Hebrew University Awards Honorary Doctorates and Honors Hostage's Father
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem awarded honorary doctorates to ten figures, including three Nobel laureates, and honored Eshel Gat, father of murdered hostage Carmel Gat, with the Rothberg Prize.
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has awarded honorary doctorates to ten distinguished figures for their contributions to science, society, and the university during its 89th Board of Governors session. The recipients include three Nobel laureates in economics, Turing Award laureate Prof. Shafi Goldwasser, and the three Azrieli family members.
Alongside the honorary degrees, the Rothberg Prize for Jewish Education was presented to Eshel Gat, the father of Carmel Gat, who was abducted and murdered in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip. The ceremony, attended by faculty members and guests, also featured the awarding of the Bublik Prize to Prof. Eliezer Rabinovici for his contributions to scientific research and strengthening Israel's standing globally. The degrees were presented by University President Prof. Tamir Sheafer and Rector Prof. Oron Shagrir.
Honor for the Father of Carmel Gat
Eshel Gat, a graduate of the Hebrew University's Faculty of Agriculture, received the Rothberg Prize for Jewish Education for his public activism and struggle for the return of the hostages. His wife, Kineret Gat, was murdered in the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and their daughter Carmel, a master's student in occupational therapy at the university, was abducted to Gaza and murdered in captivity.
Carmel was held hostage for nearly 11 months, approximately 330 days, and was murdered in August 2024 in a tunnel in Rafah alongside five other hostages. Their bodies were recovered on August 31, 2024. The award committee highlighted Gat's dedication to his family, Kibbutz Be'eri, and agriculture, describing Carmel as a peace-loving woman and a source of optimism.
Nobel Laureates and Turing Award Winner
Among the honorary doctorate recipients are three Nobel laureates in economics: Prof. Joshua Angrist, the 2021 laureate who immigrated to Israel from the USA, served in the IDF, and completed his master's degree at the Hebrew University; Prof. Joel Mokyr, the 2025 laureate; and Prof. Alvin Roth, the 2012 laureate and market design pioneer.
Prof. Shafi Goldwasser, the 2012 Turing Award laureate and former lecturer at the university, also received an honorary doctorate for her pioneering work in computer science and cryptography. Additionally, degrees were awarded to Dana Azrieli, Dr. Naomi Azrieli, and Dr. Sharon Azrieli for their philanthropic activities in Israel and Canada spanning healthcare, medical research, and education.
Recognition of Science and Leadership
Other honorees include American businessman and philanthropist Stephen Levin, businessman and philanthropist Marc Meyer, and Islamic intellectual history researcher Prof. Sabine Schmidtke.
The Bublik Prize was awarded to Prof. Eliezer Rabinovici, an Israeli physicist who formerly served as president of the CERN Council and head of the Racah Institute of Physics at the Hebrew University. University President Prof. Tamir Sheafer stated during the ceremony that the honorees represent the finest of human achievement and embody the university's enduring commitment to excellence.
