing, with a smaller extension operat- ing in Tel Aviv, Albalak clarified. A delegation of 10 representatives from Tsinghua, headed by Qinxian Jim, Deputy Secretary General and Director of the Office of the President of Tsinghua University, and Prof. Quanshui Zheng, Director of CNMM – Center for Nano and Micro Mechan- ics at Tsinghua, arrived at TAU this winter to discuss practical aspects of establishing the XIN center. Prof. Zheng will serve as XIN director and Prof. Yael Hanein, who heads the TAU Dr. Ramon Albalak (left) with the Tsinghua delegation nano center, will serve as co-director.

During its celebration of Interna- tional Human Rights Day, Tel Aviv University’s Kantor Center for the World’s Study of European Jewry unveiled its latest contribution to fighting Anti-Racism racism around the world – two of four volumes collating laws against Laws Prof. Dina Porat discrimination and racial vilification. The first of its kind, Legislating for Published by Equality: A Multinational Collection of Non-Discrimination Norms is the work Kantor Center of five Kantor Center researchers and two students from TAU’s Buchmann Slaner Chair for the Study of Contem- constitutional developments in some Faculty of Law. The volumes were porary Anti-Semitism and Racism and countries, it also exposes worrying presented in the presence of two Chief Historian at Yad Vashem, noted trends in others in the fight against Israel Supreme Court Justices – Prof. that Legislating for Equality will “serve discrimination. Daphne Barak-Erez, former Dean as a useful tool for human rights ac- By examining reports, databases, of the Buchmann Faculty of Law, tivists, diplomats and researchers by interviews and other material from and Elyakim Rubinstein – as well as providing an up-to-date picture of the various sources including govern- advocate Arie Zuckerman, Secretary legal status of anti-discrimination law mental authorities, embassies and re- General of the European Jewish Fund in every country.” Porat, who co-edit- search centers, the scholars produced and Chairman of the Kantor Center ed the volumes along with project co- a comprehensive snapshot of relevant Executive Board. ordinator Talia Naamat and Nina Osin, laws in both Europe and the Ameri- Prof. Dina Porat, head of the Kantor both lawyers, stressed that while the cas. The final two volumes on Africa Center, incumbent of the Alfred P. collection reveals positive and serious and Asia will be published by 2015. 35 CERN X 2 TAU’s second tour of CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Re- search in Geneva, was a resounding success. The exclusive three-day trip provided access for a select group of TAU friends and supporters to the site of the world’s largest particle accelerator. Participating from TAU were Presi- dent Joseph Klafter; Vice President for Resource Development Amos Elad; and members of the TAU CERN team, Professors Yaron Oz, Erez Etzion and Halina Abramovicz. The program included vibrant scientific discussions and a range of cultural outings. Shortly after the TAU group went home, Israel was accepted as the first new member state of CERN since 1999.

TAU group touring CERN

Joint Columbia-TAU Expedition for Regional Eco-Peace

TAU master’s student Eliav Shtull- Trauring believes that the environ- mental problems facing the Middle East region – such as water shortage, pollution and sewage disposal – are shared ones. “There’s very little cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on dealing with environmental issues,” says Eliav, “but everything that happens in the Palestinian Authority affects us Israe- lis as well. For example, we’re sitting on the same water resources and we have to work together to ensure water quality over the long run.” Eliav participated in a unique two- Participants viewing the Abu Dis landfill located between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumin week study tour, entitled “Regional Sustainability in the Middle East,” Palestinian Authority. jointly held by Columbia University’s The tour is expected to be the international and public affairs – and Earth Institute and TAU’s Porter forerunner for further collaboration it was great that the program had School for Environmental Studies. between the two universities. Veron- people of diverse academic back- Students from the two institutions ika Lacktman, a graduate student of grounds working together to reinforce toured environmental “hotspots” in- ecotourism and cross-border environ- this interdisciplinary breadth.” cluding East Jerusalem, Amman, the mental issues at TAU, summed it up Dr. Arie Nesher, Professional Direc- Dead Sea and the Jordan River, with as follows: “The trip was an inspira- tor at the Porter School, said “the co- a particular focus on the “seam zone” tion. What I learned in a few days operation between TAU and Columbia – the area bordered by Israel, Jordan was more than I could have hoped to University’s Earth Institute enabled and the Palestinian Authority. achieve in many hours of work and this unique cross-border experi- During the course of the tour, the theoretical studies.” ence and introduced students to the students heard diverse perspectives Madeline Silva from Columbia environmental consequences of the on cross-border environmental is- added that “environmental issues political situation in the region.” sues from academics, NGO repre- span many academic areas – among The group also attended a two-day sentatives, government officials and them conflict resolution, sustainabil- international colloquium held on the activists from Israel, Jordan and the ity management, public health, and Tel Aviv University campus. 36 2014 Issue TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

