AFHU News March 2022

AFHU NEWS 

Vol. 28 / March 2022 

KNOWLEDGE 

MOVES 

US

PAGE 2 

AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY 

AFHU NEWS VOL. 28 PAGE 3 

AFHU National Leadership 

Letter from Leadership 

PRESIDENT 

Clive Kabatznik 

CHAIR OF THE BOARD 

Marc O. Mayer 

VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD 

Richard S. Ziman 

VICE PRESIDENTS 

Kenneth L. Stein 

Ronald M. Zimmerman 

HONORARY PRESIDENTS 

Stanley M. Bogen 

Marc O. Mayer 

George A. Schieren 

Daniel I. Schlessinger 

Ira Lee Sorkin 

NATIONAL CAMPAIGN CHAIR 

James Matanky 

TREASURER 

Joshua M. Olshin 

ASSISTANT TREASURER 

Michael S. Kurtz 

HONORARY VICE 

PRESIDENTS 

Ernest Bogen 

Rita Bogen 

Michael G. Jesselson 

Herbert L. Sachs 

Charles A. Stillman 

Stanley R. Zax 

SECRETARY 

Pamela N. Emmerich 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY 

Richard D. Weinberg 

HONORARY DIRECTORS 

Charles H. Goodman 

Brindell Gottlieb 

Marvin Jubas 

Brad Karp 

HONORARY CHAIRS 

OF THE BOARD 

Stanley M. Bogen 

Michael S. Kurtz 

George A. Schieren 

Daniel I. Schlessinger 

Ira Lee Sorkin 

Dear Friend, 

Welcome to the March 2022 issue of AFHU 

News. This issue includes news about recent 

happenings and events at the Hebrew 

University of Jerusalem and here at American 

Friends, as well as updates on changes, both 

expected and unexpected. The arrival of the 

omicron variant brought unwelcome changes 

to our calendar, leading to the postponement 

of planned events and the need to convene 

our seventh virtual Board of Directors 

meeting. Happier changes include the recent 

appointment of AFHU’s new CEO, Joshua W. 

Rednik (read more about Josh on page 4) and 

the welcome addition of new AFHU staff. 

Change is nothing new to the university or 

her American Friends. From its founding 

a century ago, the Hebrew University has 

grown to become Israel’s premier university, 

a globally recognized leader in academics, 

research, and innovation. We recognize 

that change always brings with it exciting 

opportunities, and we know that HU has 

an established tradition of using these 

opportunities to support Israel and benefit 

people worldwide. 

The professors, researchers, students, and 

staff of HU have met the daunting challenges 

in the university’s past, continue to meet the 

challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, 

and stand ready to face the challenges of the 

future. Whatever the changes, whatever the 

challenges, we remain committed to HU and 

optimistic about the future. 

In my new position as CEO Emerita, I look 

forward to supporting CEO Josh Rednik, 

the entire AFHU team, and all our American 

Friends as we continue our enthusiastic 

support for Israel’s premier university, the 

Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 

Please, enjoy this issue of AFHU News and be 

sure to share it with friends and family. 

With warm wishes and continued optimism, 

Beth Asnien McCoy 

CEO Emerita

PAGE 4 



American Friends of the Hebrew 

University Appoints Joshua W. 

Rednik as Chief Executive Officer 

Veteran nonprofit and former Hadassah 

development executive Joshua W. Rednik has 

been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) 

of American Friends of the Hebrew University 

(AFHU). The national organization is based in 

New York City, and has seven regional offices 

around the country. 

Rednik succeeds longtime CEO Beth A. McCoy, 

who served AFHU for nearly two decades, and 

will become CEO Emerita. 

“Josh is a highly experienced nonprofit executive 

and successful fundraiser, who will lead our 

organization to a successful future,” says Clive 

Kabatznik, President of the AFHU national 

board of directors. “Under Josh’s leadership, 

AFHU will continue to build a broad community 

of Hebrew University supporters committed to 

educating future leaders, producing scientific and 

technological breakthroughs and building a better 

world through its outstanding contributions.” 

He added, “We are grateful to Beth McCoy for 

her 19 years of extraordinary leadership, and her 

role in AFHU’s strong fiscal and organizational 

position.” 

Greater MetroWest. Previously, Rednik held senior 

leadership roles in planned giving, endowment 

development, and major gift development at 

UJA-Federation of New York and The Jewish 

Federation of Greater Washington (Rockville, 

MD), where he began his career as Campaign 

Associate. 

“I’m thrilled and honored to lead AFHU into 

the future as the University approaches the 

centennial of its opening in 2025,” Rednik says. 

“Few organizations have accomplished so much 

and left such an indelible mark on humanity with 

award-winning research, visionary leadership, 

extraordinary facilities, brilliant faculties and 

dedicated students.” 

Rednik received his master’s degree in Social 

Service from Bryn Mawr College and graduated 

from Washington University with a bachelor’s 

degree in Psychology. A Certified Financial 

Planner professional, he received his Executive 

Certificate in Financial Planning from Georgetown 

University. Rednik lives in South Orange, NJ, with 

his wife and two children. 

Rednik brings more than 20 years of experience 

as an exceptional leader in the nonprofit sector 

to his role at AFHU. In his previous position, 

he served as Chief Development Officer at 

Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization 

of America, where he supervised fundraising 

efforts in support of its programs and advocacy 

efforts in the U.S. and the Hadassah Medical 

Organization in Israel. Prior to that, he served 

as President and CEO of the Diabetes Research 

Institute Foundation and Executive Director of 

The Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) of

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8 

28 

36 

SPOTLIGHTS 

NEWS & UPDATES 

ESTATE PLANNING 

42 

50 

57 

ALUMNI UPDATES 

SIGNATURE EVENTS 

REGIONAL OFFICES 

CONTENTS 

JOIN AFHU FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE 

INTERNATIONAL GATHERING DURING THE 85 TH 

ANNUAL HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM 

BOARD OF GOVERNORS’ MEETING IN ISRAEL. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT BARI 

ALOVIS AT BALOVIS@AFHU.ORG OR 561.488.1511.

PAGE 8 



SPOTLIGHTS

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U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas 

Nides Visits Hebrew University 

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides visited the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) on March 

15, 2022, his first visit to an Israeli academic institution. During the visit, Ambassador Nides met 

with senior University leaders – including the university’s President, Prof. Asher Cohen, its Vice- 

President Amb. Yossi Gal and its Rector, Prof. Barak Medina – as well as with prominent researchers 

and scientists. Ambassador Nides also met with university students and professors who take part in 

Embassy-sponsored programs and chatted with them about the importance of diversity and higher 

education. 

Following the visit, President Cohen shared, “Ambassador Nides met today with a wide array of 

Hebrew University students—ultra-orthodox men doing engineering degrees, East Jerusalem Arab 

women pursuing PhDs in the sciences, a political science class on Gender and Politics. This is what 

the United States of America and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem do best: provide people from 

all backgrounds the opportunity to succeed in life and to pursue their dreams of higher education. 

We are delighted the Ambassador came to visit and look forward to future engagements.” 

John Bauman and Sherry Norris 

New York, the city with eight million stories! John 

and Sherry share one of the better ones. They 

were both rent stabilized tenants in the same 

building when it was sold to a developer who was 

going to convert it to a cooperative. That’s how 

they met. John was president of the tenants’ 

committee and, long story short, it had a happy 

ending: John and Sherry got married and they 

bought both of their apartments. 

John was very impressed with the people on the 

developer’s side of the conversion, all business 

people with law backgrounds. So, at age 34, 

he went to law school and graduated with 

honors. Then he called the developer and said, 

“Remember me?” He knew they would. They hired 

him and within three years, he was head of real 

estate for this real estate organization. 

Perhaps it was Beshert (Yiddish for “destiny”). 

After all, Sherry and John were both born in the 

same Brooklyn hospital! 

they have hosted numerous AFHU events, and 

welcomed many Hebrew University professors 

into their home. In addition, John has served 

on the AFHU National Board of Directors, the 

National Campaign Committee, the AFHU 

Southeast Region Advisory Committee, and 

the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Board of 

Governors. 

What has prompted this generosity of time and 

talent? “To be able to help young people in need is 

a great joy,” Sherry said. John added, “Look how 

fortunate life has turned out for us! Who would 

have thought that we would be in a position to 

support an institution like HU? Not in our wildest 

dreams!” 

And why HU? John stated, “There is no better 

way to support Israel than through support of 

education.” Sherry agreed, saying, “He said it 

perfectly. This is how we help Israel, and this is 

how our friends can help Israel too.” 

L-R: U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Thomas R. Nides, HU President, Prof. Asher Cohen, HU Rector, Prof. Barak Medina 

John grew up in Brooklyn: “I lived on a dead-end 

street... we didn’t have cul de sacs.” Sherry was 

raised in Queens. Her parents were European 

immigrants who eventually got to America 

via Ecuador. Sherry went on to have a very 

successful career as a teacher and special needs 

guidance counselor. She worked for 35 years in a 

New York City high school in Queens, where she 

was honored several times for her outstanding 

work. 

