Jerusalem is not just a home for historical museums, temples, pilgrimage routes and mountains but it’s also features top-ranking universities that are worth visiting like the Hebrew University. Read on to know more about the prominent Israeli university.
About the Hebrew University
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is one of the most prominent Jerusalem-based public research institutions in the country of Israel. As the second largest institution of higher learning in Israel, HUJI has a student body comprising some 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students studying in its 13 faculties. Israel is a country that has both a rich culture and a deep-rooted faith.
In the northeastern part of Jerusalem, Israel’s main campus can be found, which houses some of their most prestigious faculties such as the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Law. It also includes the Jerusalem School of Business Administration, and other research institutions in the country.
One of the top academic institutions in the world and consistently ranked in at least the top-ten worldwide, Hebrew University of Jerusalem has become an invaluable asset to Israel’s academic and research landscape. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is a leading institution that has helped bring about positive changes in the world community in many different fields. These include agriculture, environmental quality, public health, science and technology.
The university is in affiliation with Hadassah Medical Center and five other prestigious hospitals in the city. Additionally, it has seven reputable faculties which comprises of academic departments, total of 315 and hundreds of research institutes.
The University of Jerusalem is among the oldest institutions of learning in the world, with its former board of directors being Albert Einstein, Chaim Weizmann, Martin Buber, along with the renowned neurologist Sigmund Freud. There are also four prime leaders of Israel, including Naftali Bennett, the incumbent prime minister who graduated in this prestigious university.
History of Hebrew University
The Hebrew University in Jerusalem was established in 1918 by visionaries including Albert Einstein and other luminaries. Since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of graduates who received Nobel Prizes, Fields Medals and other honors. In the last decade alone, over 20 alumni have received these awards to date.
On July 24 of 1918, the university’s foundation stone was established. Then, after seven years, on the first of April 1925, the institution’s Mount Scopus campus became part of today’s Hebrew University.
By 1947, the institution had grown into a significant institution of education and research. It also gained several significant achievements under its belt. Leon Simon served as Acting President for a year from 1948 before finally being succeeded by Selig Brodetsky in 1949. He served as the university President until 1952.
Aftermath of attack on Haddasah convoy, 13 April 1948
The 1948 War between Arab and Israel, saw intense fighting in Jerusalem. There are convoys transporting people and supplies between the part of Jerusalem, which is controlled by Israeli which resulted to the Hebrew University being one of the targeted area. This was a response to the violence spreading from the rest of Jerusalem to this area.
After the Hadassah massacre in 1948, which killed 79 Jews, the campus of Mount Scopus was closed off from the areas of Jerusalem. This isolation continued until Israel captured East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967 and reopened the school.
Following the 6-day 1967 war, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was permitted to return to Mount Scopus recovering a part of the property from the Isawiya Palestinian Village.
It was a long history for the Hebrew University but all the events that had happened in the University made it to where it is right now.
