The Lady Davis Fellowship Trust was established 49 years ago in 1973 to provide an opportunity for Visiting Professors, Post-Doctoral Researchers and Doctoral Students from abroad, regardless of nationality, gender or field of scholarship to teach, study and participate in research in Israel at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and at the Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa.
To date, 1,016 Visiting Professors, 1,362 Postdoctoral and Doctoral students and 176 Israelis studying abroad have served as Lady Davis Fellows. The international impact and, hence, recognition has been impresssive, making it one of the most distinguished and sought after fellowship programs in the world. In addition, over these 49 years the Lady Davis Fellowship Trust has greatly enriched the Hebrew University and the Technion by constantly introducing exceptional talent into their academic environment and by linking these two institutions, through human bridges, with the world network of science and scholarship.
The Fellowship program was named after Lady Davis, who provided the endowment for the Trust. Lady Davis was a distinguished philanthropist and benefactor of educational institutions, who died in Montreal, Canada in 1963.
The Bloomfield Family created and nurtured the Lady Davis Fellowship Trust. Bernard Bloomfield was not just an executor of the will of Lady Davis. He, with his brother Louis, worked tirelessly to solidify and expand the Trust, and by skillful administration and faithful loyalty to its mission, made it into one of the most important and most effective channels of support for the Hebrew University and for the Technion. Upon his death, Bernard Bloomfield was succeeded by his wife Mrs. Neri Bloomfield on the Board of the Lady Davis Fellowship Trust. Mrs. Bloomfield also played a significant leadership role in Canadian philanthropy and community service until her passing away on the 5th of February, 2015.
Their children, Evelyn and Harry, are continuing the family tradition of support for the Trust.