Zvika Klein, the editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, presented Prof. Uriel Reichman, who founded Reichman University, served as its president, and currently acts in the capacity of chairperson of its Board of Directors, with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the publication’s conference in New York on Monday.

After receiving the award honoring him for founding and developing the university, which today boasts a student body of 8,500 and is the largest international school in Israel, Reichman then participated in an onstage interview with Klein.

Responding to Klein’s query about Reichman defining itself as a Zionist university, the professor replied, “A university is more than a research institution. It fosters the human capital of a nation. As such, a university comes from the people and goes back to the people. It is a part of society. Therefore, we take responsibility for more than just concentrating on research and teaching.

Friends of Reichman University - Yoav Tzivoni, Prof. Uriel Reichman, Daniel Jusidman, Dr. Miriam Adelson, Dr. Bilha Fish, Guy Weltsch, with Professor Reichman. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Friends of Reichman University - Yoav Tzivoni, Prof. Uriel Reichman, Daniel Jusidman, Dr. Miriam Adelson, Dr. Bilha Fish, Guy Weltsch, with Professor Reichman. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
“We have a mission to educate the future leaders of Israel, to teach them to believe in themselves, be entrepreneurial in their lives, and move forward to realize their aspirations,” Reichman continued.

“But, at the same time,” he said, “we believe that each of our students has a responsibility to physically defend the State of Israel when needed and stand strong to defend the basic values on which the country was founded.”

Turning his attention to the Jewish community in the Diaspora, Reichman discussed the university’s Raphael Recanati International School, which hosts 2,500 students from around the world who study in English.

“I declared from the very beginning,” he said, “that our university, as a Zionist university, would open its studies to Jews from all over the world. It’s part of our Zionist dream.”

“Many of our students make aliyah and are part of the future of the country, while those who go back home to the United States or other countries are great ambassadors of the State of Israel,” Reichman added.

He addressed the situation in Israel and the Diaspora over the past year and a half, since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War.

“We all are going through difficult times. October 7 in Israel shattered the vision of Zionism. So, we are facing a new situation. We have to think about forging stronger ties between American Jewry and Israel,” Reichman said.