database CrunchBase, TAU ranks 15th TAU-UC Berkeley in the world for producing founders of Collaboration venture capital-funded startups head- As part of a memorandum of un- quartered in the United States – the derstanding with the University of only non-American university on the th California, Berkeley, TAU launched list. Also, TAU placed 4 for the aver- the Raymond and Beverly Sackler age amount raised by graduates in Fund for Convergence Research the all-important first round of fund- th in the Biomedical, Physical and ing, and 16 out of the world’s top Engineering Sciences. The new 100 universities that produce million- framework will provide seed fund- aires, according to the data research ing for innovative projects aimed at company WealthInsight and business meeting the healthcare challenges magazine Spears. Two such newly- of the future and support TAU’s minted millionaires are TAU computer ongoing commitment to extending Startup University science and philosophy major Ehud its reach globally. Pioneering Israeli startups founded Shabtai and economics major Uri by TAU alumni are constantly mak- Levine, whose traffic and navigation ing the headlines. According to a app, Waze, was recently acquired by 2013 study from the online resource Google for $1.1 billion. TAU Joins Forces with Catalonia’s Universities A cooperation agreement was TAU Joins signed between TAU and the More than 70,000 students worldwide are participating in three courses universities of Catalonia, Spain, for given by TAU professors through the online learning website, Coursera. joint workshops, research collabo- Courses are free and provide TAU students with academic credit. “The Fall and rations and exchange of faculty, Rise of Jerusalem,” taught by Prof. Oded Lipschits, Director of the Sonia and doctoral and post-doctoral stu- Marco Nadler Institute for Archaeology, and “What a Plant Knows,” taught by dents. The signing took place on Prof. Daniel Chamovitz of the Department of Molecular Biology and Ecology campus between TAU Vice Presi- of Plants, have over 60,000 participants from 129 countries. “The Emergence dent Raanan Rein and Catalonian of the Modern Middle East,” taught by Prof. Asher Susser of the Moshe Dayan President Artur Mas i Gavarró. Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, has 11,000 participants, includ- Joint funding requests for research ing enrollees from Muslim countries such as Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan in aging, cancer and Mediterra- who have chosen to learn about their region from an Israeli professor. See more at https://www.coursera.org/telaviv.

