(Translated from the Hebrew)
Good evening and greetings to all.
Tonight is a personal celebration for each and every one of you; for the new PhD graduates and your tutors, your families, and friends, and the central celebration of Bar-Ilan University: a celebration of discovery, of development, of creation, and of knowledge.
As sung by Danny Sanderson:
We had such problems,
We thought we wouldn’t make it.
We travelled in the wrong direction
In quite a surprising manner.
Amidst all the plains and roads,
We could have died,
Years without hope, because we
Did not know, the best route to take.
But…
Even so, and despite all, we got there.
Yes, yes. Here we are – you got here – despite all. And even despite the Corona!
So, what have we had? The Hassidic dynasties in Tel Aviv; nanotechnological solutions for virus survival against antibiotics; ideological justifications for circumcision in Midrashic literature; corals in times of urbanization; poetry in the Arab minority in Israel; the effects of musical reality shows on teaching music; adaptation and personal growth of children with parents suffering from disabilities; bullying on social media; paternal involvement in the home environment; in the Department of Translation and Translation Research – the power of literature in the war against antisemitism and racism; in the Faculty of Law – the power of civil law in the war against corruption; in the Department of Political Science – how world perceptions, values, and identity affect strategic security thought; and in the Department of Computer Science – efficient strategies for search and rescue in an environment of uncertainty.
These topics, and many more important and fascinating subjects, are dedicated to the 291 PhD graduates with whom we are celebrating tonight, including my two personal graduates – Avinoam Magen and Moran Kandelstein-Heine. The diverse topics of the PhD theses reflect the rich and varied field of knowledge, both theoretical and practical, which have been created in nine faculties (including the Unit for Interdisciplinary Studies) and more than 40 departments, units, schools, and programs at Bar-Ilan University. I do not understand many of these fields, but there are many papers that I would be happy to read.
Sixty-one percent of our graduates tonight are women. The School of Advanced Studies has worked, and will continue to work, to encourage women to study for a PhD degree and succeed in their endeavors, as well as continuing to post-doctorate studies, in order to raise the rate of women in senior academic positions in all departments.
All graduates here can be proud of meeting strict academic demands, also during the months of Corona. I heartily recommend that all of you who haven’t published their thesis or articles from it, to do so soon. It is a pity that valuable studies lie collecting dust in a closed library, while other researchers, as well as students and the general public, cannot benefit from them. Research promotes knowledge, and each one of these is meant to be published and not archived. And of course, please make sure to mention that the work was written at Bar-Ilan University – the academic home of all of us.
I would like to thank incoming Rector, Prof. Amnon Albeck, who supported the School of Advanced Studies in his previous position as Deputy Rector. Good Luck, Amnon!
On behalf of all of you, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Dean of the School of Advanced Studies, Prof. Ronit Sarid, who has generously asked me to talk tonight on behalf of the schools, despite the fact that due to Corona-related restrictions, we had to delay the ceremony.
Good luck to Ronit, and to the Deputy Dean, Prof. Zohar Livnat. I would like to thank the Dean’s Administrative Deputy, Chagit Aharon; Head of the PhD Studies, Idit Barak; and Coordinators Anat Berger, Tamar Hershkowitz, Aviya Segal, Limor Kuperman and Joel Spingren. You all present a winning combination of professionalism and goodwill. Thanks to the members of the school committees (and a special thanks to Prof. Yehonatan Yaakovs); Academic Secretary, Dr. Rachel Levy-Drummer, and her office coordinator, Liat Brooke-Gonen; members of the super professional band from our music department, who we will still hear from, and not only tonight; to the marketing and business development unit, headed by Naama Gat, and especially to Yinon Chaimi, Head of Communications and Digital; Head of Logistics and Events, Uri Santo, and the entire department; Ortra, and especially Sagit Yishai-Yankowitz; and finally, to Yair Caspi, Head of Logistics at Bar-Ilan University, the super producer of this complex event. Outgoing dean or incoming dean, one PhD more or one degree less, without Yair, you would not be getting your diplomas!
Our celebration also has one sad moment. One of our PhD recipients, Dr. Miriam Mickey Levin, from the Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, is not with us anymore. The degree for which Mickey worked so hard for many years will be awarded – in her memory – to her family.
“Great, great are the final moments,” wrote Natan Alterman. But tonight is also a beginning and an onset of a new path – of new discoveries, new research, and new creations.
These days are both weird and complicated for all of us. But, especially in times like this, it is important that we also celebrate when needed. And tonight is the night. Wishing all the best to our new PhD graduates, to the proud tutors, the excited families and friends, and to the entire Bar-Ilan family!
