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BIU presents Presidential medals to leading philanthropists from around the world and Alumni Achievement Awards to university graduates who are making a significant contribution to Israeli society, culture and life.

Celebrating the start of the 2016/2017 Academic Year at BIU, students excitedly gather to snap a selfie. Bar-Ilan University’s vibrant campus is home to 21,000 students, among them 1,250 Israeli Arabs (a 20% increase from last year!), about 140 members of the Ultra-Orthodox community, hundreds of French and Anglo Olim, and more than a dozen doctoral and postdoctoral candidates from China.

Competing in wheelchair tennis at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, BIU alumnus Itai Erenlib and teammate Shraga Weinberg just barely missed out on a bronze medal in the men’s Quad Doubles after falling in a third-set tie-breaker with the British team. But the near win itself is a cause for celebration as it attests to Erenlib’s tenacious efforts to overcome a life-changing injury incurred while serving as an IDF officer in the Paratroopers’ Special Forces.

A prominent American Jewish spiritual leader and educator, and an influential voice in the Modern Orthodox community, BIU 2016 Honorary Doctor Rabbi Haskel Lookstein lectured at the university on “Rendering Halakhic Decision in a Challenging World.”

This year’s BOT meetings featured the festive opening of the Weisfeld Social Work Clinics Wing and celebration of the School’s 50th anniversary , the plaque unveiling of the Leibler Judaica collection, the dedication of the Conrad Morris Pathway of Friendship as well as an intriguing panel discussion on the BDS, and the “Meet Our Students” Luncheon.

Speaking to a packed auditorium on “NASA’s Journey to Mars and Beyond,” the Hon. Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (pictured in center with Rona Ramon, wife of the late Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, and BIU President Rabbi Dr. Daniel Hershowitz) said Israel “has incredibly innovative people on the cutting edge of technology” who can help NASA achieve its goal of reaching Mars in the 2030s. “We are excited about ongoing relations with the Israel Space Agency and what we can do together on the International Space Station (ISS),” said the 4-time astronaut and NASA Administrator, noting that some 250 experiments are conducted during each six-month expedition on the ISS.

Presidential medals and Alumni Achievement awards were conferred on leading philanthropists and graduates from Israel and around the world at the Bar-Ilan BOT Gala Dinner.

The 61st annual meetings of BIU’s Board of Trustees marked the beginning of a new era, as Michael Jesselson, past Chairman of the American Friends of Bar-Ilan was elected Chairman of the Board, and Dr. Mordecai D. Katz was elected Honorary Chairman.

Bar-Ilan University conferred doctorates honoris causa upon a distinguished group, including 4-time astronaut and NASA Administrator, the Hon. Charles F. Bolden, Jr.; renowned Israeli musician and composer Nurit Hirsh; and American Jewish leader and educator Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, all of whom have had a decisive impact on science and technology, Israeli culture, law and society, and Diaspora Jewish life.

Two BIU academicians recently received prestigious prizes. Prof. Yossi Katz, an expert in historical geography, was awarded Israel’s highest accolade; and Jewish History Prof. Adam Ferziger won the 2015 National Jewish Book Award.