BOG 2024: Sieratzki Institute for Advances in Neuroscience Inaugurated

Neuroscience is a deeply impactful field today as the more we know about the brain, the more we can do to treat and prevent the effects of neurological conditions and aging. To help advance these breakthroughs, the Sieratzki Institute for Advances in Neuroscience has been inaugurated at this year’s Board of Governors meeting. The Institute is supported by Dr. Jechil (Harry) Sieratzki, a dear and longtime friend of Tel Aviv University, as well as a medical doctor and brain researcher himself. 

In a moving inauguration ceremony which filled the ANU Museum's lecture theatre, Dr. Sieratzki fondly commemorated his late parents Heinrich (Yehezkel) and Barbara (Batia) Sieratzki with this project and shared the amazing life story of his mother Barbara, herself a loyal supporter of TAU and education in Israel.  

Barbara Sieratzki z’’l was born in Krakow, Poland in 1926. She survived the Holocaust, and at one point was imprisoned with the famed poet and soldier Chana Senesh. After the war, she went on to study philology in Hungary. From there she moved to Germany, met her husband Heinrich, and together they built up a family business. When Barbara was 50, Heinrich tragically passed away, and she went on to live independently for 42 more years.  

Barbara became a TAU governor and played an important role in the establishment of the German Friends Association of TAU. Prof. Nir Giladi, Incumbent of the Sieratzki Chair of Neurology, spoke about his years-long friendship to Barbara, whom he described as a woman “with special passion for science and education”. 

In 1995 she and Harry created the Heinrich (Yehezkel) Sieratzki Chair in Neurology at TAU, as well as the Sieratzki Prize for Advances in Neuroscience in 2009. Of the 32 previous Prize recipients, many have become leaders in their fields. Dr. Sieratzki is in personal contact with most of the winners of the Sieratzki Prize and follows their careers. 

TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat pointed out that “Harry continues a 30-year family tradition of supporting neuroscience at Tel Aviv University. Barbara and Harry felt it very important to support Israel and young researchers, understanding that they are in fact the future of Israel.”  

The Sieratzki Institute will work on three levels: awarding fellowships to excellent brain science researchers; acquiring state-of-the-art equipment; and relaunching the Sieratzki Prize for Advances in Neuroscience.  

Said Dr. Sieratzki, “it is an enormous pleasure and privilege to work with the young scientists of Tel Aviv University. In this time of tragedy and uncertainty, it is their enthusiasm and friendship which give me hope and strength.” 

The inauguration was enhanced with a moving musical performance of Psalm 23, Mizmor L’David, by Dr. Paul Heller, Cantor of Belsize Square Synagogue in London and a close friend of Dr. Sieratzki and late Barbara Sieratzki. Cantor Heller was beautifully accompanied by Or Dromi on the keyboard, also a friend of the family. The audience was also treated to a fascinating lecture on sleep research by Prof. Yuval Nir of the Sagol School of Neuroscience, who is himself a Sieratzki Prize winner.

During the ceremony, TAU Dean of Medicine Prof. Karen Avraham emphasized the deep connection of Harry Sieratzki to the Israeli science community, thanking him for his unwavering support. Prof. Inna Slutsky, another successful past winner of the Sieratzki Prize and now the Head of the Sieratzki Institute and President of the Israeli Society of Neuroscience, expressed her appreciation to the Sieratzki family for helping sustain neuroscience research at TAU.