BOG 2025: New, Beautiful Facilities for Ethics Powerhouse

“After all the hard work, perseverance, and investment, a special moment arrives,” said representative of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation, Juir Torenheim, at the inauguration of the new TAU campus home for Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics. The facility, part of the recently constructed Buchmann Building at the Buchmann Faculty of Law, is providing long-needed space for the Ethics Center to expand its activities and host researchers, students and visitors in a suitably attractive and modern venue. 

The Center was originally established in 2011 with the goal of setting new standards for ethics research and teaching in Israel. Today, it is acknowledged as a prestigious hub for high caliber research and has gained the esteem of scholars across the globe.

“At this special moment, I want to reaffirm the mission of the Center,” continued Mr. Torenheim: “To continue setting a high bar for ethical thinking, to be a place that looks ahead, that encourages people to dream big and to aspire to make an impact, and, above all, to keep asking more and more questions.”

Providing a stimulating environment for debate and brainstorming, the new facilities include a conference room, a large meeting room, and a range of offices for scholars and staff.

A view of the modern, airy new Safra space (Photo: Chen Galili)

TAU President Prof. Ariel Porat, in his greetings, said, “Tel Aviv University is blessed to have a partner, the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation, that recognizes the importance of the ethics field and of the need to anchor it in Israeli academia.” He warmly thanked attendees from the Foundation – CEO Marcos Ezra, Mr. Torenheim and Ariel Grinberg – and sent appreciation and regards to Max Coslov who was unable to participate.

Safra Center: Grappling with Societal Challenges

Prof. Issachar (Issi) Rosen-Zvi, Director of the Safra Center for Ethics, explained to the audience that, through pre-selected themes, the Center addresses the defining challenges of our time. In the past, the Center explored the intersection of ethics with science, and with markets. “Today,” he said, “there is no challenge more urgent than the future of democracy. We are living through an era marked by polarization, the erosion of public trust, repeated assaults on democratic institutions, and the rise of authoritarian regimes. Meeting these threats demands not only political action but deep, sustained intellectual reflection – on power, pluralism, civic responsibility, and the role of law.”

He noted that, since its founding 14 years ago, the Safra Center has hosted dozens of fellows from Israel and abroad – many of whom have gone on to lead academic careers in top institutions across the globe. “The new wing will serve not merely as a workspace for these brilliant scholars, but as a site of encounter, exchange, and community. The Center also holds seminars, workshops, and international conferences that bring together scholars from across disciplines and across borders. Now we finally have a home for all of these activities – a space worthy of the ambition and seriousness our scholars bring,” he said.

A Global and Multidisciplinary Endeavor

Prof. Yishai Blank, Dean of the Buchmann Faculty of Law, stressed that, while the Center is located in the law school, its mandate interlaces the campus, and indeed the majority of post-docs and academic fellows are non-lawyers. “They all learn together,” Prof. Blank said, “manifesting the true nature of ethics as a cross-disciplinary endeavor, requiring profound understanding of the complex connections between philosophy, political science, economy, sociology, natural sciences, and last but not least – law.”

“The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics has become one of the central research pillars of the University,” Prof. Blank said, “thanks to the Safra Foundation who enabled us to pursue this intellectual endeavor. It is rare, almost impossible, to find such dedicated and generous partners without whom all of this would not have been possible.”

A Long and Fruitful Partnership

The Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation has been a valued partner of TAU for two decades. Its first major gift was toward the establishment of the highly successful Edmond J. Safra Bioinformatics Center, which it continues to support to this day.

The Foundation was founded by Edmond J. Safra, one of the 20th century’s most accomplished bankers and a devoted philanthropist, as a means of ensuring that needy individuals and organizations would continue to receive his support for years to come. It has assisted hundreds of organizations in over 40 countries worldwide, mainly in the areas of education; science & medicine; religion; and culture, social welfare and humanitarian assistance.
Following Edmond’s passing in 1999, his wife, Mrs. Lily Safra, a TAU Honorary Doctor, took over as Chairwoman until her passing in 2022.

“We miss Lily very much; she was a great lady who dedicated her life to helping others, the Jewish people, education and the State of Israel,” concluded TAU President Porat at the ceremony.