Prof. Igal Talmi, a leading pioneer of Israeli science and a founder of nuclear physics research in Israel, passed away, just days after his 101st birthday. His wife of 77 years, Chana Talmi (née Kivelewitz), passed away at the age of 100, less than two weeks before his death.

Talmi was among those who deciphered the structure of the atomic nucleus, and several of the theories and computational methods he developed are still in use today. During his doctoral research in Switzerland, under the supervision of the Nobel Prize laureate Prof. Wolfgang Pauli, he developed a method that substantially simplified calculations in the nuclear shell model. After completing his PhD in 1951, he conducted postdoctoral research at Princeton University with another Nobel laureate, Prof. Eugene Wigner.

Upon returning to Israel in 1954, Talmi joined the Weizmann Institute of Science and was among the founders of Israel’s first nuclear physics department. In 1963, together with Prof. Amos de-Shalit – also a pioneer of Israeli nuclear physics – he published the book Nuclear Shell Theory, which became an instant classic. In 1993, Talmi published another book on the subject, Simple Models of Complex Nuclei: The Shell Model and Interacting Boson Model.

What happens when higher education opens the door – but the job market keeps it shut?

Recently, Dr. Marian Tehawkho, economist and head of the Center for Economic Policy of the Arab Society in Israel at Reichman University, visited the Weizmann Institute to share insights from her research.

Her message was clear: Arab women in Israel are excelling in higher education – including in STEM fields – yet face systemic barriers that block their entry into the workforce and prevent their talent from translating into careers, innovation, and economic growth.

In a lecture hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion for members of the Weizmann Institute community, Dr. Tehawkho highlighted the personal, social and economic costs of untapped potential. She raised vital questions about the role of public policy and social structures in shaping Israel’s labor market.

Alongside the data, she shared her own story: the first woman in Israel’s Circassian community to earn a PhD in economics, she spoke of challenges, allies, and her deep belief in the power of diverse teams to generate knowledge that drives real change.

Last month, we celebrated the Chinese New Year – the Year of the Horse – at a gathering organized by the International Office.

Members of our community took part in traditional activities, including calligraphy, dumpling-making and cultural games.

Wishing our community a joyful and prosperous year ahead.

We’re making waves in North Atlantic weather research!

Last month marked the conclusion of the international NAWDIC aircraft measurement campaign over the North Atlantic. The unprecedented scientific mission builds directly on research led by Prof. Shira Raveh-Rubin’s dynamical meteorology group, asking a key question: What role do dry intrusions play in creating the conditions for extreme weather events?

Using a new combination of advanced instruments onboard the HALO research aircraft of the German Aerospace Center, and working in coordination with German, French and American research aircrafts, an international team, including seven Weizmann scientists and students, monitored weather forecasts and planned detailed measurement flights. The goal: to collect unique data that deepens our understanding of how storms develop and to improve weather forecasts.

Already during the campaign, new observations were fed into global operational weather forecasts, increasing precision!

Data collection is just the beginning. The next step is to explore how these findings reshape the broader scientific picture.

To mark Tu B’shvat, we held a special tree-planting event, led by our Sustainability Office and Gardening Development and Maintenance team in collaboration with Yad Chaim Weizmann.

Members of the Weizmann community were joined by 30 children from special education kindergartens in Rehovot, invited by our Social Involvement in the Community team.

Together, we planted the trees of tomorrow – rooted in hope, care, and shared responsibility.