Newspaper Page Text
Friday, July 16, 1971
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Pag* S*v*n
Hebrew University
University of the Jewish People
By Rabbi Edward T. Sandrow
Rabbi Edward T. Sandrow, spiritual leader of Temple Beth El
in Cedarhurst, N. Y., was elected last month as a member of the
Board of Governors of Hebrew University. Rabbi Sandrow was
in Israel at that time and presents in this two-part feature an
overview of the University of the Jewish People.
FIRST IN TWO-PART SERIES
At the last meeting of the
Board of Governors of the He
brew University, which took
place in April, the University
and its campus awakened mem
ories which can only be express
ed in writing. In my childhood
home there was always a pic
ture of the dedication of the
University on April 1, 1925—
exactly 46 years ago. I remem
bered the photograph of Lord
Balfour addressing the disting
uished audience as I was stand
ing on Mt. Scopus where the
first buildings were erected.
Actually, it was on the 24th
of July, 1918, that the founda
tion stones of the Hebrew Uni
versity—twelve in number to
symbolize the twelve tribes of
Israel—were laid by Dr. Chaim
Weizmannn on the then barren
crest of Mount Scopus, on the
eastern outskirts of Jerusalem.
The event was one of deep sig
nificance for the Jewish people
and its implications were suc
cinctly summed up by Dr. Weiz-
mann in the course of a most
memorable address:
“It seems paradoxical, declared
Dr. Weizmann, that in a land
with so sparse a population, in a
land where everything still re
mains to be done in a land crying
out for such simple things as
ploughs, roads and harbors we
should begin by creating a center
of spiritual and intellectual de
velopment. But it is no paradox
to those who know the soul of
the Jew. It is true that great
social and political problems still
face us and demand their solu
tion from us. We Jews know,
however, that when our mind is
given full play, when we have a
center for the development of
Jewish consciousness, then coin
cidentally we attain the fulfill
ment of our material needs.”
Seven years were to elapse
between the laying of the foun
dation stones of the University
and its opening. During that
period much preparaory work
was done and the University
slowly but surely began to take
shape. As indicated, the formal
dedication ceremony took place
on April 1, 1925. The chief in
augural address was delivered
by Lord Balfour, author of the
Balfour Declaration favoring the
establishment of the Jewish Na
tional Home in Palestine.
The Hebrew University falls
into three distinct periods: the
first, up to 1948, when it was
cut off from its premises during
the War of Independence; the
second, from 1948 up to June
1967, when Mount Scopus was
liberated and the third, the
present—the period since June
1967.
The first period was one of
steady development. There were
three institutes, Chemistry,
Microbiology and Jewish studies
which formed part of a pro
gramme of University studies
which included an expanding
range of subjects. In brief, the
University had made such rapid
progress that by the time the
severance from Mount Scopus
took place in 1948 the Univer
sity was so firmly established
that it could continue its work
even though deprived of its
physical home.
On November 29, 1947, the
United Nations adopted the
historic resolution favoring a
Jewish State in Palestine. A
day later violence erupted. Is
rael was attacked by the Arab
States and daily and regular
studies at the University became
virtually impossible. On July 7,
1948 Mount Scopus became a
demilitarized area and the He
brew University had no altern
ative but to suspend studies on
Mount Scopus. However, the
University continued to func
tion in makeshift quarters scat
tered throughout Jerusalem and
Israel. By 1953 the University
realized that the prospects of an
early return to Mount Scopus
were remote and consideration
began to be given to the erec
tion of a new campus at Givat
Ram. It was during this period
too that the University embark
ed on an intensive program of
extending its actiyities beyond
Jerusalem. On June 6, 1967, the
second day of the Six-Day War,
the Israel Defense Forces fought
their way through to Mount
Scopus and liberated that which
for 19 years had remained a
Jewish enclave in Arab terri
tory. The exile from Mount
Scopus was over; a new chap
ter had been opened in the his
tory of the University. So much
for history!
The Hebrew University has
three major aims: to serve Is
rael by helping to mold its na
tional culture, training its pro
fessional manpower and fur
thering its development through
scientific research; secondly, to
serve the Jewish people by
providing them with a center of
Jewish scholarship and by pro
moting Jewish culture through
out the world; and thirdly, to
serve the cause of human prog
ress by extending knowledge in
every field. For since its birth,
the University has faithfully en
deavored to carry out these
aims. In addition to the central
campus at Givat Ram and the
Mount Scopus Campus, there is
the campus for health sciences
at Ein Karem which houses the
Dental and Medical Schools, and
the Agricultural campus at Re-
hovot. The University today has
seven faculties and five schools:
Agriculture, Medicine, Dentistry,
Science, Social Sciences, Law
and Humanities. There are the
:T:
Plant Bowen, naar CartararilU
Compatible.
H
Indians used to live here, in harmony with nature.
More recently, farmers plowed these fields. Cotton
and soybeans grew. And cattle grazed the smooth,
green pastures.
Now we’ve come. With the largest power plant
on our lines. We’ll be in harmony with nature, too.
The plant’s cooling towers will cool for reuse the
water needed in the production of electricity. So no
warm water will be discharged to the Etowah River,
which flows by the plant.
Electrostatic precipitators will remove 98 per
cent of all particulate matter from the flue gases. And
the stack is 1000 feet tall — almost twice the height
of the Washington Monument — to assure adequate
dispersal of these gases into the upper atmosphere.
Here, environmental protection will cost us more
than $25 million. But we want to continue in the
tradition of this pleasant countryside. Compatibly.
Georgia Power Company
A citizen wherever we serve*
Schools of Education, Social
Work, Pharmacy, a Graduate
Library School and the School
for Home Economics; the Insti
tutes for Asian and African
Studies, Jewish Studies and
Contemporary Jewry; A Center
for the Disadvantaged and the
Robert Szold Center for Applied
Science—just to name a few.
The Hebrew University of Jer-
rolled at the University. They
come from all parts of Israel
and from some fifty countries,
including newly independent
nations of Africa and Asia. Of
the 4,000 overseas students now
at the Hebrew University, ap-
proximaely one-half are Amer
icans and Canadians.
Copyright 1971, JTA
distinguished institutes of higher
learning. Its scientists are re-
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nowned for their research in a
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wide variety of fields, including
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their fight against tropical dis
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veloping natural resources. Its
6RANT
scholars are intematio n a 11 y
honored for their studies of the
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of world-wide significance.
Days
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Some 16,000 students are en-
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Thurs.—Saltimbocca -
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA