Tag: Tel Aviv University

On the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2023, The Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University published its annual report entitled ‘For a Righteous Cause’, focusing on initiatives of governments and citizens around the world to preserve Jewish heritage, teach about the Holocaust, and combat antisemitism and racism in general. The report aims to express appreciation for inspiring initiatives, encourage other similar activities, and propose ways for further improvement.

The findings presented in the Report indicate that recognizing the Holocaust and teaching lessons derived from it have recently expanded, even in countries where Holocaust education was uncommon, including in Africa and the Arab World.

Alongside this positive trend, many educational, social, and legal initiatives for combating Holocaust denial and antisemitism have been advanced in Western Europe, America, and Australia, indicating broad recognition of the problem and its severity.

“Regretfully, it must be admitted that despite global support for the fight against antisemitism, being a Jew has become less safe almost everywhere in the world,” said Prof. Uriya Shavit, Head of the Center. “But giving up the struggle is not the solution. We must learn systematically, in a comparative manner, what has been done and what can be improved.”

Prof. Shavit added that “While our purpose was to highlight positive initiatives for combating antisemitism all over the world, we also noted at the beginning of the Report that this fight must not become the only identity-definer of Jewish intellectuals and organizations, that the Jewish moral compass must not be limited to this issue alone, and that the study of Jewish history should not focus solely on the Holocaust. Israel cannot express reservations about European political parties with roots in fascism and expect to find a different attitude in Europe toward Israeli parties with fascist roots.”

The Report was authored by eight experts from different disciplines, including: Dr. Carl Yonker, Project Manager and Senior Researcher at the Center; the Center’s Founder, Prof. Dina Porat; Dr. Ofir Winter; Adv. Talia Naamat; and researcher Fabian Spengler.

Selected Highlights from the Report:

Holocaust education is spreading beyond Western Europe and America to countries in Africa and the Arab World

The Report’s findings indicate that recognition and teaching of the Holocaust have spread – even to countries where it was previously uncommon:

• The Report includes an extensive discussion about Cyprus, presenting it as a model to be emulated: even though no antisemitic incidents have been recorded in the country in recent years, its government has emphasized teaching the history of the Holocaust and the lessons derived from it in the education system, in law enforcement organizations, and in sports clubs. This approach is based on a proactive view, an overall commitment to combating racism and xenophobia, and an understanding that learning about the Holocaust and fighting antisemitism is critical for a society that aims to strengthen its democratic and liberal values.
• The Report analyzes the emerging interest in Jewish history and the Holocaust in several African countries, which see a resemblance between the tragedies experienced by the Jewish people and crimes against humanity perpetrated on the African continent. This sentiment is expressed, for example, in the Genocide Memorial National Museum in Rwanda, which commemorates the genocide of the country’s Tutsi minority that occurred four decades after the Holocaust while the world looked on in silence.
• According to the Report, an encouraging trend was observed this year in several Arab countries, with rising recognition of the history of antisemitism and the crimes of the Nazis. For example, in January 2022, Egypt took part in a session of the UN General Assembly that adopted a resolution condemning Holocaust denial. The Egyptian Ambassador to the UN conveyed the Arab consensus on the resolution. This positive trend reflects a significant turnaround in Arab discourse on Jewish history. This was displayed in quite a few new initiatives, some in the literary sphere, promoting the preservation of Jewish heritage in several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Morocco. These projects are described extensively in the Report.
• Significant positive developments were also observed in formerly Communist countries. In December 2021, the Elie Wiesel National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania launched the project “Stories from the Holocaust – Local Histories.” This initiative aimed to educate Romanians about the history of their communities from the perspective of Jews and Roma persecuted during the Holocaust. In 2022 the project included street exhibitions featuring the life stories of Jews and Roma and their tribulations during this dark period.
• In November 2022, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry organized an international conference on combating antisemitism and preserving Jewish heritage.
• A significant step forward in combating antisemitism was also recorded in Ukraine. In February 2022, just a week before the fascist Russian invasion, the Ukrainian Parliament approved strict sentencing measures for antisemitic hate crimes: five to eight years in prison for antisemitic violence and a substantial fine for anti-Jewish incitement.

Wave of educational and legislative initiatives in Europe, America, and Australia

The Report documents many initiatives introduced over the past year in the Western World for preserving Jewish heritage, teaching about the Holocaust, and combating antisemitism. The initiatives indicate a growing awareness of the dangers posed by antisemitic propaganda on the internet, as well as increasing recognition of the importance of educating younger generations about the Holocaust.

Notable initiatives included:

• In October 2022, the European Commission marked the first anniversary of the “European Union Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life (2021-2030)”. Actions during the first year included: combating antisemitism on the internet; the signing of the Vienna Declaration by 11 EU member states and several international organizations which committed to developing a common, standard methodology for recording antisemitic incidents; and launching a project to protect Jewish cemeteries in Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
• Following discussions held in 2022, the European Parliament and European Commission are expected to pass the Digital Services Act, requiring online platforms to remove hate speech, provide information on their use of algorithms, and have clear rules to address complaints related to hate speech.
• In January 2022, the Austrian Parliament was presented with the first annual implementation report detailing actions to advance the country’s National Strategy to prevent and combat all forms of antisemitism. Actions included: safeguarding Jewish life in the country and ensuring the Jewish community’s future; adoption of the IHRA Working Definition by Austria’s top football league, the Bundesliga; holding seminars on antisemitism for police officers; and initiating a declaration against antisemitism at the UN Human Rights Council.
• In March 2022, the United States Senate appointed the country’s first special ambassador for monitoring and combating antisemitism, historian Prof. Deborah Lipstadt. In the summer, Lipstadt traveled to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In March, President Biden signed the 2022 federal government funding package of US$2M to implement the Never Again Education Act. These funds will be used for training teachers by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, as well as special activities for monitoring and combating global antisemitism. New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed three bills to ensure that schools in the state provide high-quality Holocaust education, that museums acknowledge art stolen by the Nazi regime, and that Holocaust survivors receive their reparation payments from Germany in full. Several states in the US, including New York, Iowa, New Mexico, and Arizona, adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
• In April, Canada introduced a federal bill that defines punishments for denying, condoning, or downplaying the Holocaust, and earmarks $70M for funding Jewish community initiatives. The city of Toronto launched a new public education campaign to raise awareness about antisemitism under the title “Toronto for All”. The campaign calls upon local citizens to become educated about the Jewish community and antisemitism, create inclusive spaces, and make their voices heard when they witness acts of bias and hate – offering support to victims, and reporting hate crimes to the authorities. The Canadian Provinces British Columbia and Alberta adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
• In July, the Organization of American States (OAS), in cooperation with the American Jewish Committee (AJC), co-published a Spanish-language handbook entitled “Handbook for the Practical Use of the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism”. Guatemala and Colombia adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism, joining the United States, Canada, and Argentina in the pledge to confront antisemitism throughout the Western Hemisphere.
• Several positive initiatives were also seen in Australia. New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Victoria and NSW passed legislation banning public displays of Nazi symbols, specifically the swastika, with a maximum punishment of a year in jail and/or a substantial fine. Queensland and Tasmania also introduced legislation to ban Nazi symbols.

Borussia Dortmund, the major German football club, gets off the bench

The Report presents a detailed case study on the transformation of the German football club Borussia Dortmund – as a model of commitment to the fight against antisemitism, setting an example for other European sports clubs and organizations. The club, which in the past served as fertile ground for the activities of neo-Nazi pseudo-fans, now takes an active and firm stand against antisemitism. Among other actions, the club conducts educational tours for young fans to concentration camps and works closely with Yad Vashem.

Findings for 2022 Include:

Read the full report >>

The Israel Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology (MOST), the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria, and Tel Aviv University (TAU) are proud to announce the establishment of a new national Research Center for Applied Systems Analysis, called the Israel Center for Applied Systems Analysis or ICASA for short.

