Kadar Family Award for Outstanding Research Inaugurated at Tel Aviv University

"The story of the Kadar Family Award is the story of an alumnus reconnecting with his academic cradle,” Tel Aviv University President Prof. Joseph Klafter told the packed Raya and Josef Jaglom Auditorium at the official inauguration of the Kadar Family Award for Outstanding Research on May 17 during the university’s annual Board of Governors meeting. “Dr. Avraham Kadar was a graduate of the Sackler School of Medicine, and his entire family has remained connected in every way to the university."

The Kadar Family Award was created by a gift from the Naomi Foundation, which honors the memory of Naomi Prawer Kadar, PhD, a lifelong educator and specialist in Yiddish children’s literature. It is divided into two categories — the sciences and the humanities — with prizes for senior and junior researchers in each category. TAU Vice President for Research and Development Prof. Yoav Henis introduced the first recipients: Prof. Ehud Gazit from the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences for “his seminal work on peptide self-assembly” (senior academic prize); Prof. Kfir Eliaz from the Berglas School of Economics for “his original work in both theoretical and experimental economics”; Prof. Roded Sharan of the Blavatnik School of Computer Science for “his unique contribution to computational biology”; and Prof. Andrea Rotstein of the Department of Classics for “her outstanding contribution to our understanding of Greek and Roman cultural poetics and iambic poetry.”

Each of the recipients gave personal presentations reflecting the course of his or her academic career and thanking the Kadar family for their generous support.

“I have received awards in the past, in Israel and abroad,” said Prof. Gazit upon receiving his award. “But there is no doubt that the greatest honor is to be recognized at home, at TAU.”

TAU President Joseph Klafter and TAU Rector Aron Shai present Nadav Kadar (left) with a certificate at the Kadar Family Award ceremony. Photo: Michal Roche-Ben Ami

Recognizing a rich legacy

The Kadar family legacy is rich and diverse, led by Dr. Avraham Kadar, a physician, educator, and innovator, and his late wife. Their children Maya, Nadav, and Einat are also TAU alumni and proudly support The Naomi Foundation. Among the foundation’s other initiatives at TAU are the Naomi Prawer Kadar International Yiddish Summer Program and the TAU Global Research & Training Fellowship in Medical and Life Sciences.

Because Dr. Kadar could not be present at the launch of the award, he asked his son, Nadav, to speak on behalf of the Kadar family. “TAU is an integral part of our family’s life,” he said. “It holds a special place in our hearts. The Kadar award celebrates the pioneering spirit necessary to change the world, and it includes a teaching component to honor my mother’s memory. Congratulations to the first four award recipients, and thank you for your remarkable accomplishments in your respective fields.”

Enhancing TAU’s pioneering spirit

"The Kadar award is singular in many ways,” said Prof. Klafter at the ceremony. “First, it is an internal award, bestowed only on TAU faculty. Second, it is inclusive, honoring outstanding work across the entire spectrum of faculties and disciplines on our campus. Third, it recognizes both senior and younger researchers. Finally, Kadar award recipients have to demonstrate a pioneering spirit – what we at TAU and this award are all about."

A pediatrician and NIH-trained immunologist, Dr. Kadar transformed an enduring fascination with science and innovation into two successful careers, first as a researcher and a physician and later as an international entrepreneur. He began his formal studies in physics at Hebrew University, followed by medical training at TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine, with ongoing specialization in pediatrics. He has been a fellow in the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Kadar also trained at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Hospital in New York and has held faculty positions at the college since 1989, including currently as Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Allergy and Immunology. He also ran a private practice in New York City and Westchester, NY.

"When I turned to Avraham to ask him to support a new prize encouraging excellence, he was very responsive. Today we are beginning a new tradition of promoting excellence in the dissemination of knowledge through research and teaching," said Prof. Klafter. "We are proud of this award and its contribution to raising the profile of Tel Aviv University in Israel and internationally, and we are deeply grateful for it."

As originally reported by AFTAU.