Bar-Ilan University Facts for Kids

"Bar-Ilan" redirects here. For other uses, see Bar-Ilan (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids
Bar-Ilan University
אוניברסיטת בר-אילן (Hebrew)

Other name	BIU
Motto	Impacting tomorrow, today
Type	Public research
Established	1955
President	Arie Zaban
Rector	Amnon Albeck
Principal	Zohar Yinon
Administrative staff	1,250
Students	20,000
Doctoral students	2,200+
Location	Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv District , Israel 32°4′4″N 34°50′33″E / 32.06778°N 34.84250°E / 32.06778; 34.84250
Campus	Urban
Colors	Dark green and sky blue

Aerial view of Bar-Ilan University

Anna & Max Webb and Family Psychology Building at the Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel

Bar-Ilan University (BIU) is a big research university located in Ramat Gan, Israel. It was started in 1955. Today, it is Israel's second-largest university. About 18,000 students study there, and it has 1,350 teachers.

Bar-Ilan's main goal is to mix Jewish traditions with modern learning and technology. The university teaches Jewish heritage to all its students. At the same time, it gives them a strong academic education. It is known as one of the best universities in the Middle East for subjects like computer science and engineering.

History of Bar-Ilan University
What You Can Study at Bar-Ilan
Awards and Special Recognition
People Who Studied at Bar-Ilan
Teachers at Bar-Ilan
Gallery
See also

History of Bar-Ilan University

Bar-Ilan's first graduation ceremony in 1959

Wengrowsky Family Lookout and Visitors' Center, also called Lev HaCampus (meaning "heart of the campus")

Bar-Ilan Faculty of Engineering

HaMachon HaGavoah LeTorah campus bet midrash and midrasha

Bar-Ilan University began in Atlanta, USA, in 1950. It was founded by Professor Pinkhos Churgin, an American Orthodox rabbi and teacher. He was the first president from 1955 to 1957. When it opened, people saw it as a link between Israel and America.

The university is named after Rabbi Meir Bar-Ilan. He was a Religious Zionist leader who inspired the university's creation. He believed there was a need for a school that taught both modern academic subjects and religious Torah studies.

BIU welcomes many different students, including both Jewish and non-Jewish students. All students are required to take at least five courses in Jewish studies. Non-Jewish students can choose general courses instead. These courses can be academic or more traditional Torah study. The Machon HaGavoah LeTorah offers these traditional studies. It has programs for men and women.

Under university president Moshe Kaveh (1996–2013), Bar-Ilan grew a lot. New buildings were added, and new science programs started. These include a special brain research center and a center for nanotechnology. The university also focuses on archaeology, with important excavations.

In 2008, Bar-Ilan's Faculty of Law had the highest average score on the Israeli bar exam. In 2017, Arie Zaban became the university's president. In 2024, the university received a very large donation of $260 million. This money will help them hire more researchers, build labs, and create new partnerships in science and technology.

What You Can Study at Bar-Ilan

Bar-Ilan University has nine main areas of study, called faculties. These include:

Exact Sciences (like math and physics)
Life Sciences (like biology)
Social Sciences (like psychology and sociology)
Education
Humanities (like history and literature)
Jewish Studies
Medicine
Engineering
Law

There is also a special group of interdisciplinary studies, which means they combine different subjects. All undergraduate students need to take ten courses related to Jewish studies.

Bar-Ilan offers some special programs. One is an international B.A. program taught completely in English. It was the first university in Israel to do this. Students can study social sciences or communications in this program. These degrees are recognized around the world.

The university also has a program to help new immigrants get ready for Israeli colleges. Another program, called Torah im Derech Eretz Program, combines traditional Torah studies with general university classes and Jewish history.

Bar-Ilan also has important research centers. One is the Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center. It focuses on how the brain works.

Awards and Special Recognition

The Bar Ilan Responsa Project won the Israel Prize in 2007. This project is a huge collection of Jewish legal writings.

In 2010, Bar-Ilan's business school was ranked as the fourth best in Africa and the Middle East.

People Who Studied at Bar-Ilan

Many successful people have studied at Bar-Ilan University. Here are a few examples:

Ami Ayalon – a former head of a security service and a politician.
Tzipi Hotovely – an Israeli diplomat and former politician, now an ambassador.
Tzipi Livni – an Israeli lawyer and politician, who led the opposition.
Gila Gamliel – an Israeli politician who has served as a minister.
Gadeer Mreeh – the first woman of Druze background to become a member of the Israeli parliament.
Orit Peleg – a professor of biophysics at the University of Colorado.