Focus on Sustainability

ICASA will be focused on the topic of sustainability and cooperate with research organizations from around the world, especially with IIASA, aiming to connect research teams from different institutions, foster research innovation, and serve as a hub for science-based policy making at the national and local government levels. Israel has recently renewed its IIASA membership for the next five years, and the institute will use IIASA’s existing integrated assessment models and research framework to localize it for the unique conditions of the Israeli economy.

Israel’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology will fund the institute at NIS 3 million for its first five years, with an additional 3 million shekels matched by TAU and other external resources, over this period, following which the center will become an independent national research center.

A multidisciplinary team of TAU researchers will be leading the four main study topics of the center including

• Prof. Asher Tishler (Energy and Climate)
• Prof. Hadas Mamane (Technology and Innovation)
• Prof. Itzik Sasson (Demography and Resiliency) and
• Dr. Vered Blass (Resource Management)

The topics will include a variety of disciplines such as water, energy, climate change, circular economy, transportation systems, agriculture and food systems, health, biodiversity, economics, demography, and policymaking.

The prioritized research areas of ICASA will be aligned, where appropriate, to the strategic research areas of IIASA. Research areas at IIASA include the following programs: Economic Frontiers; Biodiversity and Natural Resources; Advancing Systems Analysis; Energy, Climate and Environment; Population and Just Societies and Strategic Initiatives.

“IIASA is a world-renowned organization whose trust in our brilliant researchers is evident in their decision to invest in Tel Aviv University researchers and Israel at large.” Hilla Haddad Chmelnik, Israel’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology

Driving Israeli Research Forward

Hilla Haddad Chmelnik, Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, said: “The establishment of the Israel Center for Applied Systems Analysis is of major significance to Israel. We are honored to fund the center, thereby driving Israeli research forward and maintaining its long-held status as the ‘startup nation’ and as an ideal ecosystem for scientific endeavors. IIASA is a world-renowned organization whose trust in our brilliant researchers is evident in their decision to invest in Tel Aviv University researchers and Israel at large. Furthermore, this decision reaffirms Israel’s potential for leadership in some of the most pressing fields of science today. The center will be a force multiplier for Israeli research in terms of its funding, the extent of its research and its subsequent contribution. That is a huge step in bringing Israeli research to the fore and strengthening international collaborations, all at the same time.”

Prof. Itai Sened, the head of the new center and Dean of TAU’s Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, added: “The aim of the Israeli Center for Applied Systems Analysis is to be a focal point for applied systems analysis to serve the Israeli academia, government and industry in developing and applying integrated models into decision making. Applied systems analysis is a new research theme in Israel and we hope to make Israel a world leader in the field by fostering international collaboration with the next generation of researchers.”

Dr. Vered Blass of the Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, who led the proposal team, added: “If Israel is to meet its goals for preparing for climate change risks, reducing greenhouse emissions and air pollution, while maximizing the efficiency of natural resources use and their associated environmental impacts, it will need to adopt mid to long term planning and policy practices, taking, amongst other innovative planning methodologies, a systems analysis approach. The center will bring together the academic, governmental and private sectors to work on the most pressing challenges facing humanity at this point. Our goal is to find the most sustainable and innovative ways to reduce our ecological footprint while strengthening our natural, economic and social ecosystems.” 

Sir Frank Lowy is donating $18M USD (65M NIS) to Tel Aviv University to expand the activities of the International School, to be renamed ‘THE LOWY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Dedicated to the Memory of Shirley Lowy’ (the School honors Shirley Lowy, the late wife of Sir Frank). The official name change of TAU’s International School will take place on Tuesday, December 20, 2022. 

Enabling Further Expansion

The donation will fund the construction of a building that will serve as the new home of the International School, as well as the launch of three key activities at the International School:

• The Lowy Scholarship Fund supporting outstanding international students at stages of their academic studies, including research students
• The Lowy Distinguished Guest Professors Fund financing visits of leading scholars from abroad
• The development of new international and local programs and initiatives

Sir Frank’s generous gift will also enable TAU to expand, enrich and diversify the School’s student body as well as its study programs. TAU already offers more than 20 English-language academic programs including a joint Liberal Arts bachelor’s degree with Columbia University, a new International BA in Management and Liberal Arts, and an online MBA program – the first of its kind in Israel.

