Rebbeca Bukhris
As the Trustee and Director of the Adelis Foundation since its establishment in 2006, Rebecca Boukhris has advocated for the future of the State of Israel and the Jewish People with special focus on education, science and medicine. The Adelis Foundation name is an acronym based on the name of the founder Andr. Deloro, and his passion, Israel. The Foundation has been a driving force behind groundbreaking scientific research not only at Bar-Ilan University but at every research institution in Israel. Through her commitment and devotion to the State of Israel and Zionist causes, Ms. Boukhris has overseen the Adelis Foundation's sizeable role in shaping the welfare of our country, promoting the scientists of tomorrow and fostering higher education. The Adelis Foundation has steadfastly supported advanced cancer research here at Bar-Ilan University over the last decade.
Former Ambassador to the United States Gen. Michael (Mike) Herzog
General Michael Herzog is a former Brigadier General in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel's ambassador to the United States from 2021-2025. Previously, he was an Israel-based International Fellow of The Washington Institute. General Herzog has held senior positions in the office of Israel's Minister of Defense under ministers Ehud Barak, Amir Peretz, Shaul Mofaz and Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, including as a senior military aide and Chief of Staff. Since 1993, he has played a key role in the Arab Israeli peace process, participating in most of Israel's negotiations with the Palestinians, Jordanians, and Syrians, including the Wye Plantation summit, Camp David summit, the Taba negotiations, and the Annapolis summit. From 2009 to 2010, he served as Special Envoy to Israel's Prime Minister and Minister of Defense in the efforts to relaunch the peace process. His career has included service as Head of the Strategic Planning Division (1998-2001), Deputy Head of the Strategic Planning Division (1995-1998), member of the Intelligence Corps (1974-1994), and infantry soldier (1973 war). With an unwavering commitment to diplomacy and bipartisanship, Herzog has been a voice for Israel's security and a strong and effective champion for the US-Israel relationship.
Michael G. Jesselson
Mr. Michael G. Jesselson, president of Jesselson Capital Corp and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Bar-Ilan University, serves as a director of C-III Capital Partners LLC, Clarity Capital and other private companies, as well as several philanthropic organizations. He is on the board of directors of numerous organizations, including: Centurion Acquisition Corp., Clarity Capital Group, C-III Capital Partners LLC, XPO, Inc., American Committee for Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem, American Friends of Nishmat, Inc. and Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Over his successful career, he has honored his parents' renowned tradition of community involvement and philanthropy, supporting a wide variety of Jewish projects and organizations in Israel and abroad. In addition to Bar-Ilan University, were he served as president of the board, he has served as a board member of American Friends of the Israel Museum, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Birthright Israel Foundation, National Museum of American Jewish History, the American Jewish Historical Society and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
NATAL- Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center
The NATAL association was founded in 1998 by Jude Yovel Recanati together with the late Dr. Yossi Hadar as a unique rehabilitation center for trauma victims, dedicated to rebuilding the resilience and emotional well-being of Israelis. It was the first center in Israel to create and standardize protocols for coping with trauma in general society and is now considered the leading expert in the field. With a holistic, multi-pronged approach that includes a helpline, community resiliency unit, clinical unit, trauma studies center, and career development unit, NATAL has helped over 700,000 people. Its increased activity during the Swords of Iron war provided an immediate and targeted response to an unprecedented need; From the morning of October 7th, when it fielded calls from people hiding in their safe rooms, through today, as it continues to provide support to reserve soldiers during their transition back to civilian life, NATAL has been at the forefront of post-trauma treatment, research and rehabilitation.
Prof. Patrick Cramer
Prof. Patrick Cramer is a world-renowned German chemist, structural biologist and molecular systems biologist whose work has played a vital role in advancing our understanding of the human genome. His lifetime accomplishments , which include developing groundbreaking methods to analyze fundamental aspects of RNA metabolism in cells , were essential to the science behind the 2006 Nobel Prize in chemistry and continue to contribute to the field. In 2020, Dr. Cramer's team at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry created the first "3D structure of the corona polymerase" for the COVID-19 virus, which allowed researchers to investigate how antiviral drugs work and to search for new inhibitory substances. His groundbreaking research has earned him numerous awards, including the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation (2006); Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine (2009); Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2012); Louis Jeantet Prize for Medicine (2021), and the Shaw Prize (2023). In addition to his research, he was a founder of the "Center for Integrated Protein Science (CIPSM)" and initiated the construction of the new research building, the "Munich Research Center for Molecular Biosystems", in 2016. In 2023, he became president of the Max Planck Society, where he continues to promote the development of life sciences in Germany and Europe.
Rita
Rita Jahan-Farouz, known professionally as" Rita", is one of Israel's most prolific and beloved singers, actresses, songwriters and performers. She was born in Tehran, Iran, and immigrated to Israel with her family at 8 years old. Rita started her musical career in an army singing troupe, “IDF 80”, as part of a duo, “Rami & Rita”, with Rami Kleinstein. Her first single, B'gida (Betrayal), released in 1985, went straight to number one- an unprecedent achievement four an unknown singer. Over the next for decades, she released 16 albums- 6 of which went platinum and 7 gold- and starred in numerous productions, including My Fair Lady and Chicago. In both 1988 and 1989 she was chosen as Singer of the Year by Israel's national radio station, and in 1990 represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Shara Barkhovot (Singing in the Streets). In 2011, she recorded "My Joys"- an entire album in Farsi, as a tribute to her family and cultural roots. The album was a runaway success in Israel and surprisingly, in Iran, despite being officially banned. In 2013, she starred in a Songs for Peace concert at the UN, singing in Farsi, English and Hebrew in an effort to bring nations together through music. She has since been referred to as a cultural ambassador between Israelis and Iranians and an outspoken voice for freedom and women's rights.