The Weizmann Institute of Science mourns the death of the institute's Prof. Ephraim Katzir, the fourth president of the State of Israel, one of Israel's top scientists and the founders of the Weizmann Institute of Science. Ort World, of which Katzir served as president, also issued a statement of mourning
Prof. Katzir passed away yesterday, Saturday evening May 30, 2009, at his home in the Weizmann Institute of Science. He was 93 years old when he died.
Ephraim Katzir was born in Kiev, Ukraine in 1916. His parents, Yehuda and Tsila Kachelski, brought him to Israel in 1922. After finishing high school in Jerusalem, he chose to study botany, zoology and bacteriology at the Hebrew University and eventually focused on biochemistry and organic chemistry. In 1941 he completed doctoral studies in the study of simple synthetic polymers of amino acids and continued his studies at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, Columbia University and Harvard University.
While studying in Jerusalem, Katzer was active in the defense and advanced to the position of commander of a combat company in the "Field Corps". In 1948, after returning to Israel from studying abroad, he engaged in defense R&D as part of what developed into the science corps of the nascent state of Israel and for a certain period was commander of the science corps.
At the end of the war of liberation, together with his scientist brother Aharon, Ephraim Katzir joined the staff of the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he founded the biophysics department and headed it. Aaron, his brother, served as the head of the polymer research department until his tragic death in a terrorist attack at Lod Airport in 1972.
At the beginning of his career, Ephraim Katzir studied the poly-amino acids - synthetic models that facilitate the study of polymers. His pioneering studies contributed to the decoding of the genetic code, the production of synthetic antigens and the clarification of various steps in the immune response process. Understanding the properties of poly-amino acids helped, among other things, to the development of the drug copaxone against multiple sclerosis at the Weizmann Institute.
Another great success of Katzir was the development, in the 60s, of a method for immobilizing (linking) enzyme molecules to different surfaces. These are enzymes that accelerate various chemical processes. The method is used today as an important tool in the pharmaceutical industry. Among other things, it is applied in the production processes of penicillin intended for ingestion. In the food industry, this method is used, among other things, to produce fructose monosaccharide.
At the same time as his scientific researches, over the years, Katzir also dealt with the social and educational aspects of science. He chaired a state committee to formulate a national science policy, raised a generation of young scientists, translated important material into Hebrew and helped establish a popular science magazine. He served as Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Defense and headed the Association for the Advancement of Science in Israel, the Israel Association for Biochemistry, the National Council for Research and Development, and the Council for the Advancement of Scientific Education. In addition, he chaired the National Council for Biotechnology.
In 1973, Katzir was elected president of the State of Israel (the fourth president of the country), a position he held until 1978. (Upon his appointment to the presidency, he changed his name from Kachelski to Katzir). During his tenure as president, he placed special emphasis on the problems of society and education and regularly made sure to get to know all sectors of the population closely.
When he finished his term as the country's president, Katzir returned to his scientific work at the Weizmann Institute of Science. He was appointed "Professor of the Institute" - a prestigious rank given to outstanding scientists and former presidents of the Institute. He also devoted efforts to promoting biotechnological research in Israel and founded the Department of Biotechnology at Tel Aviv University. The establishment of the department was a continuation of his previous activities to establish science-intensive industries in Israel, which included the establishment of several companies based on the fruits of scientific research.
Later in his scientific career Katzir turned to new areas of research. In one project he headed a team of scientists who won an international competition in building computer models of proteins. In another study he was part of an interdisciplinary team that discovered important aspects of the effect of snake venom on the human body.
Katzir wrote hundreds of scientific articles and served on the editorial and advisory boards of many scientific journals. In honor of his 60th, 70th and 80th birthdays, international symposia were held in Rehovot and Jerusalem. On the occasion of his 90th birthday, an international scientific conference was held at the Weizmann Institute of Science on May 14, 2006.
