BOG 2015: Raya and Josef Jaglom Auditorium Inaugurated

The 2015 TAU Board of Governors kicked off with a blast, literally. With a festive fanfare of trumpets in the George S. Wise Senate Building, the meeting began with the inauguration of the Raya and Josef Jaglom Auditorium.  A long-time dream of Raya Jaglom, the auditorium was created for the use of the Board of Governors, as well as for Senate meetings, conferences, symposia and other events.  As TAU President Prof. Joseph Klafter said, "I am certain that great ideas will be generated in this auditorium – ideas that will shape and guide the development of the University and Israel."

The ceremony began with Raya Jaglom's great-grandchildren cutting the ribbon to the auditorium surrounded by family members, Governors, Senior TAU leaders and well-wishers.  Chairman of the Board Prof. Jacob A. Frenkel said, "We are here today to honor a fantastic person and that is what the Board of Governors is really about – the people.  And as you can see today, Tel Aviv University is truly an intergenerational commitment." 

Raya Jaglom: Legendary Israeli Woman Leader

Raya Jaglom, 95 years old and still going strong, is one of Israel's most famous women's advocates and social leaders. She immigrated to pre-state Israel from Romania at the young age of 19 to study at Hebrew University.  Later, as a mother of two young children, Raya joined the Hagana in 1947 and helped bring Jews from Eastern Europe into the country.  Of all of Raya's accomplishments, she is most well known as the longest standing president of World WIZO, her development of the organization and building of WIZO day care centers throughout Israel. "She is a brand name that stands for caring for the weaker parts of society, for family, for Zionism and Israel-Diaspora bonds, and for selfless volunteering," said Chairman Frenkel.

Raya Jaglom, together with her son, Elchanan Jaglom, and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, inaugurated the Raya and Josef Jaglom Auditorium in the presence of TAU Board of Governors Chairman Jacob Frenkel and TAU President Joseph Klafter. Photo: Michal Roche-Ben Ami

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Mrs. Jaglom received an honorary doctorate from Tel Aviv University in 2002; served as the President of the Israeli Friends of Tel Aviv University from 1994-2001; is a Vice Chairwoman of the Board of Governors; a founding member of the Council for Soviet Jews; a founder of the Tel Aviv Museum; a staunch supporter of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra; an honorary life president and the longest standing president of World WIZO. 

At the inauguration ceremony Mrs. Jaglom thanked her son, Elchanan, for his instrumental role in realizing her dream.  She also said, after seeing that the theme of the Board of Governors was Putting Your Passion into Action, that it was appropriate because building the auditorium "was like a passion for me." 

The main speaker at the inauguration was former TAU President Prof. Haim Ben-Shahar, who spoke about Raya's accomplishments, "When Raya had an idea, she not only presented it lucidly, but it was usually a very good idea.  I do not know of any other case at the university where the donor came with an initiative and not the other way around. Here, at Tel Aviv University, we recognize that drive and because of it we are all friends of Raya," he said.