The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust announced a $3 million grant on Oct. 14 to support the construction of a new multidisciplinary laboratory building on the Roadburg Campus of Tel-Hai, University of Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee. It is the latest milestone in a longstanding collaboration between Helmsley and Tel-Hai University to help strengthen scientific research, innovation and opportunity in northern Israel.
The grant comes at a pivotal moment: Earlier this year, Tel-Hai was officially recognized as a university. Today, the institution is expanding its research capacity, recruiting leading scientists from Israel and abroad, and building the infrastructure needed to support the next generation of scientific discovery.
The new laboratory building is a 3,500-square-meter (37,700-square-foot), three-story facility designed to provide a state-of-the-art environment for multidisciplinary research and innovation in biotechnology, agriculture, food systems, engineering, nutrition and environmental sciences.
It will house advanced laboratories, shared research facilities, graduate-student workspaces and approximately 20 research groups to create a vibrant ecosystem for collaboration and scientific excellence.
Beyond the physical infrastructure, the facility will enable Tel-Hai University to expand advanced research programs, attract and retain outstanding scientists and accelerate innovation in fields critical to the future of the Galilee, Israel and beyond. The building is expected to support research that addresses pressing global challenges in food security, sustainability, human health, environmental resilience and biotechnology.
“Research universities can be powerful engines of innovation, opportunity and regional growth,” said university president Eliezer Shalev, M.D. “As Israel’s newest university, our mission extends beyond educating students and conducting research. We are helping shape the future of northern Israel through knowledge, innovation and human capital. Helmsley’s continued support is helping create the infrastructure that enables world-class science to flourish in the Galilee, attracting exceptional researchers, advancing breakthrough discoveries and generating long-term impact for our region and the country as a whole.”
The new facility will stand alongside the Helmsley Science Building for Health, Environment and Biotechnology, established through a previous $5.3 million grant. Since its completion, the science building has become a thriving research hub.
Including the new funding, Helmsley’s investments in Tel-Hai University total more than $18 million.
Sandor Frankel, a Trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust, stated that “Helmsley is deeply committed to supporting basic scientific research in Israel, and we are pleased to help Tel-Hai expand its research capacity and strengthen scientific leadership in northern Israel as it embarks on its next chapter as a university. Investing in scientific infrastructure creates opportunities for researchers and students to develop solutions to complex challenges and contribute to the long-term prosperity and resilience of the Galilee and Israel.”