The merger of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Weizmann Institute of Science was announced here last night when Dr. Albert Einstein accepted the presidency of the combined board of directors, which includes 50 Jewish leaders in the United States and Canada.
The election of Dr. Einstein as president of the joint board of the merged institutions took place yesterday at a meeting of the directors at the Hotel Astor in New York. The meeting adjourned during the evening to Princeton so that Dr. Einstein might accept his new honor in person. Dr. Einstein’s acceptance was announced at his home here.
At the meeting at the Astor, the launching of a campaign to raise $7,500,000 for the new, combined institution was announced. Of this sum, a quota of $5,000,000 is to be raised in the United States and Canada and the rest in Israel. At the meeting, more than $1,000,000 was pledged.
Telegrams of congratulations to Dr. Einstein were received from President Chaim Weizmann of Israel and from Premier David Ben Gurion, while the world-famed physicist said that he was happy to accept the post. “It is necessary and worth-while,” he said, “to bring to American Jewry a clear understanding of the importance of these institutions to the future of Israel and the world. These institutions of higher learning will be a strong link between Israel and America.”
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