UCLA Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center Receives $1 Million Matching Challenge Grant

The UCLA Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies has received a $1 million matching challenge grant from The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation.

The foundation’s challenge gift will create The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Endowment for Teaching in Israel Studies, positioning the Nazarian Center to engage more students in the study of modern Israel at UCLA. The grant will enable UCLA to consistently offer more courses in Israel Studies in a wide range of academic disciplines, especially the humanities.

“This gift from The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation provides an excellent opportunity to foster education and knowledge about modern Israel,” said Richard S. Ziman, Gilbert Foundation trustee. “With this matching grant, we want to advance outstanding teaching about modern Israel at UCLA and beyond, and promote humanities courses, in particular, so that students will have a deeper understanding of the country in all its dimensions,” added Martin H. Blank, Jr., Gilbert Foundation trustee.

“UCLA is deeply grateful to the Gilbert Foundation for this generous grant and for its consistent support of the Nazarian Center. We are delighted that the grant focuses on teaching,” said Cindy Fan, vice provost for international studies and global engagement at UCLA.

The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation has been a donor to UCLA since 2004, and its first donation to the Israel Studies program was in 2005.