An unidentified alumnus from Columbia University has recently befuddled the academic circle by making a $260 million philanthropic contribution to Bar-Ilan University and each of Israel. The generosity has caused quite a stir, with much speculation that the giver was most unhappy with the anti-Semitic and anti-Israel demonstrations that have occurred on Columbia grounds in the recent past.
Again, it is stated that the donor is a North American Jew and a Columbia University alumni who engaged in the Second World War, but he is not disclosed. However, they were quite affirmed that they decided that it was wiser and proper to channel a lot of their wealth to Bar Ilan University since they considered this institution to be most capable of ‘taking up a huge task of increasing technological science-based security in Israel. ‘
Bar-Ilan University’s president, Arie Zaban, thanked the donor for the gift. The university plans to use the funds to foster “deep tech” sciences, thus contributing to the future of Israel and humanity.
This gesture has led to identification of who could be this extremely rich man who supported the arts. Given that he was involved in the Second World War, he would be approximately 100 years old. Some pundits perceive the donation as a ‘slap on the face’ of Columbia. This reception might signify the start of a deterioration of relations between the contributor and their academic institution.
This gift is one of the biggest in history; another similar one was the $500 mln given by James Simons and his spouse, Marilyn Simons, to Stony Brook University during the previous year. This gift comes at a time and in a way that has further fueled a lot of debate among scholars and the public as to the possible reasons behind such a generous hand from one man to further the education of those who wish to pursue the same.
