Shalom Friends,
Here in Israel the almond tree (Shkeidiah) blossomed as we celebrated Tu B’shevat, Rosh HaShanah La’Ilanot, (the New Year of Trees). Just as the Shkeidiah is the first to flower, a shakdan is a person who is diligent, studious, and often the first to excel. We are proud of our Bar-Ilan students, who are now on semester break, intensively preparing for exams and gearing up for the spring semester. We wish them much success.
In this issue we present pioneering voice analysis techniques that can have repercussion in medicine, security and other fields; a novel initiative for identifying the psychotherapeutic aspects of Hasidic stories; and a snapshot of BIU’s 15th Ambassadors’ Forum.
With my best wishes,
Rabbi Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz,
President of Bar-Ilan University
