Charismatic Jerusalem Cinematheque president Lia Van Leer, leading proponent of Jewish-Catholic dialogue Father Patrick Desbois and Nobel laureates Prof. Bert Sakmann and Prof. Avram Hershko are among nine distinguished figures who received honorary doctor of philosophy degrees on Sunday, June 7, at the opening session of the 72nd meeting of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Board of Governors.

Father Patrick Desbois is an inspiring figure whose unprecedented efforts to locate the unmarked mass graves of Jews killed by the Nazis have significantly enhanced contemporary knowledge and understanding of the Shoah. Today the foremost figure in Catholic–Jewish relations in France, Father Desbois is head of the Commission for Relations with Judaism of the French Bishops Conference and the founder of the Yahad In Unum (the Hebrew and Latin for ‘together’) interfaith reconciliation organization.

Source : Hebrew University of Jerusalem