About Us
Founded in 1944, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science develops philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and advances its mission of science for the future of humanity.
Dec 25, 2019... The Israeli life science industry is uniquely poised in the global ecosystem and the trajectory is likely to go north. According to a recent report by Israeli Advanced Technology Industries (IATI), the robust Israeli life ecosystem has produced close to 1400 companies in the last decade solving pressing problems in the diverse range of sectors, including but not limited to, biotechnology, medical devices, diagnostics, digital health, healthcare IT, etc. Further, a lion’s share of these companies (about 823) is in the early stages. One of the major reasons for Israeli superiority in the life science industry stems from significant spending on R&D (about 4% of GDP) and the seamless technology transfer from acclaimed research institutions, most notably the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Feb 04, 2020...
The winners of the third annual Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel, a prize run by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in collaboration with the New York Academy of Sciences and the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, were announced on Monday.
These prizes are awarded to scientists under the age of 42, who have already made significant achievements and show promise for future innovations in the fields of life sciences, chemistry and physical sciences and engineering.
Apr 04, 2016...
Weizmann Institute
A longtime donor to the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel wanted to do more. He had his sights set on endowing a chair that goes to new hires at the institute as they set up labs and assemble research teams. But he couldn’t afford the $750,000 price tag, except through a bequest.
That didn’t stop fundraisers at the New York-based American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science. They worked out a plan with the donor to put his name on a chair sooner rather than later. The donor would start by giving $37,500 each year, roughly equal to what the chair would draw annually from a $750,000 endowment. His estate would pay off the full endowment when he died.
Apr 06, 2016...
Photo Courtesy of The Gregory School
Editor’s Note: Gregory School junior and Chant reporter Tianyi Zhu is participating in The Gregory School’s physics trip to Israel and sending updates:
Our whole team is now on the plane to LA, ready to takeoff. We’ll then fly directly from LA to Tel Aviv. The flight is about fourteen hours. Our safe for the competition was disassembled into separate components and put into two carry-on suitcases.
May 08, 2019... Meet visual neuroscientist Dr. Michal Rivlin, the 2019 Life Sciences Laureate of the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists. Dr. Rivlin’s research is making major strides in understanding sight, in particular the retina, the part of the eye where all visual processes begin. She has found that retinal cells, rather than being fixed and hardwired, are malleable and can dramatically change their properties in response to stimuli like light and motion. Her work has implications for retinal disease and blindness, and the development of computer vision technologies. The Blavatnik Awards, presented by The Blavatnik Family Foundation, the New York Academy of Sciences, and the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities (IASH), recognize early-career scientists and engineers in Israel for both their extraordinary achievements and promise for future discoveries. Of the three 2019 laureates, two were from the Weizmann Institute; the other Weizmann winner was Prof. Erez Berg of the Department of Condensed Matter Physics. Video courtesy of the New York Academy of Sciences.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/meet-weizmann-s-new-scientists/
Jan 13, 2020...
What better way to begin a new year than meeting some of the Weizmann Institute’s new scientists?
Every year, the Institute recruits several talented young researchers, each of whom is already a standout in their field. One reason the selection process is so particular is that, once on campus, the scientists are given everything they need to kick off their careers, such as a custom-built lab that has the equipment required for each specialty. The results speak for themselves.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/building-a-bridge-from-brooklyn-to-rehovot/
May 02, 2006...
The Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) hosted a gathering of alumni from Polytechnic University of Brooklyn, New York, and its extension in Israel. Held at the Weizmann Institute campus in Rehovot, the event marked the 150th anniversary of the founding of the university and the 60th anniversary of the formation of Polytechnic’s Planning Committee.
Polytechnic is the second oldest private engineering and science institution in the U.S., and its Planning Committee helped establish WIS by expanding the Daniel Sieff Research Institute. The Planning Committee was created at the end of World War II under the chairmanship of Prof. Herman Mark, often called the “father of polymer science” and a close associate of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, who was known as, among other things, the “father of industrial fermentation.” In fact, as Prof. Mark states in his memoir, Dr. Weizmann personally asked him to serve as head of the Planning Committee. Another of the committee members was Ephraim Katzir, then Prof. Mark’s postdoctoral student, who would later become a Weizmann Institute professor and Israel’s fourth president.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/video-gallery/2011-midwest-gala/
May 05, 2011... Produced by Abbott Labs for the Midwest Region of the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science, and shot largely on location at the Weizmann Institute, this video inspired attendees at the 2011 Chicago Gala with a visual overview of the Institute's main areas of science and several of its most significant breakthroughs.
Sep 12, 2016...
Prof. Chaim Weizmann in 1949. Credit: Hugo Mendelson via Government Press Office
Although Prof. Chaim Weizmann is well-known as the first president of the State of Israel, his life as a scientist may be even more significant to the country’s founding.
During World War I, Prof. Weizmann, a chemist then living in Britain – where his wife, Vera, served as a doctor – invented a method of industrial fermentation which produced large quantities of acetone. Crucial to the British war effort, his invention has been credited with helping the Allies win. During this time he also became friends with Lord Arthur Balfour, helping persuade him to write his famous Declaration. Today, however, the renowned scientific institution that bears his name may be Prof. Weizmann’s greatest legacy.
Nov 12, 2013...
Ellen Merlo and Jay Levy
NEW YORK, NY—November 12, 2013—The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science has announced that Ellen Merlo of New York and Dr. Jay A. Levy of California were elected Chair and President, respectively, by the Board of Directors at its annual meeting. They succeed outgoing Chairman Lawrence S. Blumberg of New York and outgoing President Pennie Abramson of Washington, D.C., both of whom completed three two-year terms of service.