Both Sherry & John realize the value of a good 

education and they both share a love of Israel. 

John’s family has been involved in AFHU since the 

1950’s. Those ties and interests prompted them 

to support the Hebrew University of Jerusalem 

through AFHU. While Sherry and John’s giving 

has been primarily focused on scholarships, they 

have been generous with their time as well. They 

will soon lead a second AFHU mission to Israel, 

L-R: Sherry Norris, John Bauman, and their grandchildren

PAGE 12 



William Schwab: A Study in Commitment 

later earned a Ph.D. in 1951 in English from the 

University of Wisconsin. Bill first traveled to 

Israel in 1955. “It was one of the greatest thrills 

to see Jewish sailors, airmen, and paratroopers— 

one of the most enriching moments of my 

life,” he said, adding. “As Jews, we must be 

very proud of what has been accomplished.” 

Bill started an academic career at Purdue 

University, was awarded three Fulbright grants, 

transitioned to Michigan State University, and 

helped open Oakland University in Michigan, 

where he taught English Literature and 

Linguistics. He later traveled to the Philippines 

to continue teaching, a time he regards 

as one of the most enriching and exciting 

opportunities of his life. “It was a wonderful 

career, and I was very happy in it,” Bill shared. 

After retirement, Bill moved to South Florida, 

having fallen in love with the area after several 

visits. It was there he began his passionate 

commitment to making the world a better 

place through philanthropy. “When I moved, I 

realized that I wanted to get more involved. It 

was a natural thing to do, knowing that there 

are people who desperately need help,” he said. 

His generosity began with the Jewish Federation 

of Broward County and expanded to other local 

organizations, as well as various Israeli institutions, 

including the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 

At 98, Bill continues to be a committed 

philanthropist and dedicated Zionist, always 

looking for ways to build a better future. “It is 

important for me to have a source of donating 

money to promote Jewish values, and above all 

to be able to resist and counter anti-Semitism.” 

That is why he chose to establish a bequest 

endowment in support of scholarships at the 

Hebrew University and why he encourages 

others to join him in supporting Israel’s premier 

university. Bill wants his support for Hebrew 

University students to continue for generations 

to come, knowing that support of HU students 

brings with it a commitment to a prosperous and 

secure future for Israel. As Bill said: “For the 

Jewish people, Israel is our hope for the future. 

There is nothing else—Israel is our country.” 

For William Schwab, Ph.D., a love of study 

and a commitment to the worldwide Jewish 

community motivate his wholehearted support 

for the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “I always 

knew I wanted to establish a relationship with 

the Hebrew University from the time I learned 

of the Hadassah medical convoy massacre 

of 1948,” Bill said. “My mother belonged to 

Hadassah, so I knew of the hospital on Mt. 

Scopus. When I heard of the doctors, nurses, and 

others who were killed, I knew I had to support 

the hospital and the university,” Bill added. 

Commitment to the Jewish community is a 

tradition in Bill’s family. Born in 1923 in the 

German town of Bad Kreuznach, Bill has fond 

memories of his childhood, but these memories 

are overshadowed by the anti-Semitism that 

faced the town’s Jewish community and the 

threat of Nazism that continued to grow as Bill 

grew older. Despite the extremely low quota for 

Jewish refugees, Bill and his family were able 

to move to the United States when Bill was 14, 

escaping Germany shortly before Kristallnacht. 

They moved to Niagara Falls, settling in a 

duplex that was left to his mother by a family 

member. Bill realized his good fortune, feeling, 

“… a mixture of happiness that my parents 

made it, but sadness that many people did not.” 

Entering an American junior high school without a 

word of English, Bill knew that he had to learn the 

language to truly fit in, “I mastered pronunciation, 

and it worked,” he said. He attended college and 

L-R: William Schwab and Laura Abrams, AFHU Leadership Development Director

PAGE 14 



Bob Harris Visits HU 

Isabell Adler: Worth The Wait 

Bob Harris, AFHU Midwest board member and HU 

Benefactor, visited Hebrew University on Sunday, 

January 24, 2022. Standing beside him in the Mt. 

Scopus Botanical Garden are Hebrew University 

students: Ruti Lubin, Ortal Yerushalmy, Idan 

Carmon, and Sangita Roy Chowdhu (from left to 

right). These hardworking and achieving students 

are scholarship recipients of the Robert S. Harris 

Graduate Student Scholarship Endowment Fund, 

supporting graduate-level students in the faculties 

of Medicine, Science, and Dental Medicine,as well 

as at the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain 

Sciences, and The Robert H. Smith Faculty of 

Agriculture, Food and Environment. Bob said “I 

wanted to catch up with the students. I had 

been visiting Hebrew University annually to 

meet with the students I have been helping. 

And with the pandemic I hadn’t been to Israel 

for while. I was so glad to catch up and be 

with the students; it was important for all 

of us to be together and the students were 

so grateful. You don’t want to miss that!” 

Bob also met with Prof. Mona Khoury-Kassabri, 

Vice President for Strategy and Diversity and Yossi 

Gal, Vice President for International Relations, to 

learn more about how the university is promoting 

diversity on campus. He said, “I was lucky enough 

to meet with Interesting people. Promoting 

diversity is so important for the future.” 

It’s never too late to pursue a dream, or to make 

a change for the better, as Isabell Adler proved 

last year. 

Isabell is a member of the AFHU Board, a longtime 

supporter of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 

a beloved member of the AFHU family, and a 

respected member of the Jewish communities of 

New Jersey and South Florida. 

And on her 90th birthday, she became a Bat 

Mitzvah. 

Girls usually become a Bat Mitzvah at the age 

12 or 13. Much like the Bar Mitzvah for boys, 

becoming a Bat Mitzvah indicates that a young 

woman has learned Jewish ethics and tradition 

and that she is now expected to observe ritual 

law and participate in Jewish community life. 

With a full family life, personal involvement in 

her synagogue, and deep concern for Israel and 

her local communities, Isabell has led a rich and 

fulfilling life and, for most of that life, she did not 

feel that something was missing. As someone who 

has been so deeply involved in the synagogue 

and the community, however, Isabell found that 

becoming a Bat Mitzvah was a declaration of 

her lifelong commitment to making the world a 

better place and confirmation of her status as 

a student of the Torah with a deep love for her 

Jewish heritage. 

Click here to read the New Jersey Jewish News 

article on this delightful story.

PAGE 16 



Robert Efroymson: A Passion for Music 

If you were a former assistant district attorney 

with a background in computer science and an 

interest in nurturing innovative start-ups, what 

Hebrew University of Jerusalem program would 

ignite your passion? Why musicology, of course. 

Robert Efroymson has always had a passion for 

music: “I’m an alumnus of Washington University 

in St. Louis and was funding a program there, 

Visiting Israeli Professors, when I met Assaf 

(Prof. Assaf Shelleg, Senior Lecturer at the 

Department of Musicology at HU), who was 

the visiting professor at that time. We got to 

know each other and became friendly. On a 

later trip to the United States, Assaf visited me 

in New Mexico, accompanied by Yossi Maurey 

(Prof. Yossi Maurey, Chair of the Department 

of Musicology). We discussed musicology and 

the ideas behind the planned music cognition 

lab, but I couldn’t quite see the point.” 

A visit to Jerusalem and the Hebrew University’s 

Mt. Scopus campus established the need for the 

new lab: “Roni Granot (Prof. Roni Granot, Senior 

Lecturer of Musicology and researcher in music 

cognition) was able to clearly explain what was 

being researched and what was needed in the lab. 

Previous studies had focused on the responses 

of Western research subjects who were studied 

by Western researchers. Music is global, but 

styles vary greatly. Arab music, for example, 

doesn’t have our standard chord progression. 

What we call musical embellishments are, in 

fact, essential parts of a musical performance.” 

Robert added, “Once you realize the limitations 

of past studies, fundamental questions arise: Are 

there universal emotion-driven factors in music? 

How do we physically process emotional points 

in music? How does our cultural background 

influence our responses? After Roni explained 

the research and I was shown the current 

facilities—a windowless basement with a loud 

HVAC system nearby—I knew that I wanted 

to fund the lab and support its research.” 

The new Robert Efroymson Music Cognition 

Lab will pursue answers to those questions and 

many others. With a perspective that includes 

non-Western music studied by non-Western 

researchers, the lab hopes to cultivate the first 

generation of Israeli-Palestinian music cognition 

scholars. The cultural, emotional, and physical 

effects of music on performers and listeners will 

be studied. Incorporating the interdisciplinary 

approach that is a hallmark of HU studies, the lab’s 

research may yield exciting new insights in the 

fields of mental and physical therapy, neurological 

studies, and cross-cultural understanding. 

In addition to a career in law followed by software 

engineering, Robert is a patented inventor, an 

angel investor, and a musician/composer with 

a special interest in electronic music. Robert 

explained, “There used to be an electronic 

music lab at the Department of Musicology and 

when I visited, I saw a very early Moog modular 

synthesizer—probably the first in Israel, if 

not the first in the Middle East, but it’s sorely 

in need of repair. When travel circumstances 

are right, I’m going to grab my voltmeter, my 

oscilloscope, and my soldering iron, jump on a 

plane to Jerusalem and refurbish that instrument. 

