April 1, 1925: The Hebrew University is inaugurated



Photo courtesy: The Library of Congress

The idea of a “Jewish university” was first conceived in the 19th Century against the background of discrimination and persecution in Europe. Jews were barred from higher education in Russia and Romania and there were similar restrictions in other countries. During the graduation of pupils from the first Jewish high school in Palestine – the Herzliya Gymnasium – an increasing demand was voiced for higher education to be made available locally. The idea of the University was proposed at the 11th Zionist Congress in 1913 by ChaimWeizmann, who subsequently championed the cause around the world.
University foundation stones were dedicated at Mount Scopus in 1918. Adjacent plots of land were gradually acquired, and by 1940 the entire ridge of Mount Scopus overlooking the Old City was earmarked for The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

An inaugural lecture in 1923, given by one of its most prominent supporters, Professor Albert Einstein, was HU’s first public function. On April 1, 1925 a public inauguration ceremony of the university was held in Jerusalem and HU became the first university in the Holy Land

HU’s first endeavors were dedicated to developing research in science and medicine. Its first three research institutes – in microbiology, chemistry and Jewish studies – had 33 faculty members and 141 students. In 1931, HU awarded its first degrees, the Master of Arts, to 13 graduates.
After the establishment of a Chair in Farm Management in the 1930s, the HU School of Agriculture opened in Rehovot in 1942.

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