Fundraising and Collaboration: The Hebrew University and the German Question, 1959–1965

The present article explores the internal debates, tension, and controversies at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem over academic collaborations with and fundraising in West Germany between 1959 and 1965. In our estimation, a key to understanding this freighted topic is the way The Hebrew University perceived itself, especially in comparison to Israel’s other major academic institution at the time – the Weizmann Institute. Not only did the university assume the mantle of an advanced research center, but considered itself a national body that represents and symbolizes the State of Israel and the entire Jewish People.