Dr. Sefy Hendler, head of the Department of Art History at Tel Aviv University, has been named Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, one of the highest decorations awarded by the French Ministry of Culture. The title was given to him for “his commitment to the service of French culture”.

He received the decoration from the hands of the French Ambassador to Israel, Mrs. Hélène Le Gal, during a ceremony that took place on February 18, at the French Embassy in Tel Aviv.

“I think that in our country, fed by American culture, there is room for other voices,” he said. “The French voice, according to which I have been educated for many years, is among the most important, especially because it is different, and I wish that my students, as well as the other people who come to the University, will be exposed to this aspect of culture “.

Personalities who received this award in the past include British poet and playwright T. S. Eliot, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, American writer Paul Auster, actress Sharon Stone, as well as Israeli authors Amos Oz, David Grossman, Ohad Naharin, Haim Gouri et Zeruya Shalev.