I can’t wait to hear that Moog play music again!” 

Robert is a committed and generous supporter of 

the Department of Musicology, but he has relatives 

who preceded him in their support for HU: “My 

great uncle Clarence was a supporter of the 

Hebrew University; it’s a bit of a family tradition.” 

With such a varied background and having 

previously served as Chair of the New Mexico- 

Israel Business Exchange, it’s not surprising that 

Robert is also interested in medical research, the 

Talpiot program (the university’s training program 

in the sciences for elite Israeli Defense Forces 

(IDF) recruits), and the exciting technological 

innovation that stems from HU research. 

“The breadth of HU research 

fascinates me. It reminds 

me of the quote from the 

Roman playwright Terence: 

“Homo sum, humani nihil a 

me alienum puto,—I am a 

man, I consider nothing that 

is human alien to me. But 

I guess that is kind of the 

point of a university: to have 

a variety of things going on. 

And there’s so much going 

on at HU; it’s amazing.” 

- Robert Efroymson

PAGE 18 



Steven Freidkin: Education is Key 

Proud of his Jewish heritage, Steven Freidkin 

recognizes the value of learning and places 

great importance upon education. Helping others 

benefit from an education plays a central role in 

his philanthropic work in the United States and in 

Israel through the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 

Steven’s connection with the Hebrew University 

was several years in the making: “About seven 

years ago, an AFHU regional board member 

reached out to me, suggesting that it might be a 

good idea for me to get involved. I began learning 

about AFHU and HU, then discovered that HU’s 

academic programming is particularly strong in 

science, technology, and entrepreneurship— 

three things I’m passionate about.” 

Steven appreciates the Jewish traditions of 

educational achievement and asking questions. 

These values are the motivation for his support of 

scholarships for Jewish students at the Hebrew 

University: “My grandmother was a Holocaust 

survivor. She wasn’t traditionally religious, but 

she placed great value on her Jewish identity. It 

was her legacy to me and to future generations. 

Yet, I find that many younger American Jews 

treat this legacy as an afterthought or may 

even be ashamed of it. My wife and I want 

to encourage people to be proud Jews—to 

share their heritage and to learn from their 

traditions and values. Supporting the university 

achieves this goal. We wanted to help those 

who cannot afford an education, regardless of 

religious background. We have been fortunate 

to be able to provide support for people who 

lack funding and or access to education due 

to culture strictures and life circumstances.” 

Steven added, “In the Middle East, women 

and minorities are often denied access to 

education, but the Hebrew University is open 

to all those who wish to learn. HU is a firstclass 

educational institution, centrally located 

in Israel. It is an inclusive university open to 

Jews and non-Jews from Israel, the Middle 

East, and the world. The Hebrew University is 

raising the standard of education in the region 

while helping to create the next generation of 

proud Jews, and the innovation coming out of 

HU is changing lives for the better. Keep the 

innovation coming and share it with the world!” 

Steven is also committed to promoting 

education in the United States. Having 

an interest in technology from a young 

age, Steven began working at age 13, 

eventually becoming CEO of Ntiva, which 

provides managed IT services, hosting, 

cybersecurity, and compliance for thousands 

of commercial and non-profit organizations. 

As CEO of Ntiva, Steven and his team are helping 

to bring educational and job opportunities to 

regions in the U.S. where the culture has not 

nourished the value of education. “In large parts of 

our country beautiful places full of good people— 

plants and mills have shut down, opioid addiction 

has shot up, and there seems little hope for the 

future,” said Steven, adding, “The few people who 

have received a decent education leave for jobs 

outside the region. We want to stop this drain 

upon communities located across the country.” 

The Ntiva team realizes they must begin early 

to make a real difference and currently have 

programming in two wonderful West Virginia 

communities: “Starting in middle school, we 

show students the value of an education. Once 

they receive their high school diplomas, we 

encourage them to move on to the University 

of West Virginia and participate in the Learn 

and Earn program, where they are taught about 

IT infrastructure, earn a two-year degree, and 

participate in an internship program that provides 

on-the job training with wages that more than 

offset the cost of their degree. If participants 

earn their degree and have a good performance 

record with Ntiva, we will guarantee them a job 

that will allow them to remain in the area. Our goal 

is to help develop talented people who can build 

careers in their own communities.” Steven added, 

“We’ve been very pleased with the program’s 

results in West Virginia. In the next five years, 

we plan on expanding the program to at least 

10 additional locations across the United States.” 

Steven’s comments about Ntiva’s corporate and 

philanthropic philosophy are applicable both to the 

Learn and Earn program in the United States and 

to his support of Hebrew University scholarships: 

“We’re here for the long run. We’re not just trying 

to do the right thing by being a phenomenal, 

nationwide IT services provider, we’re trying to 

grow people. That’s the real reason why we exist.”

PAGE 20 



Gathering with Israel Consul General 

to the Midwest 

On Tuesday, March 1, Consul General of Israel 

to the Midwest, Yinam Cohen, convened local 

officials, senior executives, and administrators 

for a discussion led by Professor Mona Khoury-. 

Kassabri, Vice President of Strategy and Diversity 

at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the 

Frances and George (z”l) Katz Family Chair at the 

Paul Baerward School of Social Work and Social 

Welfare, to offer and exchange best practices 

focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. 

“We are all facing a reality where we need to 

get innovative about how to bridge gaps among 

the different groups that make up our countries 

and societies. Not because it is good for the 

economy, but because it is the right thing to do,” 

shared Cohen. 

Chicago Mayor’s office, World Business Chicago, 

Sterling Bay, University of Chicago, City Colleges 

of Chicago, DePaul University, Loyola University, 

Northwestern University, University of Illinois at 

Urbana Champaign, and more than a half dozen 

top universities across the Midwest attended. 

Marquis Miller, Chief Diversity Officer of the 

City of Chicago shared, “The Israeli Consulate 

in Chicago has been a leader in the community 

for convening community partners to address 

trauma, justice, and healing.” 

“At the end of the day, there is no need to 

agree on everything in order to partner in the 

abundant work ahead of us in Diversity, Equity, 

and Inclusion,” added Cohen. 

Prof. Kassbari was recently appointed the firstever 

Arab woman to serve as Vice President at 

the institution. More than 40 attendees convened 

to hear about the innovative strategies Israel 

implements to integrate minorities: Christian and 

Muslim Arabs, Ethiopian Jews, ultra-orthodox, 

and people with disabilities into campus life and 

society. 

L-R: Judith Shenkman, Daniel Schlessinger, Professor Mona Khoury-Kassbari, Matt Cohen 

“From Jerusalem to Chicago we share different 

challenges yet many of them are relevant to 

Chicago as integration is a universal goal. If you 

want to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion, 

you should speak the language of the other by 

knowing their values, their beliefs, and letting 

them practice what they believe in” shared Prof. 

Kassbari. 

The forum created an open channel to discuss 

both local and global opportunities and 

challenges, as DEI professionals from the City of 

L-R: Deputy Consul General Daniel Aschheim, Marquis Miller, Consul General Yinam Cohen, Professor Mona 

Khoury-Kassbari, Daniel Schlessinger

PAGE 22 



Lighting The Way 

AFHU leaders are catalysts for progress at the 

Hebrew University. Some are HU alumni, others 

give to Israel’s leading university to continue 

family traditions, but all are moved by the 

tremendous work happening on campus. And 

like the university, these leaders inspire and 

illuminate, lighting the way for us today and for 

generations to come. Meet Renae Jacobs-Anson, 

one of AFHU’s inspiring leaders, and learn what 

motivates her to help advance HU’s tradition of 

innovation. 

We are always looking for more leaders to 

highlight. If you know someone we should profile 

or would be willing to help us by taking a few 

minutes to participate yourself, please contact 

us at info@afhu.org. 

www.afhu.org/lighting-the-way 

Matt Cohen: Associate Executive 

Director, Midwest Region 

American Friends of the Hebrew University is 

pleased to welcome Matt Cohen as the new 

Associate Executive Director of the Midwest 

Region. A life-long Chicagoan, Matt is an 

experienced fundraiser who has been fortunate 

to work with many accomplished development 

professionals, most recently as Director of 

Development at the American Committee for the 

Weizmann Institute of Science. He has a master’s 

degree in Biochemistry from the University of 

Wisconsin – Madison and received High Honors 

for his dual B.S. degrees in Chemistry and Cell & 

Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan 

– Ann Arbor. Matt’s passions include outdoor 

hiking, biking, and camping; watching trash TV 

with his wife, Amy; and coaching soccer and 

wrestling with his three children, Ezra, Audrey, 

and Emerson. 

Matt approaches life with enthusiasm and good 

humor, and that includes becoming a part of 

AFHU’s Midwest team: “I am thrilled to be a 

part of a collaborative and dynamic team in the 

Midwest. In the immortal words of Michael Scott, 

‘They say on your deathbed you never wish you 

spent more time at the office – but I will.’” 

