Honorary Doctor of Philosophy Doctor Philosophiae Honoris Causa היפוסוליפל דובכ רוטקוד 2008 Eli Amir / רימא ילא Israel Well-loved author, social commentator and public figure, Eli Amir came to Israel from Iraq as a teenager in 1950. He gained his degree in Arabic Language and Literature and Middle Eastern History from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. An outspoken writer whose novels movingly describe the immigrant experience, Amir is studied by tens of thousands of high school students every year. He has served in a range of public roles relating to immigration, absorption and education, including Director-General of the Jewish Agency's Youth Aliyah Division and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Arab Affairs in East Jerusalem. Among other honors, Amir received the Yigal Allon Award for his endeavors on behalf of Israeli society, and honorary degrees from the Weizmann Institute of Science and Ben Gurion University Dr. Santiago Calatrava / הברטלק וגאיטנס ר"ד Switzerland The works of architect, artist, sculptor and engineer Dr. Santiago Calatrava can be seen throughout the world. Born in Valencia, Spain, Dr. Calatrava earned his architecture degree at the Superior Technical School of Architecture in Valencia, and both his civil engineering degree and technical science PhD at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Among his most notable creations are the Athens Olympic Sports Complex, the expansion of the Milwaukee Art Museum, and the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York which is still under construction. He has received honorary degrees from 14 universities, as well as numerous honors and accolades including the designation by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Lester Crown / ןוארק רטסל USA Lester Crown is Chairman of Henry Crown and Company, a family-owned and operated company which includes diversified manufacturing operations and real estate. Actively involved in civic activities as director of the Children's Memorial Medical Center and its Foundation; Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Lyric Opera of Chicago; Chairman of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago; Vice Chairman of the Aspen Institute; and Director of the Jerusalem Foundation, Mr. Crown is a life trustee of Northwestern University and a Governor of Tel Aviv University, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He received his BSc in chemical engineering from Northwestern University and his MBA from Harvard Business School. Heinz Fischer / רשיפ ץנייה Austria Born in Graz, Austria in 1938, Dr. Heinz Fischer became the Federal President of the Republic of Austria on 8 July 2004. He is recognized for his standing as an exemplary national leader and accomplished scholar of law and political science; his resolute commitment to promoting peace and democracy; his steadfast dedication in the service of the Austrian parliament and people spanning over four decades; his endeavors to redress the suffering caused by the Holocaust through his stewardship of the Austrian reparation fund and his efforts to revitalize the Austrian Jewish community; and in special recognition of his consistent and heartfelt support for Israel and its people, which he has demonstrated throughout his scientific and political career; his longstanding relationship with Tel Aviv University's Austrian Friends Association, both as honorary board member and gracious host; and his contribution to strengthening bilateral relations between Austria and Israel, Prof. Mary-Claire King / גניק ריילק-ירמ 'פורפ USA Born in Chicago, Prof. Mary-Claire King is one of the world's leading scientists in the field of human molecular genetics. Since the 1970s, she has worked to identify genes involved in the development of breast cancer. She is presently searching for genes for schizophrenia and, with Israeli and Palestinian colleagues, genes for inherited deafness. Her lab pioneered the use of genetic identification for victims of human rights violations. Prof. King is the American Cancer Society Professor of Genome Sciences and Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, and a member of the US National Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees including from Columbia, Harvard and Yale. Francis Minkoff / ףוקנימ סיסנרפ Switzerland Born in Switzerland in 1944, businessman, philanthropist and TAU Governor Francis Minkoff has deep Zionist roots that began when his great-grandfather left Russia for Eretz Israel in 1890. Mr. Minkoff's father, André, was born in Jaffa and, after moving to Switzerland, supported numerous scientific and social initiatives in Israel. Francis Minkoff has continued the family tradition. He visits Israel regularly, and has become personally involved with the institutions and projects he supports, among them universities, hospitals, WIZO, the IDF, numerous arts and cultural initiatives, and projects in the Negev. He is a central figure in Swiss Jewish community life. Sruel Prajs / סיירפ לארשי Germany Businessman and philanthropist Sruel Prajs was born in Poland, moved to Germany as a baby, and became a successful real-estate entrepreneur in Germany and Canada. An engaged supporter of Israel since the 1970s, he is particularly active in Keren Hayesod, Germany. During his time as Chairman and as member of the Board of Trustees of Keren Hayesod, Prajs was instrumental in facilitating the construction of a care facility for the elderly in Tel Aviv and the David Ben-Gurion Information Center at Kibbutz Sde Boker, among other major initiatives. Mr. Prajs received the 2002 Yakir Award of Keren Hayesod in the presence of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. He currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency. Prof. Hilary Putnam / םנטאפ ירליה 'פורפ USA A professor emeritus of philosophy at Harvard University, Hilary Putnam is best-known for his contributions to the philosophy of mind, language and mathematics. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania, before embarking on an academic career that took him to UCLA, Northwestern, Princeton, MIT and Harvard. Prof. Putnam is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy, and a former President of the American Philosophical Association. He has published over 20 books and hundreds of articles. Lea Koenig-Stolper / רפלוטש גינק איל Israel Lea Koenig-Stolper took her first steps toward a stage career as a girl, studying drama at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bucharest, Romania. She was a stage performer at the Jewish State Theater in Bucharest and, after making aliyah, she joined the Habima Theater where she has played leading and supporting roles for 45 years. Ms. Koenig-Stolper participates in fringe theater and television productions, promotes Yiddish culture in Israel and devotes time to animal welfare and other social issues. She has received several accolades, among them the Israel Prize, the Israel Theater Life Achievement Prize and the Rosenblum Prize for Theater. Martin J. Whitman / ןמטיו 'ג ןיטרמ USA Investor, philanthropist, civic leader and educator Martin Whitman is the Founder and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Third Avenue Management LLC, one of the most respected investment and consulting firms in the US. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Syracuse University and his Master of Economics from the New School of Social Research. The author of two widely read books on investing, he has served as a Distinguished Management Fellow at the Yale School of Management for over 30 years, and has taught at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business and the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, which was dedicated in his name in 2003. Mr. Whitman and his wife, Lois, focus much of their philanthropy on advancing educational initiatives to enhance equal opportunity. Prof. Elie Wiesel / לזיו ילא 'פורפ USA Novelist, human rights activist, Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor, Prof. Elie Wiesel was born in Sighet, Romania, in 1928. In 1940, he was relocated to a nearby ghetto and eventually deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. After the war, he began studying philosophy at the Sorbonne and later emigrated to the US. He has written over 40 books, most notably Night, which describes his Holocaust experiences. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 both for speaking out against violence, repression and racism, and for raising awareness of the Holocaust. Wiesel served as chairman of the Presidential Commission on the Holocaust and spearheaded the establishment of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. He was instrumental in the struggle to free Soviet Jewry, and maintains close ties with Israel. At Boston University, he teaches religion and Jewish thought, and is the Andrew Mellon Professor of the Humanities.   Honorary Fellowship Yehiel Ben-Zvi / יבצ-ןב לאיחי Israel Yehiel Ben-Zvi was born in Poland and immigrated to Palestine as a child. A career soldier in the Israel Defense Forces from 1948 to 1972, he served his final tour of duty as Deputy Military Governor of the Gaza Strip and Northern Sinai. He retired at the rank of colonel. During the First Lebanon War, he was recalled to active duty and served as the IDF spokesman in Beirut. Mr. Ben-Zvi joined Tel Aviv University in 1972 and founded the Public Affairs Division. He became TAU Vice President of Public Affairs in 1980, a role in which he served until 2007. Today he continues to serve TAU as Vice President. He holds a degree in the social sciences from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. John Landerer CBE AM / ררדנל ןו'ג Australia John Landerer was born in Czechoslovakia, emigrated to Australia at a young age in 1951, and earned a law degree at Sydney University. He is a senior legal practitioner who has specialized in corporate and commercial advisory work for over 30 years, and has served on the boards of some of Australia's largest public and private companies. A strong advocate of higher education, he is - among other roles - an Honorary Fellow of Sydney University and a Visiting Professor at Macquarie University, and has supported numerous projects at these and other institutions of higher learning. For his endeavors, Mr. Landerer has been named a Member of the Order of Australia and a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. He is President of the New South Wales Chapter of the Australian Friends of Tel Aviv University, and a Vice Chairman of the Tel Aviv University Board of Governors. Alan Selwyn/ ןיוולס ןלא Australia Born in Bialystok, Poland, Alan Selwyn and his family spent most of the Second World War in a Russian detention camp. After being liberated, the family moved to Australia in 1946 and started a textile business. They were instrumental in founding a mill in Ashdod, Israel, in the 1960s, of which Mr. Selwyn became Vice Chairman. Today a prominent figure in Australia's textile industry, he is a founder of the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce, where he is still active, and a supporter of numerous Jewish, medical and social initiatives in Australia and Israel. He is a member and patron of the Victoria (Melbourne) Chapter of the Australian Friends of Tel Aviv University and a TAU Governor.