2002 Events of the Israel Yale Alumni Group

The evening paid tribute to the more than 50 Israeli professors who had taught at Yale and returned to academia in Israel. With luck, networking, and a little persuasion, we put together a distinguished panel who easily met the “For God, for Country and for Yale” service criteria.

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, director of the Israeli Institute for Talmudic Publications, was a research fellow at Yale Divinity School in 1976 and the Dwight Terry Lecturer in 1981. Although he promised to leave serious discussions to his two colleagues, he gave us much insight in his witty explanation of the background and use of the Hebrew words “Urim V’Tumim” on the Yale Shield. The Israeli daily paper, Ha’aretz reported that Steinsaltz stressed that “his research had failed to provide many leads so most of it was no more than fairy tales.” He also gave a history of the development of Yale and talked about happy memories of his years there.

Professor Ruth Gavison of the Hebrew University Law Faculty was a visiting professor at the Yale Law School from 1978 through 1980. She founded the Association of Civil Rights in Israel. She expressed happy memories of Yale Law School, particularly the maintenance of good feelings and joint efforts of the faculty during the difficult 70’s years. She praised Yale for demanding not only excellence, but practical leadership in meeting the needs of society and addressed the issue of human rights.

Professor David Samuel, professor of neurobiology at the Weizman Institute of Science, was a visiting professor at the Yale Medical School in 1984 and 1985 as well as a visiting fellow of Trumbull College. Along with Sidney Altman, Dean of Yale College, he established the Yale-Weizman Institute of Science faculty exchange program. He spoke about the science of memory, and also had pleasant stories of his years at Yale.

The panel’s chairman, Alexander Rechter ‘69, discussed the activities of the Alumni Schools Committee. I explained the workings of the AYA, describing the breadth of clubs throughout the world and the activities of the Israel Club, including job hunting assistance, summer student internships, and hosting student groups and alumni tour groups.

This learned, yet humorous and enjoyable evening could not have been possible without the hosting of the volunteers and staff of the “English Speaking Friends” of Tel Aviv University. The efforts of Club Secretary Stephanie Wald ’76 resulted in a full house of 150, many of whom enjoyed their first intimate view of Yale.

We are indebted to Nory Babbitt and her staff for all her advice and support, as well as shipping the medals and “goodies” for the audience. She was with us all the way, including transmittal of the greetings from President Levin, which arrived dramatically as I was opening the meeting.

To the article published by the Association of Yale Alumni