Welcome, Matt!

PAGE 24 



Sparking Change and Igniting Impact 

Remembering Secretary Colin Powell z”l 

Awarded by the Harry S. Truman Research 

Institute for the Advancement of Peace, the 

Truman Peace Prize is presented to select 

individuals who contribute to the high ideals 

of human rights and international partnership. 

AFHU’s Mid-Atlantic Region was honored to 

present the award to former US Secretary of 

State, Colin Powell z”l in 2006. 

Igniting Impact: Supporting Social Initiatives 

at HU, is your a chance to support Tikkun 

Olam programs at the Hebrew University of 

Jerusalem. 

The campaign propels three initiatives with 

direct social impact, including the Ethiopian 

Farmers Outreach Project, the Legal Clinic for 

Representation of Marginalized Communities, 

and GLOCAL: MA in Community Development 

Internships and seed funding for alumni projects. 

With a fundraising goal of $150,000 for the three 

initiatives, AFHU is 20% of the way there, thanks 

to Igniting Impact Committee members Julie 

Leizman, Emma Joels, Shanti Ariker ‘90, Josh 

Smith ‘07, AFHU President Clive Kabatznik ‘80, 

and Mindy Mann ‘76. Committee members, along 

with other AFHU supporters, created individual 

fundraising pages and reached out to their 

networks encouraging them to choose a project 

to support. 

On January 19, the program leaders hosted a 

webinar where participants had the opportunity 

to learn more about each program and the impact 

they make in Israel and around the world. 

To learn how you can support Igniting 

Impact and get involved, please visit: afhu. 

org/igniting-impact. 

L-R: Secretary Colin Powell (z”l), and AFHU Scopus 

Award recipients Amb. Stuart and Wilma Bernstein 

Throughout his distinguished career, and in a 

wide variety of roles and positions, Secretary 

Powell contributed to these goals and their 

implementation around the world. His endeavors 

to manage and solve conflicts in such areas as 

the Middle East, Sudan, Congo, the Balkans, 

Cyprus, and Northern Ireland have had a lasting 

effect on the stability and possibilities for peace 

and prosperity in these areas. 

The Mid-Atlantic Region mourned his passing 

in October 2021. Together with his wife, Alma, 

Secretary Powell was a true Friend of the 

Hebrew University and to Israel.

PAGE 26 



• Demonstrate willingness to be a Change 

Agent, driven to do well by doing good 

• Are between 35-50 years of age (with possible 

exceptions) 

Visit afhu.org/nextgeneration 

to learn more. 

The premier cohort of AFHU LEAD, our leadership 

empowerment and development initiative 

established to develop the next generation of 

leaders for American Friends of the Hebrew 

University, has been a resounding success 

despite facing many pandemic-related logistical 

challenges. The LEAD experience was designed 

to include workshops, leadership training, 

educational seminars, and a curated trip to Israel, 

where participants would learn the dynamics of 

AFHU and Hebrew University operations. Even 

in the face of COVID lockdowns and travel 

restrictions, a dynamic and dedicated group of 

women and men completed the LEAD program 

and are now implementing the lessons learned 

across the United States: 

In the Western Region, LEAD participant Milan 

Chatterjee has established a six-part Continuing 

Legal Education (CLE) webinar series in 

partnership with AFHU, the Hebrew University 

Faculty of Law, and the American Association 

of Jewish Lawyers & Jurists (AAJLJ). Milan 

serves on the Executive Committee of American 

Association of Jewish Lawyers & Jurists and is the 

Regional Vice President of the Western Region of 

AAJLJ. This new series, featuring HU Faculty of 

Law professors speaking on diverse legal topics, 

has attracted hundreds of new participants from 

across the country. 

The Southeast Region has been fortunate to 

add three LEAD participants to its Advisory 

Committee: Julie Leizman, Dr. Daniel Leizman, and 

Shlomo Nizahon. These members add valuable 

input and ideas to the region’s activities and we 

look forward to their continued leadership roles 

within the organization. In addition, Julie Leizman 

joined AFHU’s Igniting Impact Committee, 

designed to expand support for Tikkun Olam 

programs at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 

Jorge Cohen, based in the Pacific Northwest 

Region, is an active member of the regional 

board. Jorge serves as the lead on the regional 

Marketing and Events Workgroup and takes an 

active role in engaging his Google colleagues with 

AFHU. Jorge’s expertise has proven extremely 

useful in both the Pacific Northwest as well as in 

the LEAD group. 

To expand and strengthen the next generation of 

leadership, LEAD member Sam Rank, Mid-Atlantic 

Region, recently met with Executive Director 

Maggie Bolstad and CEO Beth McCoy. Sam 

spoke of his understanding of the role a board 

can and should play in an organization’s success. 

This insightful meeting helped pave the way for 

new ideas and growth in the region. 

At the Northeast Region’s recent board meeting, 

LEAD member Marty Pollak provided an update 

on the LEAD group. Along with his LEAD mentor, 

George Schieren, Marty spoke to the board 

about the importance of the LEAD program and 

the steps needed to recruit and engage the next 

generation of leaders. 

Nominations for AFHU LEAD Cohort II are now 

open. If you or someone you know meet the 

following criteria, please consider submitting an 

application. Qualifications: 

• Possess the drive and capacity to assume a 

leadership position 

• Express commitment to and interest in Israel, 

innovation, and global solutions that will 

change the world 

• Willing to spend time on designated LEAD 

activities, including three U.S.-based seminars 

and a week-long group trip to Israel to visit 

the Hebrew University. 

Members of LEAD Cohort I

PAGE 28 AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY 


NEWS & UPDATES

PAGE 30 



HU News & Updates 

University Of Illinois System and Hebrew 

University Launch Second Round of Joint 

R&D Teams 

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the 

University of Illinois System awarded $200,000 to 

four new interdisciplinary research teams to drive 

innovation and advance collaboration between the 

universities. This is the second round of a seedgrant 

program that began in 2019. 

This joint research initiative was created to 

accelerate economic development by advancing 

innovative technologies at the two universities. 

The funded projects will focus on medical and 

agricultural breakthroughs that: prevent and 

cure infectious diseases while reducing antibiotic 

resistance; prevent chronic tissue injuries and 

improve cell therapy; modify bitter tastes in food 

while maintaining the healthy bitter compounds; 

and boost photosynthetic efficiency to increase 

crop yields. 

Future Meat Raises $347 Million to Make 

Cell-Grown Meat in U.S. 

In December 2021, Future Meat Technologies 

raised $347 million in a Series B round to build 

a U.S. production facility to make its cell-grown 

meat products. 

The investment was co-led by ADM Ventures, 

part of agriculture giant Archer-Daniels-Midland 

Co., and an unnamed global tech investor, 

according to Hebrew University professor and 

Future Meat founder and Chief Executive Officer 

Yaakov Nahmias. Tyson Foods Inc., the biggest 

U.S. meat company, also participated. 

New Blood Test Detects Immune and 

Inflammatory Activity in Tissues 

When our immune systems are weakened, we’re at 

risk for illnesses and dangerous infections; when 

they’re overactive, we’re at risk for inflammation 

and autoimmune diseases. Therefore, accurate 

monitoring of our immune systems’ activity is vital 

to our health. 

Currently, the main way to test immune system 

health is via blood testing. However, these blood 

tests often fail to catch immune system activity in 

the body’s remote tissues, such as those found in 

bone marrow, lymph nodes, and other organs. In 

those cases, patients must follow up with invasive 

measures, such as biopsies and expensive 

imaging modalities such as PET/CT scans and 

MRIs. Even then, such advanced testing doesn’t 

always detect the problem. 

A group of scientists, led by Hebrew University of 

Jerusalem MD/Ph.D. student Ilana Fox-Fisher and 

Professor Yuval Dor at HU’s Institute for Medical 

Research developed a novel method to monitor 

remote immune processes within those remote 

tissues and organs. Their work was published in 

eLife, a selective, not-for-profit peer-reviewed 

open access scientific journal for the biomedical 

and life sciences. 

Hebrew University Physicist Wins Physics 

World’s 2021 Breakthrough of the Year 

Award 

Physics World, the leading physics magazine 

published by the UK-based Institute of Physics, 

awarded the 2021 Breakthrough of the Year 

prize to two research teams who advanced the 

understanding of quantum systems. Physics 

World editors chose the winners from nearly 600 

published research articles that demonstrated 

“important work for scientific progress and/or 

the development of real-world applications.” One 

of the teams, noted for their breakthrough of 

entangling two macroscopic vibrating drumheads, 

was led by Dr. Shlomi Kotler, now at the Hebrew 

University of Jerusalem’s Department of Applied 

Physics, along with John Teufel and colleagues 

at the US National Institute of Standards and 

Technology (NIST). 

