Hebrew University President Receives Honorary Degree From Jewish Theological Seminary in New York

Hebrew University President Receives Honorary Degree From Jewish Theological Seminary in New York

Hebrew University of Jerusalem President Prof. Menahem Ben-Sasson has received an honorary doctor of Hebrew letters degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.

The presentation was made by JTS Chancellor Arnold Eisen at May 17 commencement exercises at the seminary. Eisen said that in presenting the degree the JTS was expressing its appreciation to Ben-Sasson for his lifelong dedication to the State of Israel and the Jewish people.

The scroll presented to Ben-Sasson cites his many academic and public achievements, including his service as a professor at The Hebrew University, as a member of Knesset, and as former rector and currently the 13th president of the Hebrew University. The scroll also singled out his having served as chairman of the Ben-Zvi Institute and as president of the World Union for Jewish Studies. Among his outstanding academic achievements cited were his work on the study of medieval Jewry in Muslim lands and of manuscripts from the Cairo Geniza 

Also at the JTS commencement, an honorary degree was presented to Prof. Sara Japhet, the Yehezkel Kaufmann Professor Emeritus of Bible at The Hebrew University. Prof. Japhet, a winner of the Israel Prize for Bible studies, is a former . head of the Institute of Jewish Studies at The Hebrew University and former director of the Jewish National and University Library.