Overview
- John Paulson announced the $250 million donation at the Hebrew University Board of Governors gala on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, and the university called it the largest single gift in its history.
- In recognition of the gift the Mount Scopus campus will be renamed The Alina and John Paulson Campus, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, and the contribution raises Paulson’s total support for the school to about $296 million.
- The university says the gift will create a new Faculty of Engineering and expand medical and biomedical education, plus fund research into trauma and post-trauma recovery and new public-impact programs.
- Paulson described the donation as an expression of international solidarity with Israel and argued that investing in Hebrew University delivers high research value at lower cost than comparable U.S. institutions.
- The gift is the latest in a multi-year wave of large commitments to Israeli universities and hospitals and could increase Israel’s capacity to train doctors, recruit faculty, equip labs, and speed applied research that links universities with public needs.