Hebrew University Researchers Discover 

Bacterial State That May Lead to New Drugs 

While the battle to annihilate the coronavirus 

continues to dominate headlines, it’s important to 

remember there are also many types of bacteria 

threatening human health – our survival depends 

on the constant quest for new antibiotics that 

can destroy them. Recent research provides an 

important insight into the complex response of 

bacteria to antibiotics and opens the possibility 

of developing a novel and more effective class of 

drugs to combat major bacterial diseases. 

Antibiotics fall into two categories: bactericidal 

drugs that kill the bacteria and bacteriostatic 

drugs that disrupt the bacteria’s ability to multiply, 

allowing our immune system to provide the lethal 

blow. Both antibiotics push bacteria to a neardeath 

state before their final elimination. Under 

this life-threatening stress, according to research 

led by Professor Nathalie Q. Balaban and Ph.D. 

student Yoav Kaplan at the Hebrew University 

of Jerusalem, bacteria enter a “disrupted” 

state where they function very differently from 

normal bacteria. The breakthrough findings were 

published in Nature. 

Hebrew University Uncovers Ancient Warfare 

and the Assyrian Conquest of Lachish 

In ancient times, the Assyrians were one of 

the Near East’s superpowers, controlling a 

landmass that stretched from Iran to Egypt. They 

accomplished this feat with military technologies 

that helped them win any open-air battle or 

penetrate any fortified city. During the ninth to 

the seventh centuries BCE, the siege ramp, an 

elevated structure that enabled the Assyrians to 

haul battering rams up to the enemy’s city walls 

and let soldiers wreak havoc on their enemies, 

was the key to their success. 

In Israel, a team of archaeologists reconstructed 

the Assyrian siege ramp at Lachish. The team, led 

by Professor Yosef Garfinkel and Dr. Madeleine 

Mumcuoglu of the Institute of Archaeology at the 

Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Professors 

Jon W. Carroll and Michael Pytlik of Oakland 

University, U.S., recreated methods that the 

Assyrian army may have used to build the ramp 

that helped conquer the city of Lachish. The 

team drew on a number of sources about this 

historical event, using the outstanding amount 

of data in biblical texts (2 Kings 18:9–19:37; 

2 Chronicles 32; Isaiah 36–37), iconography 

(stone reliefs depicting Assyrian battle scenes), 

Akkadian inscriptions, archeological excavations, 

and 21st-century drone photographs. They 

published their findings in the Oxford Journal of 

Archaeology. 

Generic, Cancer-Killing Israeli Drug 

Approved for Marketing by FDA 

The American Food and Drug Administration 

approved a groundbreaking, complex, generic 

drug indicated for the treatment of ovarian 

cancer, multiple myeloma, and Kaposi’s Sarcoma. 

Ayana’s Doxorubicin-HCI Liposomal Injection will 

now be available in the U.S. market. The drug is 

a modified chemotherapy treatment that targets 

cancer cells directly, thereby reducing side 

effects. 

The drug was developed by Hebrew University 

Prof. Yechezkel Barenholz, winner of the 2020 

EMET Prize for exact sciences and a global 

expert in biochemistry, nanotechnology, and drug 

development. Barenholz is also the inventor of 

Doxil, the world’s first nanotechnology drug, that 

was approved by the FDA in 1995. Doxorubicin- 

HCI is the generic version of Doxil, which was 

first produced by Johnson & Johnson.

PAGE 32 



ASPER – HUJI Innovate, the Hebrew 

University Center for Innovation 

& Entrepreneurship, Receives the 

“Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship 

Center” Award 

ASPER – HUJI Innovate, the Hebrew University 

Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, 

received the 2021 award for Outstanding 

Emerging Entrepreneurship Center alongside Yale 

University and East Carolina University. The award 

was announced during the Global Consortium of 

Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) conference, 

an event organized by top academic innovation 

organizations from around the world. GCEC 

comprises entrepreneurship centers from more 

than 300 universities and presents awards to the 

leading centers on an annual basis. 

HU Congratulates Former Faculty Member 

Joshua Angrist on Winning Nobel Prize in 

Economics 

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem congratulated 

Professor Joshua Angrist and Guido Imbens, 

along with David Carr, on being awarded the 2021 

Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in 

Memory of Alfred Nobel. The award was given for 

their methodological contributions to the analysis 

of causal relationships and empirical contributions 

to labor economics, respectively. Angrist spent 

several years at HU, serving as a Senior Lecturer 

in Economics from 1991-1995 and Associate 

Professor at HU’s Economics Department from 

1995-1996 before returning as a Lady Davis Fellow 

in 2004-2005. 

Hebrew University’s Eliezer Rabinovici 

Elected President of Cern Council— 

European Nuclear Research Organization 

The CERN Council announced the election of 

Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) physicist 

Professor Eliezer Rabinovici as its 24th President 

effective January 2022. Based in Geneva, 

Switzerland, CERN is the largest nuclear particle 

research center in the world. 

Professor Rabinovici is a professor at HU’s 

Racah Institute of Physics and the Louis Michel 

visiting chair at the Institut des Hautes Études 

Scientifiques (IHES). He received his Ph.D. in 

high-energy physics at the Weizmann Institute 

of Science in 1974 before working as a research 

associate at Fermilab and at Lawrence Berkeley 

Radiation Laboratory. In 1977, Rabinovici returned 

to Israel and the Hebrew University as a senior 

lecturer, where he later served as Racah’s 

Director from 2005 to 2012. 

Newly Found Ancient Human Rewrites Story 

of Evolution 

A team of researchers, including Dr. Yossi Zaidner 

from Hebrew University’s Institute of Archaeology, 

discovered a previously unknown type of ancient 

human in Israel. The archaeological finds include 

part of a skull and jaw from an unknown group 

of hominins who lived alongside our species 

approximately 140,000 years ago. The study 

suggests that this ancient human, Nesher Ramla 

Homo, was the direct ancestor of Neanderthals. 

Bruno Award 

The Israel Institute for Advanced Studies (IIAS) 

established the Michael Bruno Memorial Award 

in 1999 in memory of Professor Michael Bruno, 

after his untimely death in 1996. Professor Bruno 

served as Governor of the Bank of Israel from 

1986-1991, was awarded the Israel Prize for 

Economics, and served as Board Chair of the 

Rothschild Prizes Organization. 

This annual award seeks to identify and honor 

three outstanding young Israeli scholars who 

symbolize not only the excellence of scholarship 

but also possess leadership that has the potential 

to positively impact academic life in Israel beyond 

their specific fields of research. Each laureate is 

expected to present a proposal that details how, 

in conjunction with the IIAS, they will continue 

to pursue new fields of research to fulfill their 

academic goals. 

Last year, Mona Khoury-Kassabri, VP of Strategy 

and Diversity, was among the award recipients 

for her research at HU’s School of Social Work & 

Social Welfare. 

Hebrew University Scientist’s Autism 

Research Provides Potential for Earlier 

Pediatric Diagnosis 

Dr. Haitham Amal, Head of the Laboratory of 

Neuromics, Cell Signaling, and Translational 

Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 

is conducting crucial research into brain and blood 

alterations that are often markers for the onset 

of autism. 

Recently identified by The Marker magazine as one 

of the most promising Israelis under age 40, Amal 

has a string of accolades to his name. Both he and 

his research team continue to push the boundaries 

of what is known about this mysterious—and 

increasingly prevalent—syndrome. 

Prof. Amal is one of many researchers considering 

THC’s possible use as a therapeutic for the 

treatment of autism. His research shows that 

the incidence of autism in children has risen to 

approximately 1 in 56 births, and his research 

is attempting to gain greater understanding of 

autism as well as potential treatments. 

New Hebrew University Scholarship 

Announced in Honor of Prince Charles’ 

Grandmother 

During a recent visit to the UK, Israeli President 

Isaac Herzog met with Prince Charles to discuss 

climate change, regional threats, and Holocaust 

education. 

Herzog also announced a Hebrew University 

scholarship dedicated to Prince Charles’ 

grandmother, Princess Alice. Yad Vashem has 

recognized Princess Alice for her efforts to

PAGE 34 



In Case You Missed It 

HU Professor Wins Massry Prize 

AFHU’s pride was showing on December 18, 

when Prof. Liran Carmel of the Hebrew University 

of Jerusalem’s Alexander Silverman Institute of 

Life Sciences received the 2021 Massry Prize 

in a ceremony held at Beverly Hills City Hall. 

Prof. Carmel was awarded the Massry Prize in 

recognition of his contributions to the study of 

ancient DNA. He is a professor of computational 

biology at the Hebrew University, where he 

researches various topics in molecular evolution, 

with a focus on human evolution and what makes 

us human. Prof. Carmel is one of the founders of 

paleo-epigenetics, a a field of study dedicated to 

the reconstruction of epigenetic signals in ancient 

genomes with the goal of providing insight into 

how ancient environments and cultural practices 

may have affected the health of our ancestors. 

He has been a professor at the Hebrew University 

since 2008. 

Established by Dr. Shaul Massry, professor 

emeritus of medicine at the Keck School of 

Medicine of the University of Southern California, 

the Meira and Shaul G. Massry Foundation’s 

mission is to promote education and research 

in nephrology, physiology, and related fields. 

