The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has announced the establishment of the Mandel School for Advanced Studies in the Humanities on the Mt. Scopus campus of the university.

The Mandel Foundation approved an $18 million grant for a building to house the new school and a renewable grant of $2.5 million for programs. This is one of the largest gifts in support of the humanities worldwide.

This gift follows on the heels of a $22.5 million gift by the Mandel Foundation to establish the Mandel Center for the Humanities at Brandeis University, inaugurated in October 2010.

These two philanthropic contributions reflect the Mandel Foundation’s strong commitment to advance and strengthen the study of the humanities in Israel and around the world.

“Our investment in the humanities at The Hebrew University is an investment in the future of Israel and her people,” said Morton Mandel, chairman and chief executive officer of the Mandel Foundation. “The humanities classroom is where ancient meets modern, history touches modernity, and new ideas and ways of thinking are born.”

The Mandel School at the Hebrew University will stress an interdisciplinary approach and welcome graduate and post-doctoral students, creating a locus for outstanding scholarship and research in the humanities.

Other projects of the Mandel Foundation in Israel include the Mandel Leadership Institute in Jerusalem, the Mandel Center for Leadership in the Negev, and the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Wing for Jewish Art and Life at the Israel Museum.

The Mandel Foundation was founded in 1953 by Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel. The hallmark of their philanthropy is their commitment to invest in people with the values, ability, and passion to change the world.