TAU Sackler Professor prizes Wins Nobel Prize in

Catalonian President Artur Physics Mas i Gavarró (left) and TAU Prof. Francois Englert, a Raymond award with Peter W. Higgins, profes- Vice President Raanan Rein and Beverly Sackler Senior Professor sor emeritus at by Special Appointment and Fellow of Edinburgh, UK, nean studies will be submitted to TAU’s Mortimer and Raymond Sackler for the theory the EU’s Horizon 2020 program. Institute of Advanced Studies, was of how particles “The agreement is one more step awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in acquire mass, and Nobel Prize in TAU’s strategic goal of becom- Physics for his work on subatomic for the prediction laureate Prof. ing a global university,” said Prof. François particles. Prof. Englert, a profes- of the existence of Englert Rein at the ceremony. sor emeritus at the Université Libre the Higgs boson de Bruxelles, Belgium, shared the particle. 37 Peace-Promoting Project Wins Amnesty International Prize The Amnesty International Award of the an- nual Henri Langlois Film Festival in France was awarded to Water, a collaborative project of TAU and Palestinian filmmakers. The project featured nine films revolving around the theme of water that were produced, filmed and edited by joint teams of young Israelis and Palestinians. Yael Perlov, film editor, producer and lecturer at TAU’s Department of Film and Television, Yolanda and David Katz Faculty of the Arts, was the initiator and Artistic Director of the project, which was commended by the judges for “enabling young filmmakers to study and learn about one another and thereby break the cycle of hatred and prejudice in the Middle East, and for creating a message of togetherness and dialogue – a message that conveys the peace-making power of art.” The film was supported by the Rabinovich Foundation for the Arts, the Em- bassy of the United States in Israel and the Gesher Multicultural Film Fund. YOUNG DIRECTOR WINS SUNDANCE French President François Hol- AWARD lande visited TAU and spoke to a Yuval Hameiri of TAU’s Film and people large gathering of members of the Television Department overcame French-speaking community in Israel. 66 entries from around the world He met with TAU President Prof. to win the Short Film Jury Award: Joseph Klafter and with President Non-Fiction at the Sundance Film French President of the French Friends of TAU, Prof. Festival, one of the world’s larg- Hollande Visits TAU François Heilbronn. The two presented est cinematic competitions for Hollande with a unique gift: a signed independent filmmakers. Entitled original edition of a book written by I Think This Is the Closest to How former Prime Minister of France Léon the Footage Looked, the film Blum (1872-1950). The event was explores the final day of Hameiri’s

From held at the initiative of the French mother’s life, and is produced in an left: Prof. Friends of TAU. President Hollande experimental documentary style. François was accompanied by a delegation of Hameiri’s film previously won the Heilbronn, Prof. Joseph MEDEF – the largest union of employ- Student Film Competition at the Klafter and ers in France, who were in Israel to 2013 EPOS International Art Film French President explore projects showcasing Israeli Festival and an International Film François innovation in science and technology. Student Meeting Award at the San Hollande A second delegation of businessmen Sebastian Festival. representing 60 high-tech companies from France also were introduced to TAU’s technology transfer activities and visited the labs of top researchers.

Dutch Foreign Minister Visits TAU Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans recently lectured Dutch at TAU by invitation of the Israel Council on Foreign Relations Foreign Minister (ICFR) in cooperation with the Program for European Studies at Frans TAU, headed by Ambassador Avi Primor. The event was hosted Timmermans by Laurence Weinbaum, Executive Director of the ICFR. 38 2014 Issue TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY REVIEW

Prof. Dan Rabinowitz, a member of ISRAEL PRIZE the Gershon Gordon Faculty of Social Prof. Irad Malkin of TAU’s Sciences, has been appointed Head of Department of History at the Lester TAU’s Porter School of Environmental and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities, Studies, replacing Prof. Pinhas Alpert. Prof. co-director of TAU’s Center for Rabinowitz previously served as chairman Mediterranean Civilizations pro- of various national and international envi- ject and incumbent of the Maxwell ronmental organizations and currently serves as Chairman Cummings Family Chair for the of the Israeli Association for Environmental Justice. He

Study of Mediterranean Culture holds a PhD in social anthropology from Cambridge makers and History, has won the 2013 Israel Prize in General University, and is a widely published expert on the environ- Historical Research. ment and global warming. Prof. Rabinowitz received the An expert in Ancient Greek history, colonization, Pratt Foundation Prize for his contribution to the media ethnicity and Mediterranean Studies, Prof. Malkin was coverage of environmental issues in Israel, as well as the

