Bar-Ilan University, one of Israel's premier institutions of higher education, is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2025. Established in 1955 by Professor Pinkhos Churgin, the university was named after Rabbi Meir Bar-Ilan, a prominent leader of the Mizrachi movement. The university's emblem, combining a Torah scroll and a microscope, symbolizes its mission to integrate Jewish heritage with scientific advancement .
From its modest beginnings with 70 students, Bar-Ilan has grown to accommodate approximately 21,000 students across nine faculties, including Jewish Studies, Medicine, Engineering, Law, Life Sciences, Exact Sciences, Social Sciences, Education, and Humanities . The university is renowned for its contributions to various fields, such as the Bar-Ilan Responsa Project, a comprehensive digital collection of Jewish texts .
The 70th-anniversary celebrations are marked by significant events, including the inaugural Jonathan Sacks Institute Prize awarded to Professor Robert Putnam, honoring his contributions to social capital theory and community cohesion . These festivities reflect Bar-Ilan University's enduring commitment to blending tradition with innovation, impacting both Israeli society and the global academic community.
