Israel’s President-elect Ephraim Katzir, a Weizmann Institute biophysicist, called on Haifa Technion graduates yesterday to overcome the “golem of technology” by combining Jewish values with modern know-how. Prof. Katzir was addressing the largest graduating class in the Technion’s 44-year history. The class of 942 included 123 women and 10 Arabs and Druze.
Prof. Katzir noted that the terrors inherent in modern science and technology have led many intellectuals to despair for humanity in the 21st century. But the Jewish people, who have never surrendered nor acquiesed to adverse conditions,,need not be partners to this despair, he said. Prof. Katzir revealed that since his election he has studied the Jewish heritage and was convinced that stripped of the ceremonies that are no longer necessary for modern life, it has the answer for the awesome future of man.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