recognized for his breakthrough in identifying Sparta TAU Rector’s Award for excellence in teaching. news as a maritime, colonizing power and his study of Greek religion, ethnicity, migration and settlement. He was also cited for his integration of new methodologies, such as the Network theory, into his research. Prof. Zvika Serper, Japanese theater The only Israeli member of the European Network and cinema expert, theater director and for the Study of Ancient Greek History, Prof. Malkin actor, was appointed Dean of the Yolanda collaborates with international academic institutions and and David Katz Faculty of the Arts, re- government bodies, particularly the EU. Prof. Malkin placing Prof. Hannah Naveh. Prof. Serper has authored five books, edited seven others, and has has been a faculty member at TAU’s published numerous articles. He is the co-founder and Department of Theater Arts since 1985, co-editor of The Mediterranean Historical Review, cited by and between 2006 and 2010 headed the Department of Thomson Reuters as one of the most influential historical East Asian Studies at the Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of publications with 30,000 articles downloaded each year. the Humanities. He studied in Japan for many years, and has spent the past two decades exploring the incorporation of various traditional Japanese aesthetics and techniques Honors: Meitner Humboldt Research Award, Prof. Bezalel into acclaimed productions of classical Western works. Bar-Kochva, Humanities • Member of the Israel Academy Prof. Serper has conducted master classes and workshops of Sciences and Humanities, Prof. (emer.) Ruth Berman, in acting and movement techniques at major theaters, Humanities • ACUM Board of Directors Prize, Shimon acting schools, and universities in the US and Europe. Cohen, Arts • 2013 Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel Prize, Prof. Tamar Dayan, Life Sciences • 2013 Mifal Hapayis Landau Prize for Science and Research, Prof. Illana Gozes, Medicine • 2013 Prof. Yossi Katan Ms. Yael Regev was appointed Director Award, Dr. Daphna Hacker, Law • Israeli Academy of of Development and Public Affairs. Ms. Film and Television Lifetime Achievement Award, Prof. Regev recently served as the Director of (emer.) Ram Loevy, Arts • Member of the Israel Academy Public Affairs at the Azrieli College of of Sciences, Prof. (emer.) David Schmeidler, Exact Sciences Engineering in Jerusalem, where she fo­ • 2013 Caroline von Humboldt Prize, Dr. Noa Shenkar, cused on enhancing links with industry, Life Sciences • ENBIS Box Medal, Prof. David Steinberg, government and alumni. Prior to that she Exact Sciences • 2012-2013 Emile Zola Human Rights worked for eight years as a senior pro­ducer for Israel’s Prize, TAU Housing, Community & Law Clinic, Law Channel 10. Ms. Regev holds a BA in Communications and • 2013 Administration for the Development of Weapons Management from the College of Management – Academic and Technological Infrastructure Prize, Prof. Joseph Studies, and an MA in Law from Bar-Ilan University. Terkel, Life Sciences • BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Economics, Prof. (emer.) Elhanan Helpman, Economics 39 Appointments: Prof. Shimon Abboud, Engineering, Prof. Hanoch Dagan, Law, incumbent of the Stewart Director of the Ela Kodesz Institute for Medical Engineering and Judy Colton Chair in Legal Theory and Innovation and Physical Sciences • Prof. Shmuel Carmeli, Exact • Prof. Eli Friedlander, Humanities, incumbent of the Sciences, Director of the Teva Institute for Organic and Laura Schwarz-Kipp Chair of Modern Philosophy • Prof. Biomedical Chemistry • Prof. Galili Shahar, Humanities, Michael Kozlov, Medicine, incumbent of the Joseph Director of the Minerva Institute for German History • Klafter Chair in Biophysics • Prof. Leonard Leibovici, Prof. Amir Sharon, Life Sciences, Director of the Institute Medicine, incumbent of the Dr. Sol Amsterdam/Dr. for Crop Improvement • Dr. Rosalie Sitman, Humanities, David P. Schumann Chair in Medical Education • Prof. Director of the Sverdlin Institute for Latin American Gregory Livshits, Medicine, incumbent of the Lilian and History and Culture • Prof. Reuven Stein, Life Sciences, Marcel Pollak Chair in Biological Anthropology • Prof. Director of the Yitzhak Rabin Institute for Neurobiology Tova Milo, Exact Sciences, incumbent of the Chair for • Prof. Natan Bornstein, Medicine, incumbent of the Information Management • Prof. Eran Rabani, Exact Norma and Alan Aufzien Chair for Research in Parkinson’s Sciences, incumbent of the Marko and Lucie Chaoul Disease and Neurodegenerative Diseases • Prof. Leo Corry, Chair of Theoretical and Computational Nanoscience • Humanities, incumbent of the Bertram J. and Barbara Prof. Ran Spiegler, Social Sciences, incumbent of the Cohn Chair in the History and Philosophy of Science • Aaron Rubinstein Chair in Economics

