The University of Haifa is extremely pleased to announce that the Tami Foundation (Steinmetz family) recently pledged NIS 5.5 million over a five- year period to support the University's flagship Social Mobility Project. “The University of Haifa is the first university in Israel to define social mobility as a strategic objective,” noted President Ron Robin. “We are very grateful to the Tami Foundation for sharing this vision and partnering with us on this important initiative that will serve as a critical engine for strengthening Israeli society.” The Foundation’s gift will help promote inclusion and social mobility policies, programs and services – first, at the University of Haifa and then at Israeli universities and colleges throughout the country. The generous support from the Tami Foundation was secured through the Israeli Friends of the University of Haifa working in close cooperation with the Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, led by Prof. Roni Strier and his research team at the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Poverty and Social Exclusion.  

(l-r) Prof. Rear Admiral (Ret.) Shaul Chorev, Head of HMS and The Ezri Center for Iran & Persian Gulf Studies, Rear Admiral (Ret.) Ami Ayalon, Chairman of the Executive Committee of HMS and former Chairman of the University of Haifa’s Executive Committee, Mr. Dov Shafir, and President Ron Robin.

The University of Haifa is grateful to Mr. Dov Shafir, longstanding friend and supporter of the University of Haifa, for his generous gift to the Maritime Policy & Strategy Research Center (HMS). Mr. Shafir pledged $1 million dollars to support research grants, student scholarships and the Center’s research activities, which are aimed at expanding Israel's circles of influence and supporting the development of a comprehensive maritime strategy for the country. Established in 2016 at the initiative of Dov Shafir and Ami Ayalon, HMS is Israel's leading think tank in the field of maritime strategy, with an emphasis on the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea regions. HMS recently expanded its research agenda by merging with The Ezri Center for Iran & Persian Gulf Studies. The gift was secured through the Israeli Friends of the University of Haifa working in close cooperation with the Center's Director Prof. Rear Admiral (Ret.) Shaul Chorev and the Center’s Executive Committee.

A dolphin with evidence of a large shark bite was spotted off the coast of Ashdod.

A dolphin that was once tagged by marine scientists from the Morris Kahn Marine Research Station recently returned to Israeli waters with signs that it had been attacked by a shark. According to Dr. Aviad Scheinin, head of the Top Predator Lab at the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, this is the first such attack ever recorded in Israel. “We will continue to monitor the dolphin population in order to understand whether this is an unusual incident of assault or a new phenomenon.” The story was published in The Jerusalem Post and the Jewish News Syndicate. READ MORE

Credit: Yaniv Cohen

Excavations headed by Prof. Adi Erlich and Ron Lavie of the University of Haifa’s Zinman Institute of Archaeology recently discovered the remains of a 4th-century church at the foot of waterfalls in the Banias Reserve in northern Israel. The church, one of the earliest to be constructed in Israel, was built atop a temple to the Greek god Pan. The spot is believed to be the location where the New Testament records Jesus asking Peter to spread his teachings. The archaeological team found the remains of a mosaic floor decorated with crosses and other symbols, which have led researchers to conclude that the structure was formerly a church. The findings were published in the Times of Israel and Jewish Press. READ MORE. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the School of Public Health have found that Israeli cities – among them Haifa – are not ready to handle the effects of climate change, and that awareness of the issues among decision-makers and residents is disconcertingly low. “In Israel, there is a visible increase in fires and floods caused by higher temperatures and extreme rainfall events which can claim lives, as we saw last year,” says Dr. Mia Negev, a member of the research team. Research findings, at both local and national levels, testify that taking action to combat climate change is not yet perceived as a problem that needs to be addressed. READ MORE

The University of Haifa congratulates Prof. Arie Rimmerman of the School of Social Work, on being selected for the Mifal HaPais Landau Prizes for Arts and Sciences in Social Work. Prof. Rimmerman is world renowned for his research in the field of rehabilitation and the study of social inclusion. In announcing the award, the Judges Committee noted that his groundbreaking studies have left their mark on decision makers of social policy for people with disabilities in Israel and around the world, and that his research findings have shaped and continue to influence the professional work of social workers and rehabilitation providers working with disabled populations. Rimmerman serves as the Richard Crossman Professor of Social Welfare and Social Planning, is the former head of the School of Social Work, and is the founding Dean of the Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences. Over the course of his career he also served as an advisor to Ministers of Labor, Welfare and Defense in Israel, and chaired disability advisory committees in Israel, Europe and the US.

The University of Haifa community toasts the recent knighthood of Stefan Rief O.B.E., Professor (Emeritus) of Medieval Hebrew Studies at Cambridge University and longstanding friend of the University of Haifa. Prof. Rief was involved in the establishment of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research of the Cairo Genizah at the University and serves as Chairman of the Center. In 2014, the University of Haifa awarded him with an Honorary Doctorate for his research focused on the Cairo Genizah and Jewish liturgy and his encouragement of young scholars at the University and in Israel.

The American Society of the University of Haifa (ASUH) and the Canadian Friends of Haifa University co-hosted an online panel discussion with leading public health and medical experts on the COVID-19 crisis. The panel of experts included Dr. Manfred Green, of the School of Public Health, Dr. Dorit Nitzan, Regional Emergencies Director of the European Region at the World Health Organization, and Dr. Andrew Morris, professor of medicine and Medical Director of Sinai Health System-University Health Network Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in Toronto, Canada. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Romana Primus, physician, Holocaust education activist, and member of the ASUH Board of Directors. Highlights from the event included thoughts on the application of lockdowns by governments as a means to curb the spread of the pandemic. All three experts agreed that lockdowns lead to ‘pandemic fatigue’ within populations. Dr. Green added that the lack of trust between citizenry and governments is the reason why seemingly simple measures, such as social distancing and mask wearing, have failed. He suggested that more public health experts be enlisted to manage the pandemic. WATCH RECORDING HERE

More than 80 participants joined the Charney Forum for New Diplomacy and the Forum for Gender, Law and Policy for a special online panel titled Routes of Ruths: Women Pursuers of Justice. Three prominent legal figures – Prof. Noya Rimalt and Prof. Shulamit Almog from the University of Haifa, and prominent Israeli journalist Anat Saragusti - shared insights into three influential Ruths: Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020), associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States; Prof. Ruth Gavison (1945-2020), Israeli expert on human rights, Israel  Prize recipient and professor of law at the Hebrew University; and the biblical figure Ruth. WATCH RECORDING HERE