The Technion is a Miracle

The Technion celebrated its centennial with a festive event attended by the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, held at the historic Technion building in the Hadar neighborhood, where it all began.

At the festive ceremony, the Technion Alumni Medal was awarded to Major General (Res.) Nitsan Alon and former Minister Izhar Shay.

Major General (Res.) Nitsan Alon dedicated the medal to the families of the hostages. Former Minister Izhar Shay dedicated the medal to the memory of his son Yaron Ori (Noni) who fell on October 7

 The Technion celebrated 100 years since its opening with a festive event at its historic building in the Hadar neighborhood, in the presence of President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, and his wife, Michal. The event marked the opening of the Technion’s Board of Governors meeting. During the event, Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan presented the Technion Alumni Medal, awarded to alumni who have achieved exceptional accomplishments, to Major General (Res.) Nitsan Alon, head of the intelligence system for locating hostages and missing persons, and Izhar Shay, former Minister of Science and Technology and co-founder of Next October.

Among the attendees were Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav, Chairman of the Board of Governors Scott Leemaster, Chairman of the Executive Council Gideon Frank, Chairman of the National Museum of Science – MadaTech – Leon Recanati, former Technion presidents, members of the Technion and Board of Governors leadership, faculty deans, and many prominent guests from Israel’s economic sector.

President Isaac Herzog congratulated the Technion and said: “This moment is a defining moment for the Technion but also for Zionism as a whole, because we are celebrating tonight – the bold spirit of Zionism’s dreamers. Their spirit is not only the story of this single institution, but the story of restoring the moral weight and the voice of the heart and soul of an entire nation. From only 17 students in the opening cohort, the Technion became a bustling center of research and learning for thousands, a symbol of academic excellence and international cooperation. An institution that produces Nobel Prize winners and is a magnet for the best and brightest talents. The Technion became the best version of who we are as a nation. And I believe it still whispers to us – everything we can still become. We all still live in the shadow of the October 7 tragedy. Our hostages are still in Gaza, leaving an open and bleeding wound in the heart of our society. We cannot be whole until they all return home. And we cannot allow our voice to be silenced – until the last hostage returns.”

Technion President Prof. Sivan thanked President Herzog for his support of the Technion and Israeli academia and said: “On this special evening, and in this special place—the historic building of the Technion, the walls echo tales of a century of remarkable history.”

“Right in this very spot, thirty-six years before the establishment of the State of Israel, as four hundred years of Ottoman Empire rule over the Land of Israel were nearing their end, the cornerstone was laid for the institution that played a crucial role in the return of the Jewish People to their Homeland and the establishment and existence of the State of Israel.

David Ben-Gurion used to say that in the State of Israel; to be a realist, one must believe in miracles. The very fact that we are standing here today proves that claim.
We’ve come a long way since that humble beginning of 17 students in a single building, to becoming a leading research university positioned at the international forefront

with Nobel laureates and campuses in the US and China and all these accomplishments in just a century, under extremely challenging circumstances.

The Technion is the sum of all the men and women who touched it, each leaving their unique mark.  We are all links in a long chain that began in 1901, at the Fifth Zionist Congress in Basel, where the vision of establishing a technological higher education institution in this region was first presented – and where it continues to unfold.”

Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav congratulated the Technion and said: “The Technion is not just an institution of academic excellence. It is an integral part of Haifa’s identity, a source of pride for every resident. Haifa is proud to be the home of the Technion, a place where innovation, knowledge, and vision come together to shape the future.

The future of Haifa and the future of the Technion are intertwined. The Municipality of Haifa is fully committed to helping the Technion develop and grow even further. We have ambitious plans to deepen the connection between the Technion and Haifa’s high schools, creating pathways for talented young students to engage early with science and technology”.

Chairman of the Board of Governors Scott Leemaster said: “While the Technion is always looking forward, we must reflect on our past to understand and appreciate how we got here. I hope you’ve seen the documentary Technion 10². The film makes the extraordinary case that without the Technion, there would probably be no Israel. It’s a fact that a small group of visionaries defied the odds to create this hub of creativity, technological innovation, and science, for Israel and for the world.”

The Technion’s Historic Building is now the site of the National Museum of Science – MadaTech.  The Chairman of its Executive Board, Mr. Leon Recanati, said: “Over the past four decades, MadaTech has become a magnet for millions of visitors of all ages from across the country. They have passed through the museum’s gates to enjoy exhibitions, hundreds of interactive displays, lectures, and science activities. Tens of thousands of students visit its halls and laboratories annually conducting experiments, exploring, and discovering the wonders of science through engaging, hands-on learning experiences. MadaTech has become the third most visited museum in Israel.

Since its founding, the museum has benefited from the ongoing support of the Technion in fulfilling our shared mission: To be a vital institution that stimulates scientific knowledge and curiosity. I deeply cherish the partnership between the Technion and MadaTech.”