Muslim Minorities in Non-Muslim Majority Muslim Minorities in Non-Muslim Majority Countries: The Islamic Movement in Israel as a Test Case Countries: The Islamic Movement in Israel The ArAbs in isrAel The Missing File

Muslim Minorities in Non-Muslim Majority Countries:countries majority and The Islamic Movement in Israel asnon a Test-Muslim Case attention in Western -increasing in Editors: Elie Rekhess andminorities Arik Rudnitzky of ever have emerged as a Test Case Muslim a matter of population By Dror A. Mishani, been communities total The status has Muslim of the public in Europe) years. Large 10 percent on the (especially recent 5 and questions during between new in compliance importance comprising has placed lifestyle of affairs an Islamic and Western these countries, state of rule This maintenance non-Islamic some cases. to the under Edited by Prof. Elie Rekhess and Arikin Rudnitzky,respect law) with Harper Collins (2013) agenda of shari‘ah (Islamic of Muslim principles status the and civic the total with lifestyle of to the 17 percent of the secular state laws. germane also approximately solidification and are given the political dilemmas who constitute especially in the These Israel, 2011), of religion past three Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern andof endAfrican of during the citizens the significance of growing taken place Editors: Elie Rekhess and Arik Rudnitzky population (as and the that have Movement within Israel Islamic of Arabs between identity analysis and social for comparative countries Western of decades. a framework within a variety provides addresses Studies (2013) volume communities Israel. It constructed, Muslim Minorities in Non-Muslim minority is This collected within identity to the of Muslim community Islamic and  the status Muslim which in general of the by to bridge Majority Countries: The Islamic status the processes minorities efforts  the are to Muslim are the one What what extent on questions: are unique To lifestyle, How Movement in Israel as a Test Case aspects in particular? by a European and which in Israel posed in fact comparable? of minority challenges hand, jurisprudence Muslim and the on the other Israel? shari‘ah in Israel, al-aqalliyyat (the State of between efforts of fiqh within the agenda and parallel the doctrine Islamic  hand, of Movement a political to development the Islamic of is unique  did the influence the formation minorities) in this context – what  How does the status of Muslim minority communitiesMuslim denominator and – in in common societies, , there a history Is majority of Editors: Elie Rekhess and Arik Rudnitzky non-Muslim aspects a among various during  that address delivered the political and national platformarticles of the Islamic Movementon lectures in Israelwas? organized seven are based , which the comprises articles Among volume These Aviv University  This politics. at Tel Cooperation. and the and 2010 academia  religion, in March for Jewish-Arab from Luz, Iyad Tel Aviv University the West differ from that of Israel’s Muslimheld community?Program researchers Nimrod conference  Adenauer are prominent Elie Rekhess, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Israel the Konrad volume Polka, by to this Sagi .  The Konrad Adenauer Program for Uriah Shavit, contributors including Jewish-Arab Cooperation sector, public   Zahalka, Mohanad Mustafa, and Mordechai Kedar The Moshe Dayan Center Has the Islamic Movement in Israel developed a unique for Middle Eastern and African Studies