The Massry Prize was established by the 

Foundation in 1996 to acknowledge outstanding 

contributions to the biomedical sciences and 

the advancement of health. The Massry Prize 

is awarded each year to researchers who have 

contributed to a specific topic, with ancient DNA 

the topic for 2021. Awardees are selected by a 

committee of distinguished professors from the 

University of Southern California (USC) and the 

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Only 

three Israelis are among the previous Massry 

Prize awardees, including 12 recipients who have 

gone on to receive the Nobel Prize. 

Homer Simpson Was Right 

HU’s Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain 

Sciences pioneered one of the most promising 

continuous attractor networks (CAN) theories in 

neuroscience, helping us understand how neuron 

activity helps us form our capacity mental maps. 

Surprisingly, after researching a network of grid 

cells, neuroscientists have found that the pattern 

of neural activity is shaped like the surface of a 

doughnut! 

Women Make Gains 

European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants 

provide needed support to younger researchers 

who are launching their projects. This year, 

female recipients won 43% of the approximately 

400 grants awarded. Among them were two HU 

researchers: Dr. Yonit Hochberg, of the Faculty 

of Mathematics & Sciences, and Dr. Mor Nitzan, 

School of Computer Science and Engineering. 

Animal-Free Drug Testing 

Israel startup Quiris—a partner with Hebrew 

University drug-discovery spinoff NewStem—has 

unveiled the first AI platform-based, animal-free 

method to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 

new drugs. 

Bronze Age Shipwreck Reveals Ancient Trade 

Routes 

HU researchers find a 3,200-year-old shipwreck 

that has revealed an elaborate Bronze Age trading 

network in the Mediterranean basin. 

Plant-Based “Seafood” isn’t a Fishy Idea 

HU Prof. Berta Sivan is among several Israeli 

scientists who are developing tasty alternatives 

to the world’s dwindling fish stocks. 

I’m Great at Making Decisions! …Or am I? 

Hebrew University alumnus and professor, and 

2002 Nobel Prize winner in economics, Daniel 

Kahneman tells you why you’re making bad 

decisions and how you can make better ones. 

A Woman’s Place is in the Boardroom 

With California adopting legislation to bring more 

women into corporate boardrooms, HU Prof. 

Miriam Schwartz-Ziv, shares some of the positive 

effects of a similar Israeli law. 

Do you Want (Me to Print) Fries with That? 

Vegan burgers made to order via a 3D printer? 

Coming right up! 

HU professors Oded Shoseyov and Ido 

Braslavskof are among the founders of Israelibased 

firm SavorEat, and they are ready to print 

a custom burgers just for you. 

Rx: Cannabis 

Canonic Ltd., an Israeli company developing 

medical Cannabis products through 

Computational Predictive Biology (CPB), 

announced positive results in possible treatments 

for inflammation and pain. The studies were 

conducted at Hebrew University/Hadassah 

Medical Center and the Migal - Galilee Research 

Institute. 

HU Researchers Say Pontius Pilate Built 

Aqueduct 

New evidence suggests that Jerusalem’s ancient 

Biar Aqueduct was built by Roman prefect 

Pontius Pilate. 

Trying to Make Black Holes a Bit Less of a 

“Black Hole” 

Prof. Tsvi Piran of the Hebrew University’s Racah 

Institute of Physics shares his insights into recent 

NASA studies on the nature of black holes. 

Psychedelics as Medicine 

Using a bioreactor invented at HU’s The 

Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food 

and Environment, the Israeli startup PsyRx is 

producing psychedelic botanic extracts to treat 

illness like depression and PTSD.

PAGE 36 



ESTATE PLANNING

PAGE 38 



Estate Planning with an IRA: 

Elimination of the Stretch 

Neal Myerberg 

Principal, Myerberg Philanthropic Advisors 

THE SECURE ACT – ELIMINATION OF THE 

“STRETCH” IRA 

Inherited retirement account distributions to 

a large category of beneficiaries must now be 

taken within 10 years and the holder can no 

longer stretch out the withdrawals and required 

tax payments on each distribution over the 

beneficiary’s life expectancy. Thus, the annual 

amounts payable to heirs who inherit the IRA will 

be larger and the tax costs greater. 

For those who wish to leave retirement plan 

assets to their spouse or children, there are 

limited exceptions to the elimination of the stretch 

IRA inherited beneficiary rules: 

• Surviving spouse of original owner 

• Minor child (not grandchild) of original owner 

(10- year term applies once the child reaches 

majority) 

• Less than 10 years younger than original owner 

• Disabled/chronically ill (as defined) 

Given the elimination of the “Stretch” IRA, a 

charitable remainder trust (CRT) ought to be 

considered to provide an alternative plan. The 

IRA/401(k) assets would be transferred to the 

trust after the owner’s lifetime. Annual lifetime 

annuity or unitrust amounts will be made payable 

to beneficiaries at a qualified fixed lifetime/s 

rate. Payments will be taxed to the beneficiaries 

annually as reported on Forms K-1. Some of the 

annual payments may be tax preferred. 

If exceptions to the elimination of the “stretch” 

rules do not apply, a charitable remainder trust 

can expand the payment term beyond the 10-year 

term and provide estate and tax planning benefits. 

A CRT is an irrevocable, tax-exempt entity that 

provides fixed rate payments for the life or lives of 

named individuals. Alternatively, some CRTs may 

run for a term that cannot exceed twenty years. 

With a term of years CRT, the beneficiaries, for 

example, may be grandchildren born before the 

CRT is funded and becomes operational and 

grandchildren born after the CRT commences. 

One of the advantages in funding a CRT with 

highly appreciated property is the avoidance of 

taxable gains at the time of contribution. The 

withdrawal and distribution of qualified plan 

assets to a CRT would not be susceptible to 

capital gains tax. 

There are two types of CRTs. One, a charitable 

remainder annuity trust (CRAT), provides lifetime 

annual payments to individual beneficiaries based 

upon the fixed rate set out in the trust multiplied 

by the value of the assets contributed to the 

trust. Thus, if the value of the transfer from the 

IRA after the owner’s lifetime is $1 million and the 

rate is fixed at 6%, the CRAT will make annual 

payments in the amount of $60,000 throughout 

its term. These payments are not adjusted. 

They are fixed for the life/lives of the individual 

beneficiaries. 

The other, a charitable remainder unitrust 

(CRUT), has a feature that allows for the 

annual adjustment of payments to the individual 

beneficiaries. By law, the trust’s assets are 

revalued at the close of the calendar year (or 

early into the next year); and the revaluation 

amount is multiplied by the trust’s fixed rate to 

determine the succeeding year’s payments. If the 

trust investment returns for the year are greater 

than the required payout, the excess is added to 

trust principal and is included in the revaluation. 

For example, if the CRUT is initially funded with 

distributions from the IRA in the amount of $1 

million, and the unitrust rate is fixed at 7%, the 

payments for the first year (or a proration for the 

first year) would be $70,000. Assuming at the 

end of the year that the trust, after making its 

payments for that year, is revalued at $1.2 million, 

the payments to the individual beneficiaries 

for the immediately succeeding year would be 

$84,000 (7% of $1.2 million). It is important to 

recognize that there may be an annual revaluation 

that is lower than the entry value of the trust 

for the prior year, making payments for the next 

succeeding year lower than the preceding year. 

It is anticipated that the trust will keep pace with 

inflation. 

How is the CRT established and funded? 

The CRT may be established by directions in 

the owner’s will or trust or as an unfunded trust 

established during the owner’s lifetime, which 

will become effective once the trustee receives 

the retirement plan distributions. Either by direct 

beneficiary designation in the plan documents or 

by way of a distribution from the will or trust of 

the owner, a CRT will receive all or a portion of 

the assets in the plan after the owner’s lifetime. 

The challenge is fixing a rate for the CRAT or 

CRUT. Language would be required to set out 

a formula to determine the rate at the time the 

trust will be funded (i.e., as of the end of the 

owner’s lifetime). At present, there are IRS tests 

that must be met in order to fix a rate. The rate 

cannot be lower than 5%. 

A CRAT must pass two calculation tests when 

funded: 

• The 10% test – the present value of the 

charitable portion of the CRAT must be equal 

to or greater than 10% of the amount of the 

contribution to the trust 

• The 5% probability test – there cannot be a 

probability greater than 5% that the trust will 

run out of funds before its term ends 

A CRUT must only pass the 10% test. A CRUT can 

never mathematically run out of funds because 

it adjusts each year based on the revalued asset 

value. 

What we cannot know until the end of the 

owner’s lifetime is the IRS §7520 rate (known as 

the monthly Applicable Federal Rate or AFR) that 

influences the calculation of the fixed rate in the 

CRT. The AFR can change from month to month. 

Since we cannot know the month, after the death 

of the owner, that the trust will receive funding 

from the IRA, we must use language that sets 

out a formula that will take into account what the 

§7520 rate will be at that time. 

There will undoubtedly be a variety of planning 

possibilities to compensate for the elimination of 

the “stretch” IRA. The use of a CRT has been 

applicable in estate planning even before the 

“stretch” elimination, and estate and tax planning 

using a type of CRT is even more applicable for 

certain families now. 

