Dear Friends,

Over the past year, Bar-Ilan University has continued to strengthen its position as a leading Israeli and global institution of higher education, achieving milestones that reflect strategic thinking and an agile response to extraordinary circumstances.

As documented in recent national higher-education reports, we grew dramatically over the last few years, most notably through a 30 percent rise in overall enrollment across all degree levels. Bar-Ilan is now the second-largest research university in the country, a position that signals broad confidence in our academic mission and potential for impact. In parallel, our reputation continues to rise as well: National brand surveys place Bar-Ilan among the top institutions most recommended by prospective students, affirming that our blend of rigorous scholarship, interdisciplinary innovation, and values-based education resonates deeply within Israeli society. We have also taken decisive steps to advance excellence in research, such as the President’s Scholarship for Outstanding Doctoral Students. These and other targeted initiatives increase our ability to attract and support high-caliber scholars poised to lead in fields ranging from engineering and psychology to biotech and chemistry.

These accomplishments are especially meaningful in light of the context in which they were achieved. In a year marked by unprecedented national challenges, Bar-Ilan reaffirmed its commitment to the students whose studies and lives were deeply affected by service and security demands. For this extraordinary work on behalf of our reservists—including academic accommodations, financial relief, and emotional and technological support—we were honored with the 2025 Minister of Defense Award of Recognition. This prestigious award underscores our deep sense of solidarity and responsibility for one another during times of hardship. Indeed, ours is a community that challenges students intellectually while supporting them personally—and prepares them to contribute meaningfully to Israel and the world.

Finally, our decision to award this year’s Jonathan Sacks Institute Prize to Prof. Deborah Lipstadt for her distinguished contributions to moral leadership and the fight against antisemitism reflects Bar-Ilan’s growing role as a major platform for ideas that shape the global Jewish conversation. To me, this role is entirely fitting, as Bar-Ilan has always been more than an academic institution. We are also a place where tradition and innovation meet, and where Jewish values are woven into the fabric of world-class research and education. Yet our task is not simply to continue a legacy, but to deepen it through bold vision, academic excellence, and a determination to help shape a better society.

As chair of Bar-Ilan’s Board of Trustees, I am immensely proud of how all these achievements both honor the long-term goals we have set—enhancing academic excellence, enriching global intellectual discourse, and fortifying community resilience—and exemplify the adroitness and resolve with which Bar-Ilan moves onward and upward, meeting challenges with opportunities.

Warm regards,

Alan Zekelman

Chairman, Global Board of Trustees