Seventy years of history etched in stone. That’s what I see looking at the Hebrew University Givat Ram Campus. This sprawling campus wasn’t always here. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem began its journey in 1918. Its official opening however was in 1925 on Mount Scopus. Imagine the excitement at that inaugural ceremony. Distinguished scholars and world leaders were present. The Earl of Balfour Viscount Allenby and Sir Herbert Samuel among them.
But the road to Givat Ram was fraught with challenges. The 1948 War of Independence led to the tragic Hadassah medical convoy massacre. Seventy-nine Jews were brutally murdered. The Mount Scopus campus was then cut off from the rest of Jerusalem. For a time classes were held in over forty different buildings scattered across the city. Even the Terra Santa building in Rehavia was temporarily used. A remarkable feat of adaptability.
The solution was Givat Ram a new campus in western Jerusalem. Construction completed in 1958. American landscape architect Lawrence Halprin designed its central core. He envisioned a series of plazas for the tiered hillside instead of a traditional quadrangle. It was a bold departure from the norm. This innovative design took into consideration the scale of the site and the then small student body. The campus was completed in 1960.
Today Givat Ram is a vibrant hub of academic activity. It houses the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The School of Engineering and Computer Sciences also resides here. The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Research is a noteworthy feature. The campus location is strategic. It’s close to Israel’s Parliament the Israel Museum and the Supreme Court. Its proximity to the Knesset and other government offices solidifies its role in the nation’s development.
The Hebrew University Givat Ram Campus is more than just buildings and classrooms. It is a testament to resilience innovation and the enduring pursuit of knowledge. A place where the past informs the present shaping a future brimming with possibilities. Its story is one of survival adaptation and ultimately triumph. A story reflected in every stone every tree and every student who walks its paths. Let’s move on to explore the campus’s impressive architecture.