The Hebrew University established the Max Kampelman Chair in Democracy and Human Rights in 2002, with the help of the Hebrew University’s Friends in the USA, Mr. Max Kampelman and the friends and family of    Max Kampelman. The study of democracy and human rights in Israel and the Middle East is not only a tool to  defend the individual, but also forms a successful mechanism to enhance and sustain trust, partnership and good relationships in both domestic and international politics. The Kampelman Chair seeks to contribute to this effort.

Mr. Kampelman (1921-2013) was a lawyer, a diplomat and an educator. Between 1985 and 1989 he was Counselor of the Department of State and Ambassador and Head of the USA delegation to the Negotiations with the USSR on Nuclear and Space Arms in Geneva. In 2000 he was among those receiving the first Library of Congress “Living Legend” award. In 1999 he was awarded (by President Clinton) the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the USA. In 1989 he was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal. Mr. Kampelman was also a great scholar and he published numerous books and articles in the field of international relations, American politics, and Human Rights.

Starting in September 2023, I have the profound honor of serving as the Max Kampelman Chair in Democracy and Human Rights at the Hebrew University. This opportunity fills me with both excitement and humility, as I step into the distinguished legacy left by the first holder of this esteemed chair, Prof. Avner de Shalit. It is not merely a position, but a commitment to the ideals of democracy and human rights that this chair represents. I am inspired by the work that has come before me, and I pledge to uphold and further the noble pursuit of these principles.