With a CRT, the remainder interest (i.e., the 

amount in the trust when it ends) is paid over 

to named charitable organizations either without 

restrictions as to use or designated for a particular 

program or purpose. The remainder provision 

may direct that the charitable distributions be

PAGE 40 



endowed. AFHU may be named as the remainder 

beneficiary of a CRT. 

Deciding upon a trustee for the CRT is a key 

component of the plan. The trustee may be 

an individual/s, a trust company, and even a 

charitable organization. If the charity is named 

as the trustee, it would require an irrevocable 

interest in a substantial portion of the remainder. 

The charity would engage a fiduciary agent (e.g., 

a trust company) to administer the trust. The 

charity would not charge a commission or fee for 

trustee services. 

Partnering with a charity may prove to be of 

significant benefit to taxpayers going forward, 

particularly if they are not only interested in tax 

savings and succession planning but also in the 

importance of philanthropy. AFHU will be pleased 

to partner with you and to provide you with 

planning ideas to review with your legal, tax, and 

investment advisors. 

NOTE: ESTATE PLANNING IN 2022 

To date, the unified estate and gift tax credit will 

be $12.06 million per person for 2022. Whether 

there will be a substantial reduction in the credit 

amount is still under consideration. 

For more information, please contact us at 

plannedgiving@afhu.org or 212.607.8524.

PAGE 42 



ALUMNI UPDATES

PAGE 44 



Zack Bodner: Why Do Jewish 

travel. Even with a condensed schedule, he 

remembers loving his classes. In Hebrew class, 

Zack became close with many Argentinian 

students, especially after the Buenos Aires 

JCC bombing. During the class, not only did 

his Hebrew improve greatly, but he also used 

his Spanish to help translate. The Archaeology 

of Jerusalem was his favorite course because 

every week the class would take field trips to 

various archaeological sites around the city. 

Classes on Halakhah and the American media’s 

reporting on the Middle East conflict were also 

memorable for Zack. The impact was so strong 

that he still remembers papers he wrote at 

Hebrew University. He explains, “I was just talking 

to my daughter who’s 17 and a high school senior. 

She’s taking a biology class where they started 

to study eugenics, and it reminded me of a paper 

I wrote on eugenics for my Halakhah class.” 

After his semester at HU, Zack shifted his focus 

to studying the psychology of religion; a change 

inspired by his time at Rothberg. His first job after 

graduating from Yale was as a counselor on the 

same teen tour that took him to Israel. He later 

began working with teens at Los Angeles JCCs. 

Graduate school came next for Zack at 

Claremont Graduate University, where he 

studied philosophy of religion and theology. 

Zack later worked in Sacramento for California 

State Senator Tom Hayden. He remembers, “It 

was an incredible experience working for him, 

learning politics from the inside, and I parlayed 

that experience to working for AIPAC. I always 

knew I was going to do something with Israel, and 

I became the number two in the San Francisco 

AIPAC office for about a year.” He then became 

AIPAC Regional Director for 13 years before 

becoming the President and CEO of the Palo 

Alto JCC. Being in this position provides an 

opportunity to expand and experiment with 

‘Jewishness’ and allows Zack to have a positive 

influence on the future of American Jewish life. 

In October 2021, Zack released Why Do Jewish? 

A Manifesto for 21st Century Jewish Peoplehood. 

Zack Bodner’s first trip to Israel was in high school 

on an 8-week long teen tour from LA. He fell in 

love with the country during the visit and knew he 

had to return. One of his trip counselors, whom 

he saw as a role model, had just finished studying 

at Hebrew University. As Zack recalls, “I looked 

up to him and said, ‘I’m going to come back.’” He 

continues, “There was no other option. I have a lot 

of respect for all the Israeli institutions of higher 

education, but I wasn’t looking to go anywhere 

else. I just wanted to go to Hebrew U and I wanted 

to go to Jerusalem. It was that clear in my mind.” 

He was true to his word. In 1994, Zack studied 

abroad at the Rothberg International School at 

Hebrew University and considers it a life changing 

experience. Until arriving in Jerusalem, he was 

struggling with what he wanted to do with his life. 

He explains, “It was really my experience in Israel 

where it clicked for me. I said, ‘…I want to do 

something impacting the Jewish people and Israel. 

That is my future.’ It was really my experience 

at Hebrew U that clarified that for me. Number 

one, professionally, but two, personally; it’s where 

I met not only the best friends of my life to this 

day, but the woman (Ronit) I ended up marrying.” 

While studying at Hebrew University, they 

both lived off campus in Kiryat HaYovel: Zack 

with five men and Ronit with five women. The 

group of 12 became best friends; they are still in 

touch with each other, and their children have 

become friends. Despite distance, they still 

try to get together as frequently as possible. 

Zack and several friends arranged their class 

schedule to be from Tuesday through Thursday, 

allowing for long weekends when they would 

Zack (second from right) and Ronit (second from left) with friends at Shabbat dinner.

PAGE 46 



Zack talking about Zionism 3.0 

The book has three main components: “Why 

Do Jewish?”, “What is Jewish?”, and “How to 

Do Jewish?”. According to Zack, “In my mind, 

everything that we are doing and want to engage 

in, must enable us to answer the question: Why 

do Jewish? Why is it so important that we pass 

this on to our kids and our grandkids? Why do 

we really want them to get connected to Israel? 

I wanted to be able to answer that for myself, 

for my family, for my community.” He continued, 

“To me, we need a formula that will allow people 

to feel included. I didn’t just want to lay out the 

problems, I wanted to be able to provide solutions. 

We have to evolve to keep up with changing 

ethnographies, technologies, and sciences.” 

Zack believes we’re on the eve of a turning point 

in Judaism in America, which he discusses in the 

book. “I talk about the five factors that I think are 

contributing to why we are in this new moment, 

as well as how to respond to them. Then, the last 

section of the book is the “how?” I use the word 

TACHLIS, the “doing,” to create a framework for 

how to do Jewish, turning the word itself into 

an acronym. The T stands for tikkun olam, the 

A is art and culture, the C is community, the 

H is holidays and rituals, the L is learning, the I 

is Israel, and the S is Shabbat and spirituality.” 

If there’s one takeaway from his book, it’s to 

do ‘Jewish.’ For Zack, it doesn’t have to be 

overtly Jewish. He says, “Take Tikkun Olam— 

you can get involved with social justice or 

environmental justice, for example. Just don’t 

keep your Jewishness in the closet. Immigration 

issues right now are on people’s minds. Make 

sure people know you’re doing that because 

of your Jewish nashama (soul), right? Art and 

culture is another easy entry point. So many of 

us love bagels and lox, Jewish deli, the paintings 

of Chagall or Philip Roth books, for example. 

Start there and explore what comes next.” 

When thinking about the future, Zack hopes his 

three children spend a year at Hebrew University 

for several reasons. “I am a huge believer in gap 

years. I end my book with the next big Jewish 

idea, what I’m calling the ‘leap’ year. It’s a gap 

year, and ‘leap’ is an acronym for learning, 

experience, action, and peoplehood. For the 

Jewish people, one of the biggest challenges 

we’re facing today is the Israel diaspora rift, and 

one of the greatest ways to overcome that is 

by building real relationships. Israelis are already 

doing their gap year – the mechina programs – 

and it needs to be exported to diaspora Jews. We 

need to work into our ethos that a gap year is as 

normative as the bar/bat mitzvah. What’s unique 

about this leap year idea is that part of the time 

is spent in Israel and in the diaspora. The group is 

made up of Israelis and diaspora Jews. With this 

formula, our kids could be exposed to Israel and 

Israelis for a real, formulative experience. You’re 

also exposing Israelis to non-Orthodox Judaism. 

They get to see what American Jews have 

brought to Judaism over the last 70 years and 

can bring that back to Israel. Plus, it’s giving them 

time before college. A gap year experience, if 

made part of the normative way that Jews think, 

could be a game changer over the next 20 years.” 

The second reason Zack wants his kids and 

others to study at Hebrew University is because 

of Jerusalem, which he considers the heart 

and soul of the Jewish people. To understand 

Jewish history and Israel, you must start in 

Jerusalem. “I love Tel Aviv and spend lots of 

time there but, at its core, Jerusalem is what 

the Jewish people are all about. Hebrew U is 

the oldest and most prestigious university in 

Israel. It’s got great stories…and there’s so much 

history - I want my kids to have that experience 

too. I want them to feel it, not just be told... I 

want them to experience it for themselves.” 

Zack and Ronit 

Zack and Ronit with Hebrew U friends with spouses and kids in Brooklyn in 2011

PAGE 48 



Hebrew University of Jerusalem 

International Alumni Association: 

Get more out of HU than just a world-renowned degree 

We never get tired of watching the first sparks 

of a once-in-a-lifetime experience: over the 

first days of each academic year, we see over 

2,000 international students from more than 90 

countries come together at the Hebrew University 

of Jerusalem’s six campuses. They are much more 

than that year’s class – they are, almost instantly, 

a new, unique, and vibrant community. 

