The story of the Hebrew University spans almost a hundred years of research, teaching and thinking. It exists around three main circles through which it is possible, in my opinion, to understand the special spirit of our university.

The first circle, scientific, reflects our passion and mission to create groundbreaking science. Science and research is the factor that drives the university not only from the research aspect but also as a fundamental element in the teaching and training of the students who will in the future lead Israeli society to the challenges of tomorrow.

The second circle refers to the special diversity that you will find on our campuses. This is our circle - of who we are: a fascinating and high-quality community of academic staff, administrative staff and students. We come from different places, we have different beliefs, diverse worldviews, but we are all partners in creating the special spirit of our university - this is the living spirit of the "Hebrew University", a spirit of learning, education, creative thinking, critical thinking and also social responsibility. This is a community whose main added value is in developing the ability to ask the right and important questions and try to answer them. A community that seeks how to think without determining what to think; A community that encourages its members not to take anything for granted.

The third circle is related to our place in the society in which we live. The Hebrew University, from the day it was founded, had a huge impact on Israeli society and even beyond that. Every day someone from our graduates, something from the ideas that grew with us and the researches that were done here affects the society in which we live. The influence is so great and profound that it is hard to imagine Israeli society without the Hebrew University and its graduates.

Within these three circles - each separately and all together, our story takes place. A story of a university that has reached amazing achievements, and at the same time never freezes. Because we always have somewhere to move forward, there is always something to improve. For our story to be complete, we want it to have the social and cultural wealth that characterizes Israeli society, including the outstanding young women and men from the periphery, the first in their family to study for an academic degree, who will break the "glass ceiling" and integrate into the most competitive places in society, whether in the private or public sector.

Our success as a university—and no less the success of the country—to preserve and strengthen our story in its three circles of occurrence - research, community and society, is always based on the right to think freely. This is a fundamental right that every person deserves, regardless of sex, religion, race, economic status, nationality or political leaning. This is the right climate for scientific thinking and the condition for the prosperity of the human race. And so we must fully maintain the democratic, free and open climate that will allow all of us, teachers, researchers, students, to think, challenge, question, innovate and develop.