Over 2,000 students from over 100 countries come to TAU every year, and there are more than 30,000 international student alumni worldwide. The School has experienced significant recent growth and now serves as the hub for all international activities on campus, including study programs, research partnerships, student exchanges, visits of scholars from abroad, and conferences.

The Lowy International School is central to TAU’s international strategy, aiming for several goals: enhancing international collaboration through research ties with leading institutions, attracting students from across the globe, and providing Israeli students with the tools they need to prosper in today’s globalized era. To date, the broad network of partners developed by TAU comprises over 280 institutions in 46 countries, including universities in the Gulf states and Morocco (a new and rapidly growing collaboration), Ivy League universities in the USA, and leading academic institutions in Europe and Asia.

Strengthening Ties between Israel and the World

“I have always been a Zionist,” says Sir Frank Lowy, “and now I am excited for this extension of my warm friendship with Tel Aviv University – intended to bolster TAU and Israel’s relations with leading partners in academia and industry around the world. With this gift, I hope to enhance the important connection between the State of Israel and Diaspora Jewry, and to encourage academic excellence by bringing the best researchers and students from all over the world to Israel.”

“My family and I know that my dear wife Shirley’s memory will forever live on at TAU, and this makes us very proud. Shirley believed in education, and in her 40s fulfilled a childhood dream and completed an academic degree. This tribute to my wife combines all the things that were most important to her – education, the state of Israel, and empowering the new generations. The gift in her memory will benefit students and scholars in many ways, and for years to come. I know that Shirley would be happy and honored to see that her legacy is commemorated in this way.”

Prof. Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University: “Sir Frank Lowy’s leadership and philanthropic activity have for decades generated significant changes in communities in Israel, Australia, and worldwide. This new gift will further enhance his impact, strengthen the ties between Israel and the world, and extend the reach of Israeli academia.”

“It is a great privilege for us at Tel Aviv University to regard Sir Frank as a close and steadfast friend. The fact that he has seen fit to entrust us with the legacy of his beloved wife Shirley, is a great honor for us.”

TAU Vice President International Prof. Milette Shamir: “We are immensely grateful for Sir Frank Lowy’s gift. It is a great honor for us to house THE LOWY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Dedicated to the Memory of Shirley Lowy. This generous donation will allow us to significantly bolster the University’s international standing, attract hundreds of excellent international researchers and students, and strengthen TAU’s ties with communities around the world. This gift brings about an enormous transformation when it comes to TAU’s global impact.”

A festive ceremony celebrating the important gift will take place in December in the presence of Sir Frank and his family.

About Sir Frank Lowy

Sir Frank Lowy served for many years as the owner and Chairman of Westfield Corporation, a global real estate and shopping center conglomerate. He has been a steadfast friend of TAU for more than 20 years, has received an Honorary Doctorate from TAU, and serves as a TAU Governor. His generous contributions to TAU include support for the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), the Center for Combating Pandemics, and research in the field of nanotechnology.

As part of his broad philanthropic activities Sir Frank provides support for the Jewish community in Australia and Israel and donates generously to a range of causes in the spheres of education, security, health, sports, and charity. He has held various leadership roles in Jewish organizations, including President of Keren HaYesod in Australia – United Israel Appeal, and Leading Member of the Jewish Communal Appeal (JCA) in Australia.

Sir Frank was born in Slovakia, managed to escape before the Holocaust, lived in Budapest during the Holocaust, then moved to the USA. He moved back and forth between the UK and Israel, even taking part in the War of Independence as a Golani soldier, before finally settling in Australia. As an ardent Zionist, he recently fulfilled a dream of many years, and once again made Aliyah to Israel. 

Featured image: Prof. Ariel Porat, President of Tel Aviv University (to the left) and Sir Frank Lowy