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  • Issue: November 1969
  • Designer: E. Weishoff
  • Plate no.: 269
  • Sheet of 15 stamps Tabs: 5
  • Method of printing: Photogravure

The world-famous Weizmann Institute of Science, devoted to research and to teaching in the natural sciences, in November 1969 marked the 25th anniversary of its establishment. The Institute has earned an enviable reputation in such fields of international concern as cancer research, immunology, genetics, organic and physical chemistry (including isotope research), nuclear and elementary particle physics (both experimental and theoretical), solid state and chemical physics, seismology, applied mathematics, design and construction of computers, biophysics, biochemistry, and polymer and plastics research. Its scientists are also increasingly and deeply involved in areas of research more specifically related to Israel's own problems, among these desalination and hydrology.

An entirely new and pioneering field of activity was launched in the late 1960s at the Institute with the establishment of a Department of Science Teaching, which deals with the development of high school curricula, teaching methods and materials. The Institute also organizes science summer camps for young people from Israel and abroad, as well as a Science Fair, a Mathematics Olympiad, etc.

The Yeda Research and Development Company, owned by the Yeda Trust, has dealt with the commercial promotion of industrially-promising research projects developed at the Institute. A separate corporation, SIDCO (Science-based Industries Development Co.), was set up to serve science-based industries by providing appropriate sites for them in industrial parks in the immediate vicinity of the Weizmann Institute.

The Weizmann Institute developed out of the small Daniel Sieff Research Institute, founded in Rehovot in 1934 by Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the famous Zionist leader who was to become the first President of the State of Israel and first President of the Weizmann Institute.

The first building within the enlarged complex, bearing Weizmann's name, was dedicated in 1949, one year after the establishment of the State. It was conceived as a 70th birthday gift for Dr. Weizmann, and was further expanded after his death in 1952. A memorial area, Yad Chaim Weizmann, was then created; it consists of the Weizmann House and the President's grave, the Weizmann Archives, the Weizmann Institute and the adjoining Agricultural Research Station.

The Weizmann Archives, located in the Wix Central Library on campus, houses Dr. Weizmann's letters and papers, of which the first volume has been published in English and Hebrew, while other volumes are in preparation. The Archives also contain a permanent exhibition dedicated to highlights of Dr. Weizmann's life and career.

The Institute's contributions to the growth and development of the State of Israel have been considerable. By insisting on standards of excellence, it has enhanced this country's contribution to research on the frontiers of knowledge, has attracted foreign scientists and students, has qualified as a meeting place for international conferences, and has been a recipient of numerous research grants for scientific research both pure and applied - from overseas institutions and foreign governmental agencies.

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25 Years Weizmann Institute