The 17th Annual Bel Air Affaire, held on Sept. 19 and hosted by American Friends of the Hebrew University’s (AFHU) Western Region, raised more than $2.6 million to support student scholarships at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU). The event, attended by more than 320 guests, honored artist and philanthropist Soraya Sarah Nazarian.
“We are pleased to honor Soraya Sarah Nazarian with the Humanitarian Torch of Learning Award in recognition of her unwavering leadership and generosity, which have enriched our community through her commitment to education, the arts, Israel and beyond,” said AFHU Western Region president Michael Cypers. “I want to thank the Nazarian family, the event chairs and all those who supported the 17th Annual Bel Air Affaire. Their generosity helps provide a brighter future for Hebrew University students and ensures that the university can continue to educate and inspire the next generation.”
Hebrew University president Tamir Sheafer welcomed guests and presented Nazarian with the award during the Bel Air Affaire. The evening’s theme, “Wings of Opportunity,” was inspired by Nazarian’s Carrara marble sculpture, Wings, which she gifted to the Hebrew University in 2014. Today, the sculpture stands prominently on the Mount Scopus campus, overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem.
Wings symbolizes the strength of our roots and the freedom to reach toward the future. Its form evokes the importance of having a strong foundation—one grounded in identity, values and tradition—while also embracing the imagination, aspiration and courage to turn dreams into reality.
That same spirit is at the heart of the Hebrew University. The university gives its students the foundation to stand firmly in their own identities, values and traditions, while providing them with the knowledge, opportunities and confidence to chart their own paths. In this way, Wings embodies the university’s role: honoring where we come from while empowering the next generation.
As Nazarian explained, “There are two gifts of real value we can give our children. One is roots, the other is wings.” At the Hebrew University, that idea reflects an emphasis on giving young people both a sense of belonging and the freedom to pursue their aspirations.
Nazarian is co-founder, along with her late husband, Younes Nazarian, of the Younes & Soraya Nazarian Family Foundation and the Ima Foundation. These foundations support educational, medical, artistic and cultural initiatives in the United States and Israel, with a strong emphasis on expanding access to education and mental health services, advancing the arts and strengthening cultural and civic life. Her philanthropy has included major support for universities, museums, performing arts institutions and Jewish cultural initiatives. Both foundations are driven by the belief that the promotion and support of education can serve as a catalyst for societal change.
Supporting future student success
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Pre-Academic Library of the Ima Foundation, located on Mount Scopus, supports the Hebrew University’s pre-university (Mechina) program. The yearlong preparatory program provides high school graduates with intensive Hebrew and English language instruction, as well as Hebrew academic study, equipping participants with the skills needed to pursue higher education in Israel.
During the event, Sharon Nazarian, president of the Younes & Soraya Nazarian Family Foundation, announced the Nazarian Mechina Excellence Award, a scholarship endowment to support first-year tuition for outstanding Mechina graduates who matriculate at the Hebrew University.
“The award will sustain a longstanding tradition of recognizing exceptional achievement while inspiring excellence across the broader Mechina community,” Sharon Nazarian said. “The program aligns closely with our family’s commitment to creating opportunity, fostering excellence and empowering students to reach their full potential.”
Zvi Mendelsohn, an attorney and alumnus of the Mechina program, delivered the keynote. His journey has taken him from Talmudic studies at Ponevez Yeshiva to IDF service and, ultimately, to legal studies at both HU and UCLA. Raised in a deeply religious family, he shared how scholarship support and the Mechina program opened doors to new opportunities, enabled the pursuit of a legal career and provided him with the means to give back to the community.
Bel Air Affaire co-chairs were Joyce Brandman, Renae Jacobs-Anson and Helen Jacobs-Lepor. Honorary chairs were Patricia Glaser and Sam Mudie and May and Richard S. Ziman. Ariel Anson and Marissa Lepor served as Next-Gen co-chairs.
The culinary experience at the historic Greenacres Harold Lloyd Estate was provided by Los Angeles-based Whoa Nelly Catering.