You remember your first encounters: you 

looked around the room at people from diverse 

backgrounds, cultures, religions, and educational 

frameworks – all in Jerusalem, a city famous for 

its history, that also exudes that same exciting 

fusion. With your new classmates, you broke the 

ice, introduced yourselves perhaps with a shy 

smile, spoke English as a bridge between your 

own languages, and suddenly, the bonds began 

to form. 

Whether sitting in your Hebrew ulpan “crash 

course,” strolling through the Botanical Gardens, 

climbing Masada, or simply eating lunch in the 

Boyar courtyard, you quickly learned that – like all 

communities – you and other HU students shared 

a lot of common traits. You all came to Jerusalem 

with an eagerness to excel through the thrilling 

experience of studying abroad and a desire to 

expand your horizons beyond the predictable 

As one of our international recruiters has always 

said, “If we could bottle the energy and ‘vibe’ of 

those first weeks, we’d serve it in shot glasses at 

our recruitment fairs and, we would need to only 

offer just a sip!” 

So many ways to stay connected 

The International Alumni Association is dedicated 

to ensuring you don’t lose that momentum, those 

connections, and the relationships you built and 

enjoyed. While many of those bonds were social 

at their core, you’ll quickly discover that most 

turn out to yield professional opportunities along 

your future career path, such as networking, 

career opportunities, becoming an ambassador 

for HU, and more. 

Our International Alumni Association features 

several easy ways to help you stay connected, 

with our alumni database the most important. Get 

in touch with us today at intlalumni@savion. 

huji.ac.il, to keep your records updated. This 

lets us know how to contact you, your current 

areas of focus in academics or professionally, and 

where you are living and working. 

Once you provide this information, we can 

actively share updates with your class including 

alumni profiles, university news, networking 

opportunities, event, and other relevant updates. 

When our alumni keep us updated about their 

locations, we can also offer mentorship and 

leadership programs – via HU international 

offices around the world or online, conveniently 

scheduled by time zone – to provide additional 

resources and support in their respective fields. 

At the same time, we are, naturally, proud of 

each of our program graduates. We’re eager 

to hear your successes as you develop your 

expertise and apply what you’ve learned with us 

to challenges in your own country or around the 

world. More importantly, we want to help share 

that progress with your fellow students, the 

faculty members who can proudly recall guiding 

you along your path, and the global community 

of Hebrew University supporters who are always 

delighted to learn about the positive impact of 

their contributions to our institution. During our 

recruitment process, potential candidates often 

ask for names of alumni in their own countries 

who they can talk to and better understand the 

“ambiance” and specific challenges and benefits 

of coming to study in an international forum 

like ours. As an experienced graduate, you can 

help inform and guide these next-generation 

candidates, with just a quick chat. 

Think of us as a social platform! 

HU isn’t only about academic excellence and work 

paths – it’s about creating lifelong friendships. 

Our International Alumni Association is dedicated 

to helping you remember your experiences on and 

off campus and keeping in touch with friends. 

Whether through a “digital yearbook” or live/ 

online reunions, we serve as a central touchpoint 

for you and your classmates as you complete 

your education, join the workforce, and move 

from one opportunity to the next. Additionally, 

we can host a social event or make it easy for 

you to reconnect on your own. No matter which 

option you choose, we’re happy to help maintain 

and strengthen those relationships for a strong, 

proud, and global HU community. 

We look forward to helping you reconnect 

with faculty, friends, and the broader Hebrew 

University community. While the time you 

spent on campus is in the past, we hope your 

connection to Israel and the university endures 

a lifetime. 

Find us on Social media: 

Facebook, LinkedIn or email us at: intlalumni@ 

savion.huji.ac.il 

bit.ly/33Hnu7N

PAGE 50 



SIGNATURE EVENTS

PAGE 52 



NEXUS:ISRAEL 2022 Virtual Summit 

March 30, 2022 

2022 Palm Beach Scopus Award Gala 

April, 4 2022 

American Friends of the Hebrew University (AFHU), in keeping with its tradition of recognizing 

outstanding individuals, will present AFHU’s prestigious Scopus Award to Florence Kaufman on 

Monday, April 4th at The Breakers Palm Beach, 7 PM. 

The NEXUS:ISRAEL conference brings together thought leaders and the most innovative thinkers 

from across the United States, Israel, Europe, and Asia — with a special focus on sustainability — 

whose ideas and influence have the capacity for real change. 

Centered around the latest innovations and investment dynamics across key industries and technology 

trends, especially related to our collective sustainable future, the program will deliver fresh insights 

and a behind-the-curtain peek into Food Systems & Food Security, Health & Wellness, Climate & the 

Environment, ESG, Web 3.0, and more. At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, we are focused on 

cutting-edge innovation and scientific discovery, a dedication that has put Israel at the forefront of 

sustainability research. 

LEARN MORE HERE 

In conferring its highest honor upon Florence, AFHU pays tribute to her and her family’s legacy. 

The Kaufman family has benefited so many in New York, Florida, and Israel and demonstrated a 

longstanding commitment to education and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 

We invite you to be among the leaders who will help make our Scopus Gala an exciting and truly 

notable event. 

LEARN MORE HERE

PAGE 54 



2022 Mid-Atlantic Scopus Award Gala 52nd Annual George A. Katz Torch of 

Learning Award Luncheon 

FEATURING A DISCUSSION BETWEEN INVITED SPEAKERS 

Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, United Arab Emirates and Ambassador Michael Herzog, Israel 

WITH PRESENTATION OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR PHILOSOPHIAE HONORIS CAUSA 

TO 

JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG Z”L 

EVENT CHAIRS 

SENATOR MARIA CANTWELL & SENATOR NORM COLEMAN 


EVENT CO-CHAIRS 

H. Rodgin Cohen | Stephen M. Cutler | Adam O. Emmerich | Robert J. Jossen 

Brad S. Karp | Alan Levine | Martin Lipton | Jonathan L. Mechanic | James P. Rouhandeh 

John S. Siffert | Ira Lee Sorkin | Charles A. Stillman | Staci Yablon 

Celebrate Bob for a lifetime of distinguished service and recognize Stephanie for her leadership in 

the legal and business community. Your generosity will benefit the Hebrew University Faculty of 

Law, educating our future leaders, and the mission of its American Friends. The Torch of Learning 

Award, dedicated in memory of George A. Katz (z”l), honors outstanding lawyers who have made a 

significant impact in the legal profession and in the broader community. 

LEARN MORE HERE

PAGE 56 



2022 Mid-Atlantic Leaders of 

Distinction Award Gala 

May 18, 2022 

Regional Offices 

Northeast Region 

Mid-Atlantic Region 

199 Water Street, 11th Floor 

11140 Rockville Pike, Suite 640 

New York, NY 10038 

Rockville, MD 20852 

T: 212.607.8510 

T: 202.363.4600 

E: northeast@afhu.org 

E: midatlantic@afhu.org 

Philadelphia Office 

PO Box 2147 

Philadelphia, PA 19103 

T: 215.330.6722 

E: philadelphia@afhu.org 

Southeast Region 

100 West Cypress Creek Road, Suite 865 

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 

T: 561.750.8585 

E: southeast@afhu.org 

Midwest Region 

20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 2020 

Chicago, IL 60606 

T: 312.329.0332 

E: midwest@afhu.org 

Pacific Northwest Region 

548 Market Street, PMP 90944 

San Francisco, CA 94104 

T: 415.299.8691 

E: pacificnorthwest@afhu.org 

Western Region 

16633 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 715 

Encino, CA 91436 

T: 310.843.3100 

E: western@afhu.org 

Save the Date 

HONOREES 

Zev Davis, M.D. 

Cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon 

Steven A. Kanner 

Founding Partner, Freed Kanner London & Millen, LLC 

DINNER COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS 

Lewis Collens | Michael J. Freed | Barry Golin | Karen Herbst | Sara Crown Star | Mary Ann Tuft 

The Leaders of Distinction Award reflects our honorees’ outstanding professional and personal achievements, 

commitment to humanity, and dedication to Israel and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as 

Israel’s foremost institution of higher learning and research. 


March 30, 2022 

April 4, 2022 

April 28, 2022 



June 10-15, 2022 

November 5, 2022 

NEXUS:ISRAEL 2022 VIRTUAL SUMMIT 

2022 PALM BEACH SCOPUS AWARD GALA 

2022 MID-ATLANTIC SCOPUS AWARD GALA 

52ND ANNUAL GEORGE A. KATZ TORCH OF LEARNING AWARD LUNCHEON 

2022 MIDWEST LEADERS OF DISTINCTION AWARD GALA 

85TH INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF GOVERNORS 

WESTERN REGION MISSION TO PARIS AND ISRAEL

THANK YOU 

FOR YOUR 

SUPPORT! 

American Friends of the Hebrew University 

199 Water St, 11th Floor | New York, NY 10038 

Tel. 212.607.8500 | www.afhu.org | info@afhu.org

AFHU News March 2022

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