The Jeff Seidel Student Center was a crucial and incredibly positive aspect of my time in Israel. Jeff and his wonderful staff catered to my every need during my time at Hebrew UniversityÛÓwhether it was Shabbat and holiday meals, learning opportunities, parties, Jewish enrichment, or even arranging for accommodations in other countries, Jeff and the staff provided everything for us and greatly enhanced our time in Israel. Without the Jeff Seidel Student Center, my experience and that of all my friends would not have been close to what it was. Jeff, I thank you for the vital role you played and for being a key reason for the enjoyment and enhancement of my time spent in Israel.
Aaron Feinhalt – Hebrew U 2012 – U of P
17
Jun
Jun
George Deek is an Arab-Israeli diplomat. In 2018, Deek was appointed Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan. He is the first Israeli Arab Christian to become an ambassador. Deek grew up in an Eastern Orthodox Christian family in the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa, in a building where the other tenants included Muslims, Catholics, Jews and a Catholic priest of Jewish ancestry.[2][3] His father, who worked as a tax advisor,[3] was one of the leaders of the Christian community in Jaffa who served as chairman of the Orthodox Association, and was considered a well-known and popular figure in the city until in 2015 a square was inaugurated in his memory in Jaffa in the presence of Mayor Ron Huldai.[4] According to Deek, his grandparents fled to Lebanon for safety when the 1947–1949 Palestine war, having been told that the Jews would slaughter them if they remained in their homes, but expecting to return home once Arab armies defeated the Jews.[3] According to Deek, when the war ended, his grandparents felt that they had been “deceived”, and decided to return illegally to their home in Jaffa rather than remaining in Lebanon as refugees. Since reentering the country was illegal, Deek’s grandfather, an electrician, was arrested and jailed.
