Nine New Honorary Doctorates Conferred

On Monday, in the framework of its 68^th annual Board of Trustees meetings, Bar-Ilan University awarded honorary doctorates to former IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. (res.) Aviv Kochavi, Atidim, artist Sigalit Landau, Rabbi Yaakov Medan, Yale University Prof. Joan Steitz, and entertainment troupe Zehu Ze! at a moving ceremony on campus.

Bar-Ilan University President Prof. Arie Zaban awarded the doctoral certificates to each of the honorees in attendance, while ceremonial hooders placed the doctoral hood around the shoulders of the recipients.  

Addressing the packed audience in the Dahan Family Unity Park on campus, Lt. Gen. Kochavi spoke on behalf of, and saluted, all the degree recipients. He noted that “Creation is our common denominator; it is all encompassing and should be encouraged in every institution, every school, and every organization. Creation is daring, it is about making mistakes, and it is the human internal motivator, and in our scenario, it is what gives Israel and the IDF our qualitative advantage.”

After receiving their award, members of the beloved Zehu Ze! took to the podium and regaled with their familiar banter. Avi Kushnir, for example, was “worried” the honor would be taken away from him since he never finished high school, while Gidi Gov admitted that this was the first ceremony he ever attended. “Thank you for proving to the world that old people can be funny,” the group concluded.

Musician Rami Kleinstein wowed the audience with his piano-playing perfection, performing four works, including "A Matter of Time", composed by Kleinstein and written by Ehud Manor, in honor of doctorate recipient Gov, who originally recorded the song. In tribute to US members of the University's Board of Trustees, Kleinstein, who was born in Queens, New York, also sang Elton John's "Your Song".