NEW YORK, NY – June 22, 2026 – The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science announced today a $29 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to the Weizmann Institute of Science. The funding will support the research institute as it restores its campus in Rehovot, Israel following the catastrophic damage caused by two Iranian missiles that targeted the Weizmann campus on June 15, 2025.
52 research labs, 100 buildings, 5,600 pieces of equipment, and 25,500 biological samples were damaged or destroyed at the Weizmann Institute of Science, one of the world’s leading multidisciplinary basic research institutions in the natural and exact sciences, with a long history of investigation and discovery rooted in a mission of advancing science for the future of humanity. The restoration and rebuilding effort is already underway but will take years to complete and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust will play a central role in ensuring that Weizmann’s world‑class, life-saving research can move forward without prolonged interruption.
“One of the Weizmann Institute’s greatest strengths is the generosity and passion of its supporters,” remarked Prof. Alon Chen, President of the Weizmann Institute of Science. “The Helmsley Charitable Trust has been a committed and generous partner to the Institute. This grant comes in response to an unprecedented attack and is instrumental in accelerating our rebuild while helping scientists resume their world-changing work.”
The funding from the Helmsley Charitable Trust will enable the rebuilding and recovery of floors three through seven of the Wolfson Building for Biological Research. Together with the Wolfson Building, the David Lopatie Institute of Comparative Medicine, the Lorry I Lokey Preclinical Research Facility Veterinary Resources, the Sussman Family Building for Environmental Sciences, and the Deloro Building for Advanced and Intelligent Materials anchor the curiosity-driven, collaborative research that has enabled the Institute’s remarkable scientific achievements.
“The Weizmann Institute has a global reputation for research that delivers both scientific and medical breakthroughs that benefit all humanity and is essential in advancing knowledge across scientific fields,” said Sandor Frankel, a Trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “We are committed to helping to preserve and strengthen this unique center of discovery and learning and helping their scientists, students, and staff return to their research. Mankind cannot afford to lose the Weizmann Institute.”
Helmsley aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since 2010, Helmsley has committed more than $780 million in grants for Israel, including $80.7 million to the Weizmann Institute.
“To see Helmsley embrace Weizmann with this bold and generous grant is inspiring and humbling,” reflected Dave Doneson, CEO of the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science. “Visionary philanthropies like Helmsley that believe in the power of science to change the world are integral to expediting our recovery efforts while building a better, stronger Weizmann Institute for the future.”
Weizmann scientists have spent the last nine months working out of temporary shared lab spaces across the campus. The generous grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust will fund essential laboratory reconstruction, equipment replacement, and infrastructure work, helping to ensure that every lab is fully rebuilt and equipped. This support will enable researchers to return to their critical work in an environment designed for collaboration, curiosity‑driven research, and bold discoveries — hallmarks of the Institute’s scientific excellence.
The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is one of the world’s top-ranking multidisciplinary research and graduate institutions. The campus community includes more than 4,000 scientists, students, and staff who study and engage in best-in-class exploratory research in health and medicine, our planet, the physical world, education, and technology.
The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science shares the Institute’s devotion to advancing world-changing science, partnering with generous individuals, foundations, and corporations to help Weizmann scientists answer some of the most difficult questions facing humanity.
