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The University of Maryland Dedicates New Joseph and Alma Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies

A generous gift from Wilson Center Chairman Joseph Gildenhorn and his wife Alma has enabled the creation of the Gildenhorn Institute and the expansion of Middle East programming at the University of Maryland.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- His Excellency Daniel Ayalon, ambassador of Israel to the United States, delivered the inaugural lecture of the new Joseph and Alma Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies during a dedication ceremony of the Institute on Thursday, September 28, 2006, in the Gildenhorn Recital Hall of the Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

A generous naming gift from Joseph and Alma Gildenhorn will now enable the Institute to expand its programs and faculty to achieve international prominence. The new Gildenhorn Institute will be distinct in that it will develop as an integral part of existing and newly emerging programs in Middle East Studies at the university. As a result, the Institute's programs will be broader and more comprehensive than those at other campuses, creating a unique framework for research and learning that examines the cultural, historical, political, economic, and intellectual forces that shaped and influenced the development of modern-day Israel.

"The Center will focus on contemporary Israel...its history, its leaders and politics, its socio-economic structure, and its pioneering work in the sciences and technology. Central to the Institute's mandate will be the conflicts and challenges that face Israel in the Middle East," said Alma Gildenhorn. "We anticipate that a
meaningful dialogue that encourages understanding will be established through the Israel Institute's participation in the dynamic Middle East Studies Program here at the University of Maryland."

According to University of Maryland President C. D. Mote, Jr., the new Institute will ultimately play a significant role in shaping the dialogue about Israel on the campus, in the community, and across the nation.

"The Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies significantly enhances Maryland's Jewish Studies Programs, which already is among the largest in the nation, and it will play a key role in Maryland's growing strengths in Middle East Studies," said Mote. "But what will make us most unique is that Israel studies will be integrated into all areas of the university's programs in Middle East Studies. This is highly unusual and difficult to achieve."

Since his appointment to the post of Israel's Ambassador to the United States in July 2002, Daniel Ayalon has been at the forefront of developing the strong relationship between the United States and Israel. He has worked extensively with the U.S. Administration and Congress in advancing economic, political, and diplomatic relations.

Eric Zakim, assistant professor of Hebrew Language and Culture, will serve as Interim Director of the Institute. Before coming to the University of Maryland in 2002, Zakim was on the faculty at Duke University for six years. He teaches courses in Hebrew language and Israeli culture, and coordinates the Hebrew language program. Zakim received his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, from the University of California at Berkeley.

About The University of Maryland
From its pre-Civil War roots as Maryland's first agricultural college and one of America's original land grant institutions, today the University of Maryland is the flagship campus of the University System of Maryland and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. Ranked No. 18 by U.S. News & World Report, it also has 31 academic programs in the Top 10 and 92 in the Top 25. The faculty includes four Nobel Laureates, six Pulitzer Prize winners and scores of Fulbright scholars. The university is committed to excellence as the state's premier center of research and graduate education and the institution of choice for undergraduate students of exceptional ability and promise.

Contact: Millree Williams at Millree@umd.edu