    The ArAbs in isrAel   religious-political platform resulting from the “double marginalization” of Israel’s Arab minority? Based on lectures given during a March 2010 conference at TAU, this volume addresses these questions and elaborates on the history, politics and religion of the Muslim minority in Israel. Among the contributors are prominent researchers from the academia and the public sector, including co-editor Prof. Elie Rekhess, Senior Research Fellow at TAU’S Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies and former Head of TAU’s Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation. Co-editor Arik Rudnitzky Literary scholar Dror A. Mishani is Project Manager of the Adenauer Program. has captivated readers around the globe with this crime mystery The Forgotten Kingdom: The Archaeology and History of novel. Winner of the prestigious Northern Israel Martin Beck Award, the emotion- By Prof. Israel Finkelstein, Society of Biblical Literature (2013) ally wrought page-turner tells the story of Israeli detective Avraham Although Israel was dominant for most of the time the Kingdoms Avrahami’s quest to locate a miss- of Israel and Judah coexisted, it has remained in Judah’s shadow in ing teenage boy. It’s a thriller that both the Hebrew Bible and consequently in modern scholarship. will leave readers questioning the This book presents the first comprehensive study of the history and tenuous nature of truth. Mishani archaeology of northern Israel from the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1350 teaches at TAU’s Department of BCE) until the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 720 BCE and Hebrew Literature, Lester and Sally beyond. The narrative is based on archaeological evidence and makes use of the Entin Faculty of Humanities. most updated field research, together with existing knowledge from ancient Near Eastern and biblical texts. TAU’s Prof. Israel Finkelstein, Jacob M. Alkow Professor of the Archeology of Israel, is a Dan David Prize laureate. 40

Tel Aviv CANADA NORWAY University Judge Barbara Seal, CM Herman Kahan National President Chairman Lay Leadership Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University (CFTAU) Norwegian Friends of Tel Aviv University Worldwide Irwin G. Beutel SOUTH AFRICA President Jonathan Osrin Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University Chairman ARGENTINA Montreal, Ottawa and Eastern Region South African Friends of Tel Aviv University Polly Mizrahi de Deutsch President Jeff Wagman SPAIN Argentinean Friends of Tel Aviv University Chairman Isaac Querub Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University President AUSTRALIA Toronto, Ontario and Western Region Spanish Friends of Tel Aviv University Dr. Victor Wayne President ECUADOR SWEDEN Australian Friends of Tel Aviv University Daniel Kersffeld David Feder Victoria Chapter (Melbourne) President President Ecuadorian Friends of Tel Aviv University Swedish Friends of Tel Aviv University David Dinte President FRANCE SWITZERLAND Australian Friends of Tel Aviv University Prof. François Heilbronn Anette Bollag-Rothschild New South Wales Chapter (Sydney) President President French Friends of Tel Aviv University (AFAUTA) Swiss Friends of Tel Aviv University AUSTRIA Dr. Hannes Androsch GERMANY UK President Dr. h.c. Ernst Gerhardt William Shaul Austrian Friends of Tel Aviv University President Treasurer German Friends of Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University Trust in the UK BRAZIL Dr. Mario Arthur Adler INDIA Leslie Wolfson President and Chairman Aaron Solomon Chairman Brazilian Friends of Tel Aviv University President Tel Aviv University Trust in the UK Indian Friends of Tel Aviv University Scottish Group Dr. Esther Kuperman Head of Chapter, Rio de Janeiro ISRAEL URUGUAY Brazilian Friends of Tel Aviv University Amnon Dick Bernardo Faincaig Chairman President Dr. Mario Gurvitz Cardoni Israeli Friends of Tel Aviv University Uruguayan Friends of Tel Aviv University Head of Chapter, Porto Alegre Brazilian Friends of Tel Aviv University MEXICO USA Jaime Murow Troice Jon Gurkoff President National Chairman Mexican Friends of Tel Aviv University American Friends of Tel Aviv University (AFTAU)

NETHERLANDS Robert van der Heijden President Dutch Friends of Tel Aviv University