Prof. Katzir was a member of the Israeli National Academy of Sciences and many other academic bodies in Israel and around the world, including the Royal Institute of Great Britain, the Royal Society of London, the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, the French Academy of Sciences, the Argentine Academy of Sciences and the World Academy of Sciences. He also served as a visiting scientist at Harvard University, the Rockefeller University, the University of California at Los Angeles and the "Battle" Research Institute in Seattle.
In addition, Katzir won the Rothschild Prize and the Israel Science Prize, the Weizmann Prize, the Linderström Land Gold Medal, the Hans Krebs Medal, the Tschernichovsky Prize for Scientific Translations, the Alpha Omega Medal and an International Award in Enzyme Engineering from the Engineers Foundation. He won the Japan Award (the first Israeli to win this prestigious award) and was appointed to the Order of the Legion of Honor of France. He received honorary doctorate degrees from more than a dozen universities in Israel and the world, including Harvard University, Northwestern University, McGill University, Oxford University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.
The magazine Annual Review brought the following quote from Katzir: "I was allowed to devote a significant part of my life to science. But my participation over the years in activities outside of science taught me that there is life beyond the laboratory. I realized that if we hope to build a better world, we need to be guided by universal human values that emphasize the brotherhood of humanity: the sanctity of human life and human freedom, peace between nations, honesty and integrity, consideration for the rights of others and love of man."
Ort the world that Katzir was also a grieving president
The president of ORT Global: "We bow our heads for the passing of a great man, who consecrated scientific-technological education and embodied in his actions a combination of a contribution to the country along with the development of education in all its components"
A few days before his death, Prof. Katzir had enough time to add his signature to the commitment of the presidents of the World Ort to their generations to continue to work for the promotion of scientific-technological education in the Jewish communities of the world
Prof. Ephraim Katzir, the fourth president of the State of Israel, passed away last night. Prof. Katzir's impressive biography is intertwined with public and academic activity. Among his many positions, Prof. Katzir served as president of the World Ort Organization, between the years 1986-1990, and until the day of his death he served as honorary president of the organization.
Upon learning of his death, the president of ORT World, the scientist Dr. Jean de Ginzburg, asked to express the organization's condolences on behalf of all the presidents of ORT World for generations: "Prof. Katzir was a great person, and the ORT World Organization bows its head for the passing of Adam which sanctified scientific-technological education and was a symbol in the eyes of all of us. During his tenure as the country's president, Prof. Katzir often emphasized the importance of education, which he saw as a supreme value. Prof. Katzir served as an example and role model for a person who dedicated his life to science, research work and the country, and his character and contribution will accompany us for many years to come."
Prof. Ephraim Katzir served most of his years in research and administrative positions in the field of education. Prof. Katzir was one of the founders of the Weizmann Institute and even headed it and served as the chief scientist of the Ministry of Defense. His research in the field of biophysics and biotechnology won a series of awards, honors and global resonance and they laid the foundation and infrastructure for important biotechnological industries in Israel and around the world. The methods developed by Prof. Katzir are widely used, to this day, for the production of antibiotic drugs and other important substances.
Dr. Jean de Ginsburg, President of the World Ort, also added: "The World Ort organization was proud of Prof. Katzir's agreement to head it. Prof. Katzir invested most of his energy in the development of scientific research while fostering Jewish education around the world. Prof. Katzir was one of the main initiators and nurturers of the classes for science-seeking youth in Israel. His contribution to bringing the youth closer to traditional science has established new generations of scientists and technological entrepreneurs. The World Ort Organization will perpetuate his memory and legacy within the many activities that the organization does in Jewish communities around the world."
On the occasion of commemorating the 130th anniversary of the establishment of the organization, the heads of the World Ort decided to re-ratify the statement of the founders of the organization, which was printed in St. Petersburg in 1880. Prof. Katzir had time before his death to add his signature to the commitment of the presidents of the World Ort to their generations to continue to work for the promotion of scientific-technological education in the